The away kit

[Dark Savante]

This one has been at the back of my mind for years, but I've never really sought an answer. Maybe some of the lovely chappies on BS can help.

I don't know the history and tradition of the away kit in other nations, but in England at club level, as far as I'm aware, there are no traditionaltuniforms for away kits and I've always wondered why.

National teams have both a home and an away kit tradition, why is this not the case for club colours?

We (Man Utd) have had some real monstrosities over the years. From the regal blue beauties we wore:

http://www.toffs.com/content/ebiz/toffs/images/1151.gif

Through to this creation of Beelzebub:

http://www.prideofmanchester.com/sport/photos/mufc-kit90a.gif
Grey:
http://www.prideofmanchester.com/sport/photos/mufc-kit95grey.gif

We've also worn white strips and black strips and the Newton Heath yellow/Green combo. I'm sure you can do this for any English club if you delve back.

Arsenal are the team I can associate with yellow away strips, any particular why they wear that particular colour?

Erm, to summise
.

1. Why is their no away kit tradition in club football(to my knowledge) but there is for countries? (if your country does have a club away kit colour tradition, fell free to point this out)

2. Is the home kit a club wears mandotary (I.e registered with their FA) or could you turn up with a green home kit if you wanted to do so.

[megamac20817]

Some clubs do have a traditional away kit, but they are by no means set in stone, as is the case for home kits. There is nothing stopping Juventus from playing in Pink and Purple as a home kit except tradition.

[Henry Porter]

Money, I would suppose. Your home kit should represent the colors of your club and allow a fan to wear his jersey for more than a year. Those fans who travel more often have more money and therefore would purchase new kits to match the current squad. I would imagine that's how it started. Plus, I would assume it would be more difficult for traditions to grow on the road versus at home. These are all just suppositions and hopefully someone will come along with some data.

[Fiorentina lives!]

Away kits used to be a necessity, especially when 95% of clubs are wearing one of the same three colors (red, blue, white)...

...and they still are necessary. However, once replica kits became business, things went wild from there.

New colors came about...

New combinations arose...

Then came the 3rd kit...

Then the Champions one, the Cup one, the one used specifically on Saturday matches...

Why change away kits? Money and fads, that's why.

[Brook]

Dark-- Great book over in England that I just purchased-- True Colours; football kits from 1980 to the present. Try the author's website, I think, www.truecoloursfootballkits.co.uk Gives some reasoning as to away or change kits as being at the manufacturer's discretion.

[spoonman]

http://images.google.nl/images?q=tbn:2EQJBvSBdrJQUM:http://home.hetnet.nl/~ifg2000


Ajax away shirt somewere early nineties

http://www.subsidesports.com/uk/images/product/large/hoajxass91.gif

sponsor logo

http://www.qpgroup.com/images/cm_images/ABN%20Amro%20logo.gif

notice the similarities?

[unclesox]

European Cup final ties wear BOTH clubs wore their away kits:


1984 Cup Winners Cup -
Juventus (yellow shirts and socks, blue shorts)
Porto (all in blue)
http://www.onlyjuve.com/galleria5/images/coppacoppe10.JPG


1992 Champions League -
Barcelona (all in orange)
Sampdoria (white shirts and socks, blue shorts)
http://www.diariosport.com/campions/images/fotos/koeman4.jpg


2000 Champions League -
Real Madrid (all in black... or navy?)
Valencia (all in orange)
http://ted.examiner.ie/archives/images/phead_000525.jpg


Any others?

[Tricky Tree]

Who has changed home colours? I can think of Leeds - formerly blue and yellow, ditto Parma. And why doesn't Palermo change their pink and black ;)