View Full Version : Question About Team Colors
SetPeace
10 May 2006, 08:27 PM
I know most nations have their soccer and olympic teams outfitted in their national colors. My question concerns those countries that do not wear the same colors that we see on their flags. I know Italy is known as the Azzurri, or "Blues". Does anyone know the reason or history behind the Italian teams sporting blue and white, rather than a red-white-green combination? The same question could be asked for New Zealand (black and white), Australia and South Africa (green and gold), Netherlands (orange), and Japan (blue and white). Also, I know Germany (particularly the soccer teams) traditionally likes to wear black and white, with very little red and gold in their uniforms. Any help on this would be appreciated. For sure, when I see a team decked out in forest green and gold, I automatically assume it's the Aussies or South Africans. It doesn't confuse me since I've watched international sporting competitions for years. I'm just curious about the origins.
Tuco
10 May 2006, 08:42 PM
Here in Holland, the national colour is orange because the royal family originally came from a principality that went by the same name. Before I moved here, I thought it had something to do with tulips :D
Toon³
10 May 2006, 08:47 PM
Italy wear blue because it is the colour of the Italian royal family. Or something like that.
Cassano
10 May 2006, 09:09 PM
Italy wear blue because it is the colour of the Italian royal family. Or something like that.
Why Italy wear Blue:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=312600
SetPeace
10 May 2006, 09:11 PM
Thanks for the help on the Dutch and Italian teams. William of Orange and his wife Mary came to the English throne in 1689 or thereabouts. The College of William & Mary is named after them, and is the third oldest university in the U.S.--it's all coming back to me now!
SetPeace
10 May 2006, 09:23 PM
Thanks for the help on the Dutch and Italian teams. William of Orange and his wife Mary came to the English throne in 1689 or thereabouts. The College of William & Mary is named after them, and the second oldest university in the U.S.--it's all coming back to me now!
Leto
11 May 2006, 04:18 AM
Germany's second strip is green because Ireland were the first team to play them in a friendly after WWII, so they adopted our colours.
Dwbakke
11 May 2006, 09:59 AM
Germany's second strip is green because Ireland were the first team to play them in a friendly after WWII, so they adopted our colours.
Except Germany's second strip is now red
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EGA8OS/104-7319185-2035944?v=glance&n=1036592
Leto
11 May 2006, 12:29 PM
Oops, forgot about that. Well, their second strip was green because...etc.
Mr Hanki's Throne
11 May 2006, 12:56 PM
India does blue (just asked my sysadmin, I know an awful stereotype), but that is from the little blue wheel logo in the middle of the flag.
nach0king
11 May 2006, 01:20 PM
I'm clutching at straws here, but the Germany strip might be black and white because those were the colours of the Prussian flag, and the German Empire flag was also black, white and red. Various emblems and so on would also use these colours.
TOTC
11 May 2006, 01:41 PM
William of Orange and his wife Mary came to the English throne in 1689 or thereabouts. The College of William & Mary is named after them, and is the second oldest university in the U.S.
Oddly enough, The College Of William & Mary's colors are green and gold... like Australia.
unclesox
13 May 2006, 04:02 PM
Germany's second strip is green because Ireland were the first team to play them in a friendly after WWII, so they adopted our colours.
Nope. Switzerland were Germany's first opponents after WWII.
There was a good debate about Germany's green kit in the German forum about a year ago. ;)
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211168
Leto
14 May 2006, 06:18 AM
Interesting - I'd heard the other story so many times without any opposing versions (from Germans) that I was happy to take it as more than urban legend. It came up in a thread on the German forum a month or two back as well. If the last couple of posts in the thread you linked are true it still doesn't explain why the DFB changed their colours in the first place.
unclesox
15 May 2006, 05:37 PM
If the last couple of posts in the thread you linked are true it still doesn't explain why the DFB changed their colours in the first place.I just reread the entire thread. You're right. The issue was never settled.
And if memory serves, it looks like a few posts have been deleted from there because you'll notice one poster made mention about believing the green shirts were "originally based on nature/forests". This was in response to one or two people who had heard that the green shirts were inspired by the Black Forest, in the country's south-west region, with it's majestic green scenery.
I came up with the passports issue while googling around and thought it would add nicely to the debate. :D
But indeed, it looks like the topic was never solved. :(
Andy TAUS
16 May 2006, 02:34 AM
Australia's national teams' sporting colours (Green & Gold) come from the AUS National flora (Gum/Eucalyptus tree - Green leaves & Wattle tree - Gold flowers).
All AUS national sporting teams have used these two traditional colours, from the inception of such teams.
Alex_K
19 May 2006, 01:11 PM
Also, I know Germany (particularly the soccer teams) traditionally likes to wear black and white, with very little red and gold in their uniforms.
As mentioned before, black and white where the colors of Prussia and the German Empire, originating from the coat of arms of the Teutonic Order. Black-Red-Gold didn't become the official flag of Germany until 1919 (although it had been the flag of the failed revolution of 1848/49).
guado
20 May 2006, 11:29 AM
India does blue (just asked my sysadmin, I know an awful stereotype), but that is from the little blue wheel logo in the middle of the flag.
is it?
i remember watchign a segment about it, and it said that india never had a set uniform. a european coach came along , and he said that to succeed they'll need to look good, so he got them some adidas navy and sky blue stripes.
don't remember hearing the explanation for the blue though.
Mr Hanki's Throne
22 May 2006, 12:40 PM
is it?
i remember watchign a segment about it, and it said that india never had a set uniform. a european coach came along , and he said that to succeed they'll need to look good, so he got them some adidas navy and sky blue stripes.
don't remember hearing the explanation for the blue though.
Well, the only international Indian teams I have ever seen on TV are the cricketeers (my SA confirms its true too of the soccer players). They wear a sky blue (a lighter color makes sense for sun protection). I assume whatever is traditional in Indian sports comes from cricket.
guado
22 May 2006, 04:59 PM
Well, the only international Indian teams I have ever seen on TV are the cricketeers (my SA confirms its true too of the soccer players). They wear a sky blue (a lighter color makes sense for sun protection). I assume whatever is traditional in Indian sports comes from cricket.
the blue wasn't what they had before. they had a random array of white , green and orange.
the new coach brought the blue adidas uniforms, which lead to the new nike's.