NT Kits

[AvidSinger]

I've always wondered why so many national teams wear kits that have nothing to do with their country's flag.

--Italy wears blue although their flag is green, white, and red.
-- Australia wears yellow and green -- neither of which appear on their flag
-- NZ wears black when their flag is blue, white, and red
-- Japan wears blue when their flag is white and red

[MikeyPez]

Italy is because of the family of Sardina or something, the former king of Italy. I think.

By the way why do you call uniforms kits?

[MIGkiller]

I think Germany's white jersey is a reminiscent of the pre-nazi era when their flag was black, white and red.

I've also read that their green away jersey is a homage to Northern Ireland as the first team to play them after the WW2.

[MikeyPez]

their flag is still black, red and white....OOPS my bad im wrong

[AvidSinger]

Originally posted by MikeyPez
By the way why do you call uniforms kits? Isn't that what they're called?

I do know that Netherlands wears orange because that's their royal color. I had a Dutch friend in HS so that's where I learned that one.

[MikeyPez]

I never heard a soccer uniform referred to as a kit until i joined the board.

i know why croatia's checkered, its the coat of arms is a checkered shield

[michaec]

Originally posted by MikeyPez
Italy is because of the family of Sardina or something, the former king of Italy. I think.

By the way why do you call uniforms kits? Why do you call kits uniforms?

[AvidSinger]

Originally posted by MikeyPez
I never heard a soccer uniform referred to as a kit until i joined the board.*shrug* Dunno. I've heard them called kits all sorts of different places.

Same thing with soccer "boots." When I think of a "boot" I think of hiking boots, but if that's what football shoes are called, then so be it.

[MikeyPez]

i call'em cleats, the shoes. I dunno any other countries that have strange colors....Venezula wears maroon? why?

[neilgrossman]

Originally posted by AvidSinger
I've always wondered why so many national teams wear kits that have nothing to do with their country's flag.

--Italy wears blue although their flag is green, white, and red.
-- Australia wears yellow and green -- neither of which appear on their flag
-- NZ wears black when their flag is blue, white, and red
-- Japan wears blue when their flag is white and red


You left Holland off the list.

[halamadrid07]

If you go abroad generally to britain and Ireland you'll hear uniforms referred to as kits and the shoes as boots. Just the vernacular used over there.

[AvidSinger]

Originally posted by neilgrossman
You left Holland off the list. Well, like I mentioned earlier, I already know why Holland wears orange. I'm just curious about some of the other countries and why their kits (uniforms) are the colors they are.

[MikeyPez]

I think there are a few places that should be on the list

[MIGkiller]

Originally posted by MikeyPez
i call'em cleats, the shoes. I dunno any other countries that have strange colors....Venezula wears maroon? why?

Venezuela's jersey is not maroon, it's vino-tinto. That's how they are called. The reason I don't know.

[Frieslander]

Originally posted by MIGkiller
Venezuela's jersey is not maroon, it's vino-tinto. That's how they are called. The reason I don't know.

Claret in english. The color of red wine. West Ham wears claret too. "More of the Claret, less of the Blues"

[MikeyPez]

ok maroon isn't the right name but its close enuff

[skipshady]

Originally posted by AvidSinger
-- Japan wears blue when their flag is white and red The concept of national flags didn't exist in Japan until the country opened from isolation in the late 1800s. To trade with other nations, Japanese ships had to have a flag. Since the name "Nihon" or "Nippon" means "the origin of the sun", the powers-that-be figured it would be appropriate if the flag was the symbol of the sun... which is a long winded way of saying red and white are not Japan's national colors.

Blue signifies the sea and the mountains or some crap like that. Plus, both Koreas and China wear red, so blue would be a more distinctive color for the kits. Though we did wear red for a while in the 80s.

[MIGkiller]

Originally posted by skipshady

Blue signifies the sea and the mountains or some crap like that. Plus, both Koreas and China wear red, so blue would be a more distinctive color for the kits. Though we did wear red for a while in the 80s.

Yes. I remember a Brazil vs Japan friendly in the late 80s when Japan was wearing a white jersey with red shorts, I guess.

[MikeyPez]

Originally posted by MIGkiller
I think Germany's white jersey is a reminiscent of the pre-nazi era when their flag was black, white and red.

I've also read that their green away jersey is a homage to Northern Ireland as the first team to play them after the WW2.

Nope red, black and gold are the original colors;

Origins of the Colours
After the North German League in 1867 (and after 1871, the new German Empire) was formed, the Prussian government's dislike for the black-red-gold flag resulted in the adoption of a new black-white-red tricolor. Affter the German defeat in World War One, the new republic adopted the black-red-gold tricolor earlier used in 1848 — and now again the German flag. As a result, the right wing parties urged the readoption of the black-white-red. The colors of the Nazi flag was thus a form of right wing allegiance and signified opposition to democracy. The original (1867) meaning was apparently a merger of the Prussian black-white and the red and white colors common among German maritime states (allegedly inspired by the medieval Hanseatic League).

Norman Martin, 2 June 2000

[AvidSinger]

I suppose if Japan wore red with a big circle on it, people would confuse them with Arsenal...