New Kit - Rate the kit POLL ADDED

[Jerry St Clair]

Brilliant. We've had the annual Hillsborough nonsense over on General Football, so it must be time for the annual hand-wringing about replica shirts.

FWIW, Dirk has summarised perfectly. If you don't like, don't buy.

[Jerry St Clair]

Again agreed. Show the money grabbing p*ss taking barstewards where they can stick their £35+ new shirts every season. I really hope the tactic of introducing a new shirt every season (with the most pathetic & unbelievable excuses as to why that is necessary) backfires on them.

LOL. Lovely idea, but have you been to a Reading game recently? The majority of our support falls firmly into the "a bit thick" camp so they'll all be out buying up their overpriced tat the minute it's launched.

[RoyalBlue]

Again agreed. Show the money grabbing p*ss taking barstewards where they can stick their £35+ new shirts every season. I really hope the tactic of introducing a new shirt every season (with the most pathetic & unbelievable excuses as to why that is necessary) backfires on them.

LOL. Lovely idea, but have you been to a Reading game recently? The majority of our support falls firmly into the "a bit thick" camp so they'll all be out buying up their overpriced tat the minute it's launched.

Sadly, you are probably right!

Still they'll have to sell plenty of that tat to make up for the loss of ticket sales that the current tat on the pitch is likely to lead to.

[Jerry St Clair]

Sadly, you are probably right!

Still they'll have to sell plenty of that tat to make up for the loss of ticket sales that the current tat on the pitch is likely to lead to.

Tats all round then?

Awooga!

[SLAMMED]

Th£ r£ason is th£ bit of gold on th£ shirt marking 10 y£ars at th£ mad stad. Obviously n£xt s£ason will b£ our 11th s£ason, so th£ gold wont b£ appropriat£.

And you fell for that one

I didn't fall for it, hence the £ signs instead of 'e's.

[Southbank Old Boy]

Brilliant. We've had the annual Hillsborough nonsense over on General Football, so it must be time for the annual hand-wringing about replica shirts.

FWIW, Dirk has summarised perfectly. If you don't like, don't buy.

Does no one else remember the club saying they would make kits last for two seasons whenever possible then?

As I said before, I dont buy kits, never have really, so it doesnt effect me directly, but plenty of fans do and want to be wearing the latest kit. Its a bit of exploitation of these fans by the club to change the kits so often, especially if my memory is right and the club have said previously they will try to stick to 2 year cycles

A lot of the clubs loyal fans do like it though, but that doesnt mean the club should do everything they can to get every last penny out of them at a time when many people are trying to tighten their belts

[Rex]

It's only exploitation if a supporter chooses it to be though.

[Southbank Old Boy]

It's only exploitation if a supporter chooses it to be though.

If the product has a low "demand elasticity" for its latest release and a needless release is made just for the sake of it, and against previous assurances of longevity, then I think its exploiting that demand

Fans can still not purchase it yes, but they will want to purchase the new kit to stay up with the times

[Rex]

As with all things associated with the club it's a huge money spinner. All merchandise manufactured is only a success if the demand is there. The principle of bringing out new kits to generate money for the club is nothing new. The premier season home shifts were inferior quality, frayed, the stitching came loose, the logos delaminated. All clubs change their shirts, it's just this season the club chose to change both home and away. As with all merchandise its simply a question of the club supplying to an already captured market. Quite simply this club is a business and it's principle is to generate income from what ever source.

[Platypuss]

Th£ r£ason is th£ bit of gold on th£ shirt marking 10 y£ars at th£ mad stad. Obviously n£xt s£ason will b£ our 11th s£ason, so th£ gold wont b£ appropriat£.

And you fell for that one, despite Puma producing the same style gold trimmings for at least one other league club?
'

Colchester for one.

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/English_Football_League/season/2008-2009/league-one.html

LOL @:

Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Weston Housing Group (Home), Smart Energy (Away & Third)

Colchester's new kit closely resembles the one they wore in 1992-93: traditional stripes combined with white sleeves and blue shorts. The reverse of the shirt body is predominantly white. Many Puma kits feature metallic gold trim this season and this one is no exception.

[Ian Royal]

I don't see the problem.

I have 4 shirts from the last 15 years. My sister's son is a supporter and has been for about 4 maybe 5 seasons. He's had at most 2 shirts. I got him his first one, the reason he got the second was because i got the first one signed so he refused to wear it incase washing it washed out the signitures.

As Dirk said, kids constantly wanting the new thing is a parenting problem and nothing to do with the club.

Personally I'd like us to keep the same shirt for years, but that's only because with the constant changing we keep getting crap ones. Although if you keep the same ones for years it's quite possible you end up lumbered with a shit one for ages.

[TFF]

As Dirk said, kids constantly wanting the new thing is a parenting problem and nothing to do with the club.

Crikey.

My lads want (and get) new shirts every season. Sometimes home and away. Birthday and Christmas.

Where do I go for help?

[RoyalBlue]

Th£ r£ason is th£ bit of gold on th£ shirt marking 10 y£ars at th£ mad stad. Obviously n£xt s£ason will b£ our 11th s£ason, so th£ gold wont b£ appropriat£.

And you fell for that one, despite Puma producing the same style gold trimmings for at least one other league club?
'

Colchester for one.

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/English_Football_League/season/2008-2009/league-one.html

LOL @:

Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Weston Housing Group (Home), Smart Energy (Away & Third)

Colchester's new kit closely resembles the one they wore in 1992-93: traditional stripes combined with white sleeves and blue shorts. The reverse of the shirt body is predominantly white. Many Puma kits feature metallic gold trim this season and this one is no exception.

The club's marketing department really do take fans for stupid don't they!! Of course some are, but to come out with the 10 year at Mad Stad crap when their own kit manufacturers are adopting the same design feature for other clubs, really is an insult to our intelligence!

[Barry the bird boggler]

Still be nice for the club to keep us informed up front about goings on rather than treating us like a load of mushrooms...

Oh I forgot we're fans not customers so it doesn't count.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Still be nice for the club to keep us informed up front about goings on rather than treating us like a load of mushrooms...

Oh I forgot we're fans not customers so it doesn't count.

the kit won't be revealed until July, and stated as not available until August, which will be put back to September for all except very small kids' sizes.

It's the Reading way.

[Kevin Doyles Right Foot]

pretty much every club changes there kit every season. HTH.

[Southbank Old Boy]

I don't see the problem.

I have 4 shirts from the last 15 years. My sister's son is a supporter and has been for about 4 maybe 5 seasons. He's had at most 2 shirts. I got him his first one, the reason he got the second was because i got the first one signed so he refused to wear it incase washing it washed out the signitures.

As Dirk said, kids constantly wanting the new thing is a parenting problem and nothing to do with the club.

Personally I'd like us to keep the same shirt for years, but that's only because with the constant changing we keep getting crap ones. Although if you keep the same ones for years it's quite possible you end up lumbered with a shit one for ages.

So if the club suddenly decide to put ticket prices up by 100% you wont think its a problem?

I cant say the move surprises me, but they made a commitment to keep kit changes to at least every two years and they know that in changing the kit again they will get a load of suckers to cough up more money to fill the coffers

If fans werent so stupid they wouldnt sell the shirts. Plenty are though so the club know they can prey on the weak willed and the stupid

Is it wrong? Maybe not but I dont think its an ethical or moral thing to do to a set of fans that have been short changed over the last 18 months or so

[Royal Lady]

I'm with you Southbank old boy. It's also pretty telling that they can flog the "old" shirts for such a cheap price, but the new ones will be near to £40. I can't believe they make much of a loss (if any) when they sell the old ones off. And they did give an undertaking to only have a new shirt every 2 years.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

On subject of replica kits, I have what I think may be the first year Reading sold exact replica kits - we were Div 3 then.

It's from around 1982 (as I have pictures of Neil Webb and Gary Heale wearing it) and the manufacturer is Osca - there is no shirt sponsor.

I think it was our last season in hoops before we played in Argentina kit for a couple of years.

Has anyone got an older replica royals top?

[Dirk Gently]

On subject of replica kits, I have what I think may be the first year Reading sold exact replica kits - we were Div 3 then.

It's from around 1982 (as I have pictures of Neil Webb and Gary Heale wearing it) and the manufacturer is Osca - there is no shirt sponsor.

I think it was our last season in hoops before we played in Argentina kit for a couple of years.

Has anyone got an older replica royals top?

I did have a 1979 shirt - the Bukta one. (Now Mrs DG1 has it somewhere)

But it wasn't really a "replica shirt" - I had to order it in specially, from Blake's Sports Outfitters in Gunn Street (RIP) and it took them aboiut 6 weeks to get hold of.