Huddersfield Town unveiled their new shirt earlier this week and it has caused quite a stir. New sponsors, Paddy Power, have their logo splashed extravagantly across the front, taking up so much room that it breaks the FA’s rules on sponsor sizes. It’s widely thought to be a prank of some sort, and an alternative kit is waiting in the wings to be unveiled. However, the kit was released two days ago and the club haven’t clarified what’s going on.
In this article I’m going to put forward my theory about what’s going to happen with the club’s shirt, and what Huddersfield Town will be playing in next season.
The problem Huddersfield Town and Paddy Power now have
While many football fans have seen the new kit as an outrage against decency and a humiliation for the club, others have called it a marketing master stroke. Regardless of whether we play in this kit again or not, it’s been talked about far more than Town’s previous kit or sponsors were even though they sponsored us during our Premier League stint. So it’s been great advertising for Paddy Power but it’s now left them with a problem.
The issue is that there is a lot of negativity towards Paddy Power and Huddersfield Town. Outrage is something that comes easily to many Town fans and social media has shown some fans are almost frothing at the mouth about the way this week has gone. So Paddy Power and Huddersfield Town have got a lot of coverage as part of this stunt, but there is a lot of negative feeling around the whole thing.
The problem the club and the bookie face now is turning this around to a positive feeling. That’s where my theory comes in.
My theory about the REAL shirt
Paddy Power announced as Huddersfield Town’s “title sponsor” earlier this week. Because I’ve got nothing better to do with my time, I went back and looked at the announcement of OPE becoming our sponsor and we didn’t use the expression “title sponsor” we called them our new “shirt sponsor”. So my theory is that Paddy Power have got the publicity about the sponsorship by putting a joke massive logo on the shirts as a prank and will not put their logo on the actual shirt.
As a way of turning the sentiment back in their favour, I think that Town’s new shirt won’t feature the bookmaker’s logo at all. Instead they’ll either leave the shirt blank or allow the space to be used for good causes like the Town Foundation. If you look at it from the perspective of a joke, it’s much funnier to get everyone annoyed about a massive logo if the real shirt has no logo on it at all.
What would this mean for Paddy Power’s sponsorship
If I’m right, and Paddy Power won’t feature on Town’s shirt next season, then you have to wonder what they are going to get out of the sponsorship. I’m not a big fan of the word, but the most obvious answer is “banter”. So I suspect we’ll see a lot more laddy jokes and marketing stunts from Paddy Power.
I can imagine there will be many fans outraged about this partnership, but I’m struggling to get myself suitably worked up. From the club’s point of view, I suspect they’re happy to be working with a partner that has a big name already and can help to market the club and bring in some fresh ideas. Even if it does enrage some of the fan base.
What about the ‘hen do’ shirts
If Town don’t play again in the shirt revealed this week they will quickly become collectors items. I don’t know if the club will release a limited edition shirt with the sponsor or the knocked together kits the players wore against Rochdale are the only versions. Either way, it’s going to be part of Huddersfield Town’s recent history and some fans will be willing to pay large chunks of money to get hold of the much-talked-about shirt.
a small stage further, to have the logo square blanks and when purchased the buyer has a choice of one of our charities printed in the square, the printing fee donated to that charity.
You called it, mate! The principle & idea of this PR stunt is brilliant – I just think it’s a shame the Club let the anger and uncertainty grow so long amongst certain fans before revealing the real reason behind the ‘prank’. Takes the edge of what is otherwise a class shirt & more important, a progressive way of shifting power back to club history & colours as opposed to a platform to advertise multiple-million £ organisations! Great work by the club really, just a shame it led to 2 days of abuse by many supporters sadly before the picture became clear. Hopefully everyone can now move on! UTT
You absolutely nailed this
Spot on, well done. Read this before i saw the new shirt was out, Great marketing idea though it did seem to go on a bit too long. Shirt looks really good especially having no logo, away shirt i think will be a big seller looks great and has a leisure wear look to it, roll on the new season
One benefit of this fiasco (however it ends) will be the opportunity to buy adult Town shirts free of any sponsors logo whatsoever – let alone ones boosting high street bookies. These replicas will last for years unaffected by fashion and marketing. I might even buy one myself.