I go to games. Not every week, but enough that the turnstile knows my face. And I'll be honest: when a new kit drops, I barely notice. I'm too busy thinking about the away trip, the pub before kick-off, and whether I'll freeze my arse off in the away end. But that doesn't mean kits don't matter at all. They just matter differently to different people.
Matchgoers are a different breed
If you're a matchgoing fan, your relationship with the shirt is practical. It's what you wear to the game, what you spill beer on, what you sweat through on a hot day. You don't buy it to look good on Instagram; you buy it to belong. And you probably own a few old ones that mean more than anything new. I've got a shirt from a season we got relegated that I'd never sell. The new ones? They're just... there.
That said, kit releases can still stir something. When a club gets a retro-inspired design or brings back a classic badge, even the most cynical matchgoer might raise an eyebrow. But it's rarely the top priority. We care about signings, tactics, and whether the away end serves a decent pie. The shirt is just the uniform.
The collector crowd keeps the hype alive
Meanwhile, there's a whole world of collectors who treat kit drops like Christmas. They're the ones refreshing the club site at midnight, debating collar styles on forums, and hunting down that obscure third kit from a season when the team finished mid-table. And fair play to them. Without that obsession, we wouldn't have the archive of shirts that tell the story of the game.
But here's the thing: matchgoers and collectors aren't enemies. They're just different audiences. The collector wants the shirt as an object; the matchgoer wants it as a uniform. Both are valid. The problem is when clubs cater only to the collector crowd and forget that the people in the stands are the ones who give the shirt its meaning.
Do we even need new kits every season?
Honestly, no. The relentless cycle of new kits is a modern thing. Back in the day, clubs would keep a design for a couple of seasons. Now it's a cash grab. And matchgoers feel that. We see through the marketing. We know that the third kit is just a way to sell more shirts. It's not about identity; it's about revenue.
That doesn't mean I'm against new kits. I just wish they felt more special. When a kit is genuinely tied to a moment—a promotion, a cup run, a legendary player—it becomes part of the club's folklore. The rest are just merchandise.
What actually gets matchgoers excited?
If you want to get a matchgoer talking about kits, don't show them the new home shirt. Show them a photo of the away end in the 90s, all wearing the same tatty shirt. Or a classic kit that reminds them of a specific away day. That's what matters. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
Also, matchgoers care about the badge. If a club messes with the crest, we notice. We might not buy the new shirt, but we'll have opinions on that. And if the kit is made by a manufacturer that doesn't understand football culture, we'll mock it. But that's about it.
So, do matchgoing fans care about kit releases?
Some do, most don't. The ones who do are usually also collectors or kit nerds. The rest of us are more focused on the actual football. But that doesn't mean kits are irrelevant. They're the uniform we wear when we sing our hearts out. They're the colours we pass down to our kids. They're part of the ritual.
If you're a matchgoer and you love a new kit, great. If you couldn't care less, also great. Just don't let anyone tell you you're less of a fan because you didn't buy the latest shirt. The badge on the chest matters more than the shirt itself.
At the end of the day, the shirt is just fabric. The memories are what stick.
From the LISIMKE shop
Kits that fit this story
Do most matchgoing fans buy the new kit every season?
Not really. Most matchgoers I know buy a shirt every few years, or only when a design really stands out. It's not a priority like tickets or travel.
Why do some fans ignore kit releases?
Because they're more focused on the football itself. The shirt is just what you wear to the game; it's not the main event.
Are kit collectors and matchgoers different?
Yes, but they overlap. Collectors care about the shirt as an object; matchgoers care about it as a uniform. Both love the club.
Do retro kits matter more to matchgoing fans?
Often, yes. A retro kit can bring back memories of a specific game or era, which resonates more than a brand new design.
Should clubs release new kits every season?
Many fans think it's too often. A new kit every season feels like a cash grab and dilutes the specialness of a design.