Under Armour Launches Saints’ Kit
Southampton FC and Under Armour have revealed the first home and away match kits of their new seven-year partnership.
Arriving on England’s south coast, Saints fan Ed Powell oversaw delivery of the first kits to St Mary’s Stadium after winning a competition to learn more about each Under Armour-designed strip.
The experience saw Powell make the trip to Under Armour’s headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. Powell was able to see first-hand the approach that Under Armour is bringing to football.
While in Baltimore, Powell also saw how the brand works to make each athlete better – before taking on the task of safeguarding the kits’ homecoming. His journey to deliver the Southampton FC and Under Armour kits. Watch Powell’s journey here.
On hand to receive the first editions of the kit at St Mary’s Stadium were Saints stars Charlie Austin, Jay Rodriguez and Oriol Romeu, who will wear the kits on the pitch on Saturday, 13th August as the club kicks off its Premier League campaign at home against Watford, and then later in Europe as Southampton FC takes on the Europa League group stages.
Designed in Under Armour’s Innovation Lab in Baltimore, the players’ kits feature the brand’s UA CoolSwitch technology that is scientifically proven to keep athletes cooler over longer periods. In addition, Under Armour’s Blur Light moisture-resistant fabric is also incorporated which keeps players dry throughout matches.
The new home kit features Southampton’s traditional red and white stripes on the shirt, and the club’s motto “WE MARCH ON” is printed on the nape of the neck.
This same motif is also carried over to the club’s away kit that features black and grey colours with a red trim. Southampton’s goalkeepers will wear a green kit for home fixtures, and purple for away.
As well as designing and developing the first team and academy 2016/17 home and away kits, Under Armour will also provide competition, training, casual and travel apparel for the club, for the first team and academy players.
“We’re proud to introduce the latest edition of our iconic red and white stripes, as well as our all-new away kit for the upcoming Premier League season, where we will look to continue our growth and go even better than the record points tally we achieved last season,” said Ralph Krueger, chairman of Southampton FC. “Under Armour were appointed with the brief of giving our players the tools required to reach their potential, and these kits are designed with this in mind. Using their experience with athletes and understanding what they need to succeed, Under Armour has been able to apply that knowledge throughout the process of creating our performance wear.”
“Southampton FC is a club with incredible hunger, and we wanted to provide a kit to help fuel their ambition as a club on a continued ascent,” said Peter Murray, VP global sports marketing at Under Armour. “In addition to bringing some of our unique technologies in the first-team kit to help players achieve more on the field, we’ve also immersed ourselves in the culture and values of this football club and their passionate fans, and created a kit that marries tradition with forward-thinking innovations. We can’t wait to see what Southampton FC achieves this season, and we’re excited to be a part of their journey.”
The announcement of the seven-year partnership between Southampton FC and Under Armour was made this past April, and consisted of six pledges to drive future success and innovation for the club, community and sport of football.
Aston Villa FC has also partnered with Under Armour until 2021. As part of the deal the club unveiled its new home and away kit, plus training wear for the 2016/17 season.
