New Kit - Bullshit

[ClaretTony]

Last season we had a kit that was claimed to reflect the coal mining industry. Some of the crap you read when new kit is released takes some believing.

But there is a brilliant quote from Lucynda Davies, Managing Director, PUMA UK & Ireland, speaking after it was confirmed that PUMA would be supplying the kit for Premier League referees next season. Lucynda said: "“We’re incredibly proud to partner with PGMOL and support the officials who play such a vital role in the game.

"At PUMA, we believe in pushing sport forward, and this partnership allows us to bring our expertise in performance innovation to officials across all levels of the professional game.

"The new kits are designed to reflect the professionalism, confidence and authority of modern match officials, and we’re excited to see them take to the pitch from the 2025/26 season."

And this kit that reflects the professionalism, confidence and authority.

[Petersa]

Last season we had a kit that was claimed to reflect the coal mining industry. Some of the crap you read when new kit is released takes some believing.

But there is a brilliant quote from Lucynda Davies, Managing Director, PUMA UK & Ireland, speaking after it was confirmed that PUMA would be supplying the kit for Premier League referees next season. Lucynda said: "“We’re incredibly proud to partner with PGMOL and support the officials who play such a vital role in the game.

"At PUMA, we believe in pushing sport forward, and this partnership allows us to bring our expertise in performance innovation to officials across all levels of the professional game.

"The new kits are designed to reflect the professionalism, confidence and authority of modern match officials, and we’re excited to see them take to the pitch from the 2025/26 season."

And this kit that reflects the professionalism, confidence and authority.

Could I have some of this for my rhubarb?

[Vegas Claret]

cards everywhere

[martin_p]

People get paid for writing this stuff. Must be a right laugh!

[yTib]

People get paid for writing this stuff.

was just about to post this exact sentence.

i bet they're on a right wage as well!

[Tricky Trevor]

Could I have some of this for my rhubarb?

I hope your rhubarb is still in the ground and not on your plate. That would leave a nasty taste in the mouth.

[wilks_bfc]

Could I have some of this for my rhubarb?

Personally, I prefer custard on mine

[ollieclarets8]

Free sunglasses given on entrance?

[Vegas Claret]

make words up and use the word "professional" on anything and people fall for it.

[Dark Cloud]

Somebody needs to tell that lady, it's just a brightly coloured sports top. You see them everywhere.

[Cooclaret]

If we opened a thread with a swear word in, would it last?! I agree with the sentiment mind.

[Rileybobs]

Whatever you think of the wording, there will be some conceptual thinking behind the design of the kits. This is no doubt related to the psychology behind the colours and patterns and how the human brain reacts to them. Be it making the officials feel more confident in themselves, the public seeing them as more professional, or the players seeing them as more authoritative. No doubt there is some fluffy marketing speak to go with it, but there is a science behind it.

[fidelcastro]

Showaddywaddy are still going strong, I see.

[NottsClaret]

Nice colours for all fans of the four colour lithographic printing process out there.

[elwaclaret]

And designers who learned design playing on Minecraft

[TheFamilyCat]

Whatever you think of the wording, there will be some conceptual thinking behind the design of the kits. This is no doubt related to the psychology behind the colours and patterns and how the human brain reacts to them. Be it making the officials feel more confident in themselves, the public seeing them as more professional, or the players seeing them as more authoritative. No doubt there is some fluffy marketing speak to go with it, but there is a science behind it.

Apparently models wearing a range of designs were presented to Bruno Fernandes and he whinged with the least with the guy wearing this one.

[Cooclaret]

Absolute hypocrisy

[BurnleyFC]

I thought this was going to be a thread about our new shirt sponsor.

[Bow]

I like them. When do they go on sale?

[Leisure]

Whatever you think of the wording, there will be some conceptual thinking behind the design of the kits. This is no doubt related to the psychology behind the colours and patterns and how the human brain reacts to them. Be it making the officials feel more confident in themselves, the public seeing them as more professional, or the players seeing them as more authoritative. No doubt there is some fluffy marketing speak to go with it, but there is a science behind it.

They're just referees shirts!

[Bow]

We’re all talking about them so the marketing worked anyway

[Rileybobs]

They're just referees shirts!

And?

[Leisure]

And?

'But there is a science behind it' - really!

[Leisure]

We’re all talking about them so the marketing worked anyway

Really! Who's going to buy them?

[Rileybobs]

'But there is a science behind it' - really!

Yeah, like I explained in my first post.

[Leisure]

Yeah, like I explained in my first post.

'Be it making the officials feel more confident in themselves, the public seeing them as more professional, or the players seeing them as more authoritative' - and you really believe this?

[Rileybobs]

'Be it making the officials feel more confident in themselves, the public seeing them as more professional, or the players seeing them as more authoritative' - and you really believe this?

Believe that the kit designers will have used colour and pattern psychology to inform the design of their product? Yes, 100%.

[taio]

An appropriate thread title

[Leisure]

Believe that the kit designers will have used colour and pattern psychology to inform the design of their product? Yes, 100%.

If anyone thinks that fans and players will be more respectful etc of refs because of the colour of their shirts they may be disappointed!

[kentonclaret]

Believe that the kit designers will have used colour and pattern psychology to inform the design of their product? Yes, 100%.

I believe that the term which best describes this hypothesis is Pseudoscience.

[aggi]

People get paid for writing this stuff. Must be a right laugh!

Well they did, now it's just becoming an endless churn of chatgpt output that will get worse and worse.

[Rileybobs]

If anyone thinks that fans and players will be more respectful etc of refs because of the colour of their shirts they may be disappointed!

I think you’re over-simplifying things a little. Do you think that people aren’t judged on their appearance and presentation? Do you think policemen, for example, would command the same authority if they wore clown uniforms? I don’t expect you to think that referees will be respected by the players and spectators because of the colour of their shirt, just that the kit designers will have considered how the human brain reacts to colours and patterns when designing their kits.

[Leisure]

I think you’re over-simplifying things a little. Do you think that people aren’t judged on their appearance and presentation? Do you think policemen, for example, would command the same authority if they wore clown uniforms? I don’t expect you to think that referees will be respected by the players and spectators because of the colour of their shirt, just that the kit designers will have considered how the human brain reacts to colours and patterns when designing their kits.

Well good luck with that! Getting decisions correct and consistency are all that's required of them, irrespective of what colours they are wearing.

[timshorts]

It should have been brown with the letters VAR patterned into it in a sort of seagull guano from above effect.

[ClaretCliff]

Whatever you think of the wording, there will be some conceptual thinking behind the design of the kits. This is no doubt related to the psychology behind the colours and patterns and how the human brain reacts to them. Be it making the officials feel more confident in themselves, the public seeing them as more professional, or the players seeing them as more authoritative. No doubt there is some fluffy marketing speak to go with it, but there is a science behind it.

As it says in the title - bullshit.

[Wile E Coyote]

they're talking Shirt, and everyone knows it.

[Guppyspotter]

Crikey Claret Tony

Have you had a grim day, don't usually see you so irked?

[martin_p]

I think you’re over-simplifying things a little. Do you think that people aren’t judged on their appearance and presentation? Do you think policemen, for example, would command the same authority if they wore clown uniforms? I don’t expect you to think that referees will be respected by the players and spectators because of the colour of their shirt, just that the kit designers will have considered how the human brain reacts to colours and patterns when designing their kits.

So why have they used the colours of clown costumes for three out of the four referee’s shirts?

[CyrilEbokiPoh]

'Be it making the officials feel more confident in themselves, the public seeing them as more professional, or the players seeing them as more authoritative' - and you really believe this?

Google baker miller pink as an example

[GordonvaleClaret]

make words up and use the word "professional" on anything and people fall for it.

They're behind the times, there's not a mention of AI.

[Lu-tze]

Nice colours for all fans of the four colour lithographic printing process out there.

CYMKaaaay!

[Vegas Claret]

They're behind the times, there's not a mention of AI.

ha very true mate, spot on.

[JohnMac]

Complete and utter bullshot, including the science theory!

[Rileybobs]

Complete and utter bullshot, including the science theory!

Which part is bullshit? That the designers use colour psychology or that colours have an affect on human behaviour? Would you feel different if you sat in a room painted bright pink than in the same room painted black? Do people not dress in colours and styles that make them feel confident and comfortable, or in some cases powerful or authoritative?

[daveisaclaret]

Some chump somewhere getting paid far too much has typed a half-arsed prompt into an LLM chatbot and got the description in the OP and Rileybobs is defending it for free. There's no justice in this world.

[Rileybobs]

Some chump somewhere getting paid far too much has typed a half-arsed prompt into an LLM chatbot and got the description in the OP and Rileybobs is defending it for free. There's no justice in this world.

I'm not defending anything, in fact I don't really see what there is to defend. Do you think that whoever commissioned Puma to design the officials kits for the upcoming season, be that the PGMOL, or the Premier League, just asked Puma to knock up a few colour variations in a style of their choice? Or do you think they went to them with a brief?

I'm 100% certain that it's the latter, and I'm pretty confident the brief would have included something along the lines of a producing a design that 'reflects the professionalism, confidence and authority of modern match officials'. Now, you may think that's a stupid brief, and the guys at Puma may have agreed. But I can guarantee that Puma took that brief and researched colour and pattern psychology to design a product that they feel met their client's requirements. I think it's fairly obvious that certain colours and patterns effect human emotion and behaviour and I'm really surprised that nobody on here has commented to agree with this.

Whether the design of these kits actually results in any material impact on the performance of the officials is a different question entirely, but it's pretty clear that elite sport is a game of marginal gains.

As for Chat GPT, I'm confident that the MD of Puma UK and Ireland can write a two sentence press release without resorting to the use of Chat GPT. I also think that a hugely successful sportswear designer and manufacturer knows a little more than a few cynics on a football forum.

[daveisaclaret]

For FREE.

[Cirrus_Minor]

The shirts wouldn't be out of place if they were sponsored by Rowntrees since they look a box of Smarties.

[Rileybobs]

For FREE.

It's poor you've had to resort to snipes when I've taken the time to put my thoughts down. In fact nobody has engaged with my posts in good faith which is a shame.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Have the said which colour will be best for a referee to wear to help him stick with his original decision when it isn't a clear and obvious error and has been sent to the monitor.