Celebrating the club’s 135th anniversary, Under Armour have unveiled Southampton’s home and away kits for the 20/21 season. The design of both shirts sees the return of the sash, something that originally appeared on the club’s first ever kit upon their inception in 1885.
Stepping away from the traditional stripes once more, this time for a throwback to where it all began for the club 135 years ago, Under Armour have unveiled the new Southampton home and third shirts for the 20/21 season, bringing back the Sash design from the Saints’ first ever shirt from 1885. Of course this is not the first time since 1885 that the sash has made an appearance on the Saints’ shirt, with a similar design being used 10 years ago for the 125th anniversary shirt by then kit makers Umbro.
The home shirt sees a base red with the white sash travelling from right to left in what is an inversion of the original from 1885. The third shirt is a slightly more faithful recreation, switching to the white base with red sash, which travels from the right to the left, as it did 135 years ago.
Subtle details are then incorporated throughout the design of both, including the club motto of “We March On!”, which appears in the neckline and on a tab on the hem. The latter is also joined on the hem by a “135” call out, which sits on a sash effect background.
Carlie Read, head of marketing at Saints, said: “As we mark the 135th anniversary of Southampton Football Club, the players, the staff and the fans alike are proud to remember our rich history, and that’s why the new kit features the iconic sash design that first graced Southampton’s shirts back in 1885."
The kit was revealed through an arcade game called called ‘Defying the Odds since 1885’, which invites Saints fans to travel through the club’s history, beginning in 1885 at the club’s inception and leading up to the present day. It features three levels for fans to progress through, each revealing a different part of the new home kit when complete.
Luke Nicholson, director of brand and content at St Mary's, added: “Despite the challenges that football clubs have had to face in recent months, our desire to find new and exciting ways to engage our fans remains strong. We hope the details within the game bring a smile to the faces of Saints fans and that they’re excited by our new kit to celebrate our 135-year history.”
The Southampton 20/21 home and away shirts are available for preorder at southamptonfc.com
