Brentford have announced their decision to carry the red and white home kit forward to the 2022/23 season. The London club’s first season in the Premier League has seen a huge demand for their home kit, and with this gesture, they plan to reward the supporters by making the kit relevant for longer and helping them save money. 

The announcement represents a move against the norm where most top-flight clubs release at least three kits a season. Mass-production of a new set of kits every season comes at a cost to the environment. According to fashionunited.uk, football kits (usually made out of polyester) has significantly more carbon footprint than hemp, wool and cotton shirts.

“Respectful, Progressive and Togetherness are our three core values at Brentford FC, as many of our fans know. We also believe in football being affordable for our fans and are aware of the need for the game to become more focused on sustainability. As such, when we discussed the idea, everyone at the Club was fully behind it.” said Brentford Chief Executive Jon Varney.

“Whilst it is not normal practice for Premier League clubs to roll a kit over for two seasons, fans have told us that they would be in favour of the savings that a two-season shirt would provide. This season, our membership of The Premier League means that the income we receive from broadcast and commercial partnerships far outweighs the income we can generate from retail, therefore now is the perfect time for us to try something different without it having a material impact on our revenue.” he added.

Lately, many top clubs have opted for kits made using 100% recycled polyester in an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint. However, even clothes that are 100% polyester can’t be recycled forever. Moreover, the process of recycling itself leads to the release of microplastics, further polluting the environment.

Football fans will welcome the move from Brentford and hope other clubs will follow suit in making the game more affordable and sustainable. The pressure will be on the elite clubs and kit manufacturers across the country to make similar efforts.