THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

Now there's already a thread about the kit designs so this will largely ignore this, but so far I have to say I've been extremely unimpressed with Castore

I appreciate the club shop has had to close due to contractual reasons during the Euro's and I'm guessing Castore are refurbishing the store in some capacity, but we are now 6 days away from the season starting. We've only released two of the three kits, we have revealed the keeper shirts but with no information on cost, when they will go on sale and if they will be available in short sleeves (based on Salford and Charlton I'm guessing so) and we are yet to receive any branded training wear, just basic Castore tops that the players have been wearing.

I won't be getting any of the outfield shirts, but I'd like a keeper shirt before next Saturday. However there has been little information on the club shop reopening, nor has there been any mention of extending the hours so people who can't get away from work before 4 on a week day to actual try on there stuff as we have no idea how they will fit. We've seen a price drop already on the kits, no mention of kids kits, no training gear on sale, a website that advertises 7-10 day delivery as they are busy.

It must be going bloody well on the pitch for me to start a thread bitching about the clubs manufacturer, but with all the hype they get from internet folk I think as a company and a new partner of the club they've been pretty shit so far.

There are also no child kits available. The youngest size they have is 8 years.

Also, what about the training gear? Will they have merchandise like caps winter hats, car stickers, mugs etc. The store is just so limited it almost seems pointless to have one.

Apart from the the terrible home/away kits, one small thing that bugs me:

The training gear. Players wearing Errea-branded socks, no numbers on the training shirts/tops, no initials on the staff gear. It just looks amateur-ish.

No problem for Charlton (also with Castore) - Castore socks, numbers on all the gear, initials on the staff stuff.

Also, the women's team playing in last season's Errea gear for their pre-season friendlies

Overall, the start to this partnership could have been better.

It's funny, I had been thinking over the close season about getting a new home shirt for the first time in a while

Having moved from L to XL overnight with the change to Errea I wouldn't trust shopping on line without having seen a new shirt in the flesh, and I wouldn't contemplate ordering printing without owing a shirt first

The whole thing feels like a faff right now when it should be a pleasant experience, a bit of a PR perfect storm - the contentions design, lack of range, absence of a shop, price rise and the printed badge (unless I have misunderstood?) are all really bad optics for the club after such a hopeful and optimistic summer

It is highly likely the deal between us and castors was struck very last minute whereas other clubs will have had a head start. I was under the impression until very recently we were due to continue our partnership with erred into the coming season, correct me if I’m wrong or a case of the Mandela effect.

I also get the indifference people are feeling towards the new outfield shirts and perhaps castors misjudged our fan base, being as it’s new, could be considered different to the more old school fan bases that are rooted in tradition. Most clubs have a very clear ridged structure to their kits and tend not to step outside the norm. Whereas we have had a number of bespoke kits. Whilst I get the landing could be perceived as executed poorly I admire the creativity, the bravery and the freedom to sign off on these kits. Whatever people think of the outfield kits, personally I believe there’s something for everyone with the inclusion of the goalkeeper shirts. Personally I’ll be getting the home shirt and most likely all 3 goalkeeper kits as well I’m almost all certainty the third kit as I always like the third kit the most!

The club would do well to release the goalkeeper kits for sale in short sleeves to appease those that prefer the cleaner, smart, sharp look.

I get there’s been teething issues but all things considered I think we should count ourselves lucky we get the creative license to have bespoke kits rather than a year on year template. I wouldn’t kick up too much of a fuss.

As for the price, for the quality of the material and the comfort of castors sportswear I think £50 is fair, particularly considering how much other well constructed designer clothes would cost. The fact that it’s a sports shirt shouldn’t limit the profitability on a well made product and use of good fabric and manufacturing processes.

I’m still very much in favour of the design of the kits this year, I actually love the home kit. Not as sold on the away kit but the outstanding goalkeeper kits make up for that. Having said that I wouldn’t want the goalkeeper kits in place of the outfield kits I feel both serve their purpose and I think long term we should keep the goalie shirts smart, not too busy but vibrant with a unique colour palette and then that outfield shirts to have full creative freedom with zero template use.

Hopefully the teething issues are ironed out but on a final note who actually brought half the trash that was on the old store? I mean come on! At most you would want to buy a replica shirt, a branded garden gnome, a club crest beach towel and a greetings card. Surely no one still buys a coat with an mk dons badge on like Ty from aftv? Maybe some training wear but I would imagine the online store has or will be streamlined for a more modern and grown up interface and stock list.

Got to disagree with you on a lot of this

The kit design is nothing about being traditional. We are a young club with very little tradition, so I'm happy in all sorts of creativity and varied designs for the home kit, but kits which look like they are covered in oil and bird shit do not look good regardless of anything else. I don't think it was brave or creative, so many brands do embossed style patterns like Castore, they just do it better.

We've had bespoke kits every season under Errea, ISC and Sondico for the past decade, so I'm in no way just happy with having shit bespoke designs because they are bespoke. Our last template was in 2009/10. (Admittedly our 2016/17 design was used for a random Grimsby shirt a few seasons later though, as was our 2015/16 for a random team too)

If you look at the range of training wear the bigger teams get it is insane, Villa have pages of the stuff online for £40+ a pop. And I am fully aware we shouldn't get the same treatment, range etc. but to fail to provide a training kit that even features a badge on the week before a season starts is shocking.

The fact they aren't even pushing the club store reopening yet makes me think they are a bit of a shit show really.

Very much this.

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Read the MELTDOWN after every game, no bullshit, just giving it straight

Yeah forgot that too...the training kit doesn't even have the club's badge, let alone no numbers or initials

Women's team and academy still wearing Errea too.

Obviously these things individually aren't a big deal, but all these little things add up. The club needs to have a word with the Castore rep.

Half arsed comes to mind.

Agreed, bad designs or poorly executed kits will happen and can be forgiven (maybe not these designs though ), we've actually been extremely lucky over the years with kits. But as you say, so many little things are adding up now which isn't painting them in a good light as an overall company rather than just kit designers. I'd love to know how Winkelman and others at the club feel, I don't think this is how you start a long happy relationship