Economics, Institutions, Football Shirts

Anything yellow and blue
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Dr Bob
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Economics, Institutions, Football Shirts

Post by Dr Bob »

Just published in the Journal of Institutional Economics is a paper entitled "The evolution of the football jersey – an institutional perspective". Focusing on first-choice (home) kit colours, it offers an analysis of why first choice colours have changed so little over the decades. Sadly I think it is probably behind a paywall, but here is the Abstract:

This paper explores the interaction of informal constraints on human behaviour by examining the evolution of English football jerseys. The jersey provides an excellent setting to demonstrate how informal constraints emerge from formal rules and shape human behaviour. Customs, approved norms and habits are all observed in this setting. The commercialisation of football in recent decades has resulted in these informal constraints, in many cases dating back over a century, co-existing with branding, goodwill and identity effects. Combined, these motivate clubs to maintain the status quo. As a result, club colours have remained remarkably resilient within a frequently changing landscape.

It also makes it clear that when it comes to second, third, fourth, strips, colours can be chosen from "across the spectrum".

KE - you should have access to this and it would be interesting in the context of Cardiff switching to red, then back to blue again. Cannot think of any other major first-choice colour switch.
Kairdiff Exile
Mid-life Crisis
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Re: Economics, Institutions, Football Shirts

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

There's a short 'blog about it here, and the full article is here for those who can access it.

Putting the links in as much as a reminder to myself as anything else - one that requires a proper read!
slappy
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Re: Economics, Institutions, Football Shirts

Post by slappy »

Within the fan led review of football governance is that it should cover "heritage assets" which includes club colours (see pdf in this link).
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... mendations

Club badges do change quite a lot, and one I remember is that Manchester United took off "football club" from their badge a few years back when they were trying to establish it as a global sports brand of different sports.

Does the same happen in other sports? Is there a "home" set of colours that doesn't change?
Radley Rambler
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Re: Economics, Institutions, Football Shirts

Post by Radley Rambler »

slappy wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 12:05 pm Within the fan led review of football governance is that it should cover "heritage assets" which includes club colours (see pdf in this link).
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... mendations

Club badges do change quite a lot, and one I remember is that Manchester United took off "football club" from their badge a few years back when they were trying to establish it as a global sports brand of different sports.

Does the same happen in other sports? Is there a "home" set of colours that doesn't change?
I'd say teams maintain the same home colours in practically every sport. Rugby teams have a set home strip, cricket international one day cricket, club and international athletics etc. I suppose the one difference might be that a lot of these sports don't have a need for away kits? I've watched some cricket games where it's light blue vs dark blue pyjamas but I suppose given that doesn't matter as much given the batsmen are static unless running between the wickets.
slappy
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Re: Economics, Institutions, Football Shirts

Post by slappy »

Perhaps I should have asked the question the other way around.
Are there sports where teams do significantly change their home colours?
Perhaps professional cycling? Although I don't think there is a significant history of race teams.
Motor racing? Ferrari are always red, some of the other teams play around with the colours a bit more
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