Huddersfield Town supporters have reacted with dismay on social media as the club unveiled a new home kit which is dominated by a sponsor’s logo.
In images published on Huddersfield’s official website alongside a full release statement, the kit bears the name of Irish bookmaker Paddy Power printed in giant capital letters across the shirt as a sash from the right hip to the left shoulder.
The club crest has been shifted from the left side to the centre to accommodate the new sponsor of the shirt, which is made by Umbro.
In a statement, Huddersfield said the kit would be debuted by the team in Wednesday evening’s friendly at Rochdale, and would be available to buy in the club shop from Saturday.
They added: “Produced by main supplier Umbro, the new home kit features a modern spin on the traditional blue and white striped home shirt thanks to new title sponsor Paddy Power.
“The instantly recognisable green logo of the main sponsor is proudly emblazoned across the chest of the shirts in a new twist for the kit; a diagonal strip ranging from the shoulder down to the hip.”
Fans on social media commented under Huddersfield’s post, describing the shirt as “the worst kit I’ve seen in my life” and “absolutely horrific”.
However others suggested it was a hoax. Paddy Power have previous for wind-ups and practical jokes, and some supporters speculated that the announcement was part of a PR stunt.
The shirt would appear to breach the Football Association’s kit and advertising regulations, which state that a sponsor cannot exceed 250sq cm.
Huddersfield Town’s commercial director, Sean Jarvis, said: “The kit launch is a big day for many supporters, who are keen to see what the team will be running out in during the coming season.
“We’ve gone for a really modern twist on how we feature the famous Paddy Power logo. Paddy Power is a very forward-thinking, innovative company – that’s one of the main reasons that we’re so excited to work with them – the new ‘sash’ style logo is really eye-catching and helps maintain our reputation as being innovators too.”
