West Ham United have unveiled the club's new Macron away kit for the 2010/11 season - fittingly described as being made from the fabric of legends.
The kit - combining cutting edge continental ideas with the club's homegrown history - is the first produced since Macron became the club's new technical partners. It features a white shirt with claret and sky blue hoops around the middle. The shorts and socks are both in matching sky blue, with the round neck enhancing the retro feel.
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Macron are leading the way for kit innovation, providing bespoke shirts that allowed the club to respond to fan feedback as well as provide stylish training gear to complement. There has been strong attention to detail, particularly on the shirt with the design of the cut, the inserts and the combination of fabrics allowing better movement for optimum performance.
The shirt is a throwback to a kit first worn by the successful side of the late 1950s, when a young Bobby Moore made his breakthrough into the strong Hammers side that had emerged around the greats like Malcolm Allison and Noel Cantwell.
Mark Noble, Junior Stanislas, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Carlton Cole were all chosen to launch the new kit with a special Boleyn Ground photo-shoot this week. The players posed for a number of shots, including a cafe scene that evoked thoughts of the West Ham way first being forged midway through the last century.
Then, 50 odd years ago, the players would follow daily training sessions by getting together again in the afternoons at Cassettari's Cafe, just a short walk from the ground in Barking Road. There, the players would exchange views and hone tactics, laying the foundations for the golden generation of the 1960s.
The Hammers memorably wore a white shirt when they last reached the FA Cup final in 2006. Going further back, the team had a white away shirt in 1985/86 when they finished third and, of course, won the 1980 FA Cup while wearing an all-white strip.
Leading Italian kitwear manufacturers Macron will be the club's official technical partner for three years from the new season. Having recently joined forces with SSC Napoli, AS Monaco FC and SC Braga, Macron were keen to make West Ham United a major part of their growing portfolio of top-flight elite European clubs.
Founded in 1971, Macron is based in Crespellano, near the Italian city of Bologna. In recent years, the company has rapidly expanded its portfolio of clients, and as well as Napoli also kits out Serie A clubs Bologna FC 1909 and Cagliari Calcio 1920.
Macron also manufactures high-quality playing and training wear for basketball, handball, volleyball and rugby. It has links throughout Europe and operates under the message - work hard, play harder.
Thanks to Ross and Adam
