O'Neills - New Kit Supplier (Confirmed)

[glynriley]

21 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

I like the logo, then again I liked that CITY logo in '74 and had it on my school bag.
As for quality, hard to tell from a photo but the design is nice.

This does feel like any stick to beat the Club with, I really think this wouldn't be an issue if this was a range by Hummel.
I do question the blue though, as Man City ( I can't put C-iteh for some reason ) are so high profile ATM seems an odd decision, anyone seeing that will not think anything but Manchester. 

I like that we try and individualise out shirts ( that was a reason we went with Hummel previously remember), I don't think JL should be involved all the time as it seems he's obsessed with copying old kits. Nothing wrong with that  to a point , but I think it's something like 4 of the last 6 have had a retro element. I also don't like the Big Corps old ideas of supplying 1/2 designs and just changing the Club badges. 

I've complained about the shop and their marketing a lot. Simple missed opportunities year on year and this is another.
I would get someone like TOFFS on board and sell the old shirts through the shop. They could take a cut of sales with no worries about finding a maker etc.
I don't know who is in charge of shop, or even if there is someone, It just plods along not trying. 
I could compare it to other Clubs, but just compare it to the old portacabin in Beryl's days, the range of stuff was much better back then than now. I've heard that the shop will be bigger when the new site is done, but that will be pointless unless the whole retail & design side is redone.
 

Spot on. I've no idea why City don't look to maximise revenue via the shop or online. I had a look the other day to see if I could get a polo or something for my old man for Fathers Day, it was like a ******* jumble sale.

Even roverzzz have more more choice and variety on their online shop. As you say, far more choice back in Beryls day. The club clearly have no desire to improve the situation.

[Sixtyseconds]

13 hours ago, Barrs Court Red said:

How on Earth did this design convo go?

Primark have been on the blower and they've got some cheap fabric nobody wants at 25p a metre and somebody found this old programme wedged in the crapper wall in Greville Smyth park, Its got City written on it.

[KegCity]

Instead of rehasing retro kits every season, could we not do what other clubs do and just have standard kits from a reliable bigger supplier and then release our own versions of retro kits? I remember we sold versions of 70s and 80s kits in the club shop (I still own a copy of the Hireite shirt) and other clubs such as Birmingham have done the same.

Would allow us to cash in on the nostalgia factor of retro kits whilst not needing someone to let JL play with the crayons.

[phantom]

5 hours ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

Ultimately if nobody buys the kit or training wear etc because they don't like it then the club will act as they will be hit in the pockets which is the only place you can hit them.  

The problem is we could release a shirt in blue and white quarters and a massive number would still buy it

[The Coach]

How long are we tied in for?

Sooner it’s cut. The better. Who ever made the decision to go with O’Neills and agreed to the badging along with the style of kit. Should be removed from their positions. Total cock up. 

[RobinTuga]

4 minutes ago, The Coach said:

How long are we tied in for?

Sooner it’s cut. The better. Who ever made the decision to go with O’Neills and agreed to the badging along with the style of kit. Should be removed from their positions. Total cock up. 

Announcement mentioned a multi-year deal.

[The Coach]

11 minutes ago, RobinTuga said:

Announcement mentioned a multi-year deal.

Of course….typical City

[RobinTuga]

12 minutes ago, The Coach said:

Of course….typical City

I mean... I can't remember if I've seen a sports brand do a one year deal with a club, it doesn't make much sense for them. It being multi year is the last thing to be annoyed at the club here, at least in my opinion.

[The Coach]

1 minute ago, RobinTuga said:

I mean... I can't remember if I've seen a sports brand do a one year deal with a club, it doesn't make much sense for them. It being multi year is the last thing to be annoyed at the club here, at least in my opinion.

A very valid point. If sales do slump and not reaching their target. I hope the club take action and look at another supplier

[bearded_red]

That training kit is atrocious, but fair play, at least it doesn’t have the utterly ridiculous badge that’s on the yellow shirt.

[glynriley]

52 minutes ago, phantom said:

The problem is we could release a shirt in blue and white quarters and a massive number would still buy it

Do any of these complaints get fed back to the club via the SC&T...??

Or is it a case of they know what the fans are saying but don't give a shiny one...??

I'm personally not arsed about the kit or training gear, but the shop / online are pathetic.

Edited June 14, 2023 by glynriley

[phantom]

26 minutes ago, glynriley said:

Do any of these complaints get fed back to the club via the SC&T...??

Or is it a case of they know what the fans are saying but don't give a shiny one...??

I'm personally not arsed about the kit or training gear, but the shop / online are pathetic.

Not at any of the meetings that I have attended, but I guess it would need people to contact the SC&T to raise it?

[elhombrecito]

I really don't have a problem with us having a blue training kit (in fact I think we should use the colour more often to reiterate how irrelevant the 15ers have become).

However, putting a badge on the front that simply states 'City', with no other way to identify it as a Bristol City top, when there is another, much more famous, club who are also known as City, and play in that colour, is just plain idiocy. 

I'd never buy it as people would just assume I was a Manchester City fan.

[glynriley]

1 minute ago, phantom said:

Not at any of the meetings that I have attended, but I guess it would need people to contact the SC&T to raise it?

OK, I believe you are part of the SC&T...? Consider it raised.

[glynriley]

3 minutes ago, elhombrecito said:

I really don't have a problem with us having a blue training kit (in fact I think we should use the colour more often to reiterate how irrelevant the 15ers have become).

However, putting a badge on the front that simply states 'City', with no other way to identify it as a Bristol City top, when there is another, much more famous, club who are also known as City, and play in that colour, is just plain idiocy. 

I'd never buy it as people would just assume I was a Manchester City fan.

The dodgy robin is on the sleeve.

[RedRock]

Just now, elhombrecito said:

I really don't have a problem with us having a blue training kit (in fact I think we should use the colour more often to reiterate how irrelevant the 15ers have become).

However, putting a badge on the front that simply states 'City', with no other way to identify it as a Bristol City top, when there is another, much more famous, club who are also known as City, and play in that colour, is just plain idiocy. 

I'd never buy it as people would just assume I was a Manchester City fan.

100% it’s just so strikingly obvious the link to Man City I find it difficult that anyone with football nouse would actually sign that off.

But there we go. Another mistake to join that MASSIVE splattered Robin, pee-coloured third shirt et al.

The original resigned badge was ok and some of the Hummel stuff was both of good design and quality. We seem to have taken a big step backwards for whatever reason. 
 

 

 

 

[Aipearcey]

Have a feeling the away shirt will be sky blue, found it strange that they’ve already released 3 goal keeper shirts, black/multi colour, blue and pink. So maybe they needed a 3rd option for when wearing a blue away shirt?

[SecretSam]

Told you we should have stayed with Hummel. O'Neill couldn't even make a good job of recreating a classic kit, then the nappy-stain yellow thing, now this abhorrence...

[RedM]

I don't mind the shade of blue, seen loads of other teams use it as away or keepers. However, that's all I like about it. I can't remember a season of shirts I've felt so meh about. Usually there is one I like, or a bit of training wear. I really don't like the splat Robin badge or this latest creation.

[SecretSam]

11 minutes ago, RedM said:

I really don't like the splat Robin badge or this latest creation.

That is now its official name.

[Bris Red]

Christ, just when you think things couldn’t get any worse after the dire home and third kits!

What a shocking decision by the club to go with O’neills, truly embarrassing.

[RedM]

6 minutes ago, Bris Red said:

Christ, just when you think things couldn’t get any worse after the dire home and third kits!

What a shocking decision by the club to go with O’neills, truly embarrassing.

I really think they jumped ship without exploring all the options. Okay they didn't want to get left without a kit supplier but there were so many other teams in the same situation who seem to have chosen more wisely. 

[frenchred]

2 hours ago, phantom said:

Not at any of the meetings that I have attended, but I guess it would need people to contact the SC&T to raise it?

I don't want this to sound confrontational but what does the SC & T actually do that benefits fans?

I don't believe the club take any notice whatsoever in the organisation and certainly to my knowledge are very slow or just don't bother to react to fans suggestions and concerns.

Not all the fault of the SC &T more to do with the club and those in positions of power.

[Mendip City]

3 hours ago, elhombrecito said:

I really don't have a problem with us having a blue training kit (in fact I think we should use the colour more often to reiterate how irrelevant the 15ers have become).

However, putting a badge on the front that simply states 'City', with no other way to identify it as a Bristol City top, when there is another, much more famous, club who are also known as City, and play in that colour, is just plain idiocy. 

I'd never buy it as people would just assume I was a Manchester City fan.

I agree we should use blue - ideally a dark navy:

as you say, shows how irrelevant the gas are

bristol blue - as in the glass

ties in with the rugby (part of the same group and both could use red white and navy as their core colours)  

matches the colour from our one and only fa cup final.  

 

But this Man City blue is outrageous especially without referencing Bristol 

 

[SouthStand Sandwich]

The kit options just get worse… is this latest one a wind up? It’s not even up to downs league standard. TFG, nibor and Bristol sport seem light years ahead of the O’Neills shite.. truly tinpot

[Norn Iron]

I am biased as I only live a few miles away from their factory here in Northern Ireland.

I haven't seen the new City product in the flesh but I have seen many other O'Neills products in the past. They are very well made and look good too.

I know we are all entitled to our opinions but it isn't O'Neills that is to blame here. Having lived previously in Stoke-on -Trent, a friend of mine was the supervisor for making football shirts for various companies before they could be made cheaper in Asia.

Consequently I got the Admiral and Nibor kits given to me for next to nothing.

I was also given the demo shirts that were made and sent to BCFC for them to decide whether or not to have that particular shirt. This process surely makes sense and O'Neills must have had the shirts signed off before going into mass production.  

All their other sportswear/leisure wear that my son has is of very good quality. I do the washing and they are more than fine a year on.

If we had Castore in 2016, there would have been meltdown on here as they were a start up company and nobody would've heard of them. 

The fault lies with whoever signed off the demo shirts on behalf of BCFC. 

The Man City points, however, are more than valid even if I like blue as a basic colour. Without clear reference it could easily be Coventry City leisurewear. Is that O'Neills at fault? Very doubtful.

Finally, if I can personally vouch for other O'Neills leisure/training/sportswear why is the City shirt causing so much anger?  Has O'Neills been told to work within a budget? BCFC at fault here and not O'Neills. 

PS I have no family connection at all with O'Neills.

 

[Ronnie Sinclair]

Could some of this be “brand snobbery” - would the garments get the same critique if made by say, Umbro or Puma, or is a crap shirt simply a crap shirt?

[Lack of Action Man]

45 minutes ago, Norn Iron said:

I am biased as I only live a few miles away from their factory here in Northern Ireland.

I haven't seen the new City product in the flesh but I have seen many other O'Neills products in the past. They are very well made and look good too.

I know we are all entitled to our opinions but it isn't O'Neills that is to blame here. Having lived previously in Stoke-on -Trent, a friend of mine was the supervisor for making football shirts for various companies before they could be made cheaper in Asia.

Consequently I got the Admiral and Nibor kits given to me for next to nothing.

I was also given the demo shirts that were made and sent to BCFC for them to decide whether or not to have that particular shirt. This process surely makes sense and O'Neills must have had the shirts signed off before going into mass production.  

All their other sportswear/leisure wear that my son has is of very good quality. I do the washing and they are more than fine a year on.

If we had Castore in 2016, there would have been meltdown on here as they were a start up company and nobody would've heard of them. 

The fault lies with whoever signed off the demo shirts on behalf of BCFC. 

The Man City points, however, are more than valid even if I like blue as a basic colour. Without clear reference it could easily be Coventry City leisurewear. Is that O'Neills at fault? Very doubtful.

Finally, if I can personally vouch for other O'Neills leisure/training/sportswear why is the City shirt causing so much anger?  Has O'Neills been told to work within a budget? BCFC at fault here and not O'Neills. 

PS I have no family connection at all with O'Neills.

 

Spot on.

[1960maaan]

4 hours ago, RedM said:

I really think they jumped ship without exploring all the options. Okay they didn't want to get left without a kit supplier but there were so many other teams in the same situation who seem to have chosen more wisely. 

It has been suggested before that maybe the Club wanted to make the most of the Man City game, maximising the potential sales and sponsorship. 

Maybe they could have done a short term deal, one season until we then chose long term partners. It does seem they rushed it all a little. 
I got a Hummel Tee shirt, not massively impressed TBH but it's OK. I've not seen the new kits or training shirts close up, so I wont criticise it.

40 minutes ago, Ronnie Sinclair said:

Could some of this be “brand snobbery” - would the garments get the same critique if made by say, Umbro or Puma, or is a crap shirt simply a crap shirt?

That is a very good point. No one has even got the new training shirt yet apparently it is rubbish quality.
This may be true, but hard to judge without actually grabbing hold of one.
As I've said, I like that old design and was very impressed when I first saw it on a Programme. It just seems there are no new ideas, it seems whoever designs the kits just goes through someones old photograph collection .

 

[ChippenhamRed]

1 hour ago, Ronnie Sinclair said:

Could some of this be “brand snobbery” - would the garments get the same critique if made by say, Umbro or Puma, or is a crap shirt simply a crap shirt?

Nothing to do with that. Bad quality is bad quality. If an unknown startup had produced us a decent, high quality kit, there would be initial suspicion but then good reviews would follow and we’d all be happy enough.

People have used Castore as a comparison. But I have a Castore ODI cricket shirt and it’s excellent quality.

But the Oneill stuff is just horrendous. Absolute cheap crap. It’s an embarrassment.

See my post further up for a review of Hummel v Oneil.