The
new Arsenal 2012/13 kit sees Nike introduce a dramatic hooped sleeve design
that has clearly split the fans’ opinion of the strip, with some liking the
design and others rejecting it outright.
Further
details in the shirt include the outer back neck graphic which references the
WM formation that Chapman pioneered so successfully, along with the inner back
graphic which reads “Victoria, Concordia, Crescit” – the Club’s long-held motto
since 1948 which translates as Victory through Harmony*.
The
origins of the blue (obsidian) design features lie in Chapman’s innovative
approach to the game. Arsenal manager between 1925 and 1934, his guidance took
the Club to three league titles and an FA cup victory during that time.
Chapman
was a modernising tactician, advocated the use of numbered shirts and white
balls, and also made significant changes to the Club’s kit for the 1933/34
season. In that year white sleeves were added to the previously all-red shirt
and blue hoops were also introduced to the socks. Chapman’s rationale for these
innovations was he wanted to maximise player visibility, making it easier for
his players to pick each other out on the field of play.
Arsenal’s
Theo Walcott commented: “The players always get excited about trying on kits
for the first time, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Arsenal is a club with an
incredible history and to see this recognised in such a classy and modern kit
is brilliant.”
The
shirt’s crest reverts back to Arsenal’s primary design, having sported a unique
125th anniversary version for the 2011/12 season.
