Hull City announced the imminent launch of the 2013/14 away kit on Friday, using social media platforms to give people a glimpse of the new change kit, or at least the socks. The adidas hose are a deep red, with the German sportswear giant’s trademark three stripes and logo picked out in blue.

The away kit’s full launch will be this coming Saturday (15/06/13). Reaction to the new away colours was mixed, and the HCK team were equally polarised in their views…

JGHull

“I’m a rational man. It’s a teaser picture of a bit of sock, so what possible reaction can you have and still appear sane? I bloody hate those socks.

Red and blue together have no place in our history. Yes, we’ve had kits using both colours. Red was introduced by a slightly mental but hugely loveable Chairman in the 1980s, and blue is a very historic colour for us indeed, City having worn blue several times starting in the 1930s.

However, red and blue together isn’t uniquely identifying as a Hull City kit. Even an away Hull City kit. Before anyone starts, I know we’ve had a green and white chequered kit before, used maroon (with amber touches I might add) and even purple with red sponsor. I’m also well aware of the modern slant on away kits – “let’s make them insane and see if we can sell some” – Arsenal purple and black, Manchester United grey and Chelsea day-glo green all spring to mind.

So why should we be different? Well, it’s a personal thing but I believe even an away kit should identify the club. I’d go white with black and amber trim permanently (stripes at home). I don’t buy into this nonsense of having to change the shirt style to be able to sell them to the masses. Collars, finishing touches and simply changing the manufacturer all can do this.

Secondly, and most importantly, red and blue belongs to other clubs. This smells of Crystal Palace. Arsenal purple? United grey? Chelsea day-glo? They never made them look like someone else. In the age of template kits, I think this is more important than ever.

Let’s be honest, it’s just a teaser shot and any sane individual couldn’t possible draw any conclusions. However, I bloody hate those socks.”

SombreEthyl

“Heh, I’m amused by JGHull’s claim to be rational while espousing a very irrational viewpoint. I don’t have a problem with the new colours at all, in fact I’d say I’m very excited about this launch after seeing the socks.

I’m a traditionalist, I like to see City in all white when they need to wear change colours, but I accept that it needs to be mixed up now and then, and all white will be monotonous and drab if done every year, given that like it or not, kits are changed every season now.

JGHull refers to the Avec purple with red trim away kit of 1999/00, which had no precedent whatsoever when it was launched, but I bloody love that away kit, it’s one of my favourites, despite the horrific Hinchliffe crest, which featured what was more owl with a goatee beard than a tiger’s head.

So what if red and blue are the domain of other club’s where home kits are concerned? This is an away kit, and the main function of an away kit is to be utterly distinct from the home kit, even if it means utilising colours associated with other team’s. Manchester United often wear all blue as a third kit, isn’t this making them look Chelsea-esque? Probably, but it dilutes Manchester United’s identity not one bit, so I don’t accept the point that this kit compromises the club’s visual identity.

Some people are presuming that red will be the predominant colour, but I think the shirt will be blue, with shorts and socks in the red tone. We don’t have to wear an away kit often anyway, in the Premier League it will be a necessity only at Fulham, Newcastle, Sunderland and Spurs (based on them usually wearing dark shorts) and Norwich because of shirt colour. With the exception of Sunderland, red and blue or blue and red works just fine, and presuming the away kit has alternate shorts and socks it’ll be fine at the Stadium of Light.

I’m all for a mix up of away colours for one season, but I would like to see us back in all white away sometime soon. I like the club using Facebook and Twitter to create a buzz about a new kit too, I think we’ve not done launches as well as we we could have in recent years, but the socks pic certainly has people talking.”