KIT LAUNCH
July 2008 saw the launch of Aston Villa Football Club’s brand new kit which was hosted at Brindley Place. Villa have
bucked the trend of having a commercial brand emblazoned across their chests, choosing instead to support children’s
hospice Acorns.
The players stepped out, the crowd
roared. And there wasn’t a football
pitch — or even a football — in
sight. There wasn’t a seat to be
had, either. It was standing room
only, a throwback to the days when football
supporters stood on terraces to cheer on their
heroes.
‘Even a typically English
summer downpour
couldn’t dampen the
audience’s spirits.’
Not that anyone was reflecting on the past.
The large crowds gathered in Birmingham’s
Brindley Place in July to watch their favourite
players sporting the club’s shirt, shorts and
socks for the season ahead.
Villa’s 2008 kit launch was a slice of city
centre theatre, attracting both diehard fans
and curious passers-by. Even a typically
English summer downpour didn’t dampen the
audience’s spirits. But some people didn’t have
to worry about the weather, choosing instead
to huddle around their office windows and
watch proceedings from above.
Long before the official event got under way,
people gathered down below to savour some
of the highlights from last season on a giant
screen that was installed for the occasion.
Then the crowd watched a poignant film to
celebrate the launch of the club’s affiliation
with Acorns Children’s Hospice. Villa’s players
will wear shirts adorned with ‘Acorns’ this
season, as they proudly raise awareness of one
of their favourite charities.
This partnership began in Brindley Place,
with youngsters Jonathan Hogg, Marc
Albrighton and Sam Williams modelling the
team’s training gear before John Carew and
Ashley Young appeared in the new away kit.
The biggest cheer of all was reserved for Nigel
Reo-Coker and Martin Laursen, resplendent in
Villa’s traditional claret and blue — complete
with the new-look Acorns logo.
The new-look Aston Villa home and away kit, with Acorns Children’s Hospice logo.
Photography by Sam Burrows
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