By Paul Nicholson
July 17 – Liverpool took the opportunity of the Australian leg of the club’s pre-season tour to launch their new away kit, the first away kit with New Balance. While current players Simon Mignolet, Martin Skrtel and new signing James Milner modeled the kit in King George Square in Brisbane, club legend Robbie Fowler was launched from a light aircraft wearing the Reds’ new white jersey.
New Balance have taken over from subsidiary company Warrior as Liverpool’s kit sponsor, with next season being the first under the New Balance brand. The deal is believed to be worth a minimum of $40 million (£26 million) per year for the Anfield-based club but that could rise based on performance.
New Balance have expanded their football portfolio as well as expanding into producing their first football boots. As well as Liverpool the company has deals with Celtic, FC Porto, Stoke City and national football teams, Costa Rica and Panama as well as a number of top flight players.
Last week New Balance launched three new strips for Spain’s Sevilla for the 2015/16 season.
For Liverpool, New Balance have developed “a classic and predominantly white aesthetic; a look that has often accompanied the many successes experienced on the road for Liverpool FC since 1892.
“A gradient mesh jacquard offering depth and perspective decorates the body, while strong accents of red in the collar, crests and taping to sleeves complete the LFC message”, said a New Balance press release.
The kit incorporates NB Dry technology that works to keep the body cool and dry whilst being active.
General Manager of New Balance Football, Richard Wright said: “There have been many iconic moments from Liverpool FC while wearing a white away kit. Recognising those great achievements was important in the design process but it was also important to give the players and fans a kit that displayed sophisticated design technology.”
The kit is already on sale at the Official LFC Online Store, official club stores and all tour retail outlets.
Robbie Fowler, not known for taking a dive in his prolific goal-scoring days as a Liverpool player, did take a dive for the club in a launch stunt for the kit. You can see how it went below.
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