Former Premier League club use new kit to highlight climate change
The Berkshire based club have teamed up with the local university in highlighting increased average temperatures in the Reading area.
Former Premier League side Reading FC have embarked on a new, progressive partnership with the University of Reading and Italian kit manufacturer Macron which the Berkshire based club are hoping will help start conversations around the climate crisis and ultimately inspire action.
The club who traditionally wear blue and white hoops have incorporated the university’s ‘climate stripes’ infographic into the sleeve of the 2022-23 home shirt, with the club hoping to help with a strong visual message how temperatures have risen over a long period of time in Reading.
The bold stripe design, which features on the sleeves of the new home shirt, was first created by the University of Reading’s Professor Ed Hawkins in 2018. Each stripe represents the average temperature for a single year, relative to the average temperature over the period as a whole; shades of blue indicate cooler-than-average years, while red shows years that were hotter than average. And the stripes on the home shirt specifically track climate change in Reading across the full 151-year existence of Reading Football Club.
The shirt itself is made from Eco-Fabric – 100% of which comes from recycled plastic bottles and the kit itself remains completely recyclable.
Climate change message
Professor Ed Hawkins said, “The climate stripes are intended to start conversations about climate change - and making them visible to thousands of football fans across the country every week brings that to a new audience.
“Support is a powerful thing in football and this collaboration makes it a key theme for the season. We hope Reading Football Club’s fans will push them on to success this season, while at the same time the players and the club will be supporting climate action and recognising the science.”
Tim Kilpatrick, Head of Commercial at Reading Football Club added: “Last week we all endured the hottest day on record in Reading and that heatwave aptly underlines how vital it is to spark a conversation about climate change and environmental sustainability.