THE 1874 COLUMN – A different perspective, by Matt Waters

EARLIER in the season, we announced that our away kit – designed by local artist Phil Galloway – would feature in a brand-new exhibition in the National Football Museum and last week, some of our club officials went to the launch night.

The exhibition, ‘STRIP! How Football Got Shirty,’ consists some of the best and worst football kits from the Victorian Era right up to the present day.

It examines the growth of the football shirt phenomenon, charting the replica boom and various bold designs that have been created over time. It is our away strip that certainly fits into that bold category.

The striking blue and white shirt plays into the rich heritage of our town and its architecture is the main inspiration behind the impressive design.

In a description of the kit from Phil, he said: “The design pulls together many elements of Northwich’s great history, but also looks to the future with a bold, modern and striking design.

“I felt there was an opportunity to be bold and produce something that is visually striking and create a stir.”

As a club, we felt it was absolutely necessary to make sure the fans got a say during this process. As a fan-owned club, it’s part of the decisions we make together.

We opened a poll for our members to vote for their favourite colour out of light blue, pink, grey and lilac, where Light Blue ran out a clear winner.

From here it was into the hands of talented artist Phil, who has designed a truly memorable kit which is ranked in the top 100 worldwide.

At the museum itself, accompanying our kit is a short documentary-style video from the National Football Museum, who visited our game against Skelmersdale earlier in the season.

The video features interviews with Phil Galloway discussing his inspirations behind the kit plus Ash Dobell, who got in contact with Phil and led the process for 1874.

The remainder of the video shows exactly what 1874 is all about – a passionate fanbase always backing the team on the pitch and working with the club off it.

“When we were contacted by the Football Museum, asking if we would like to be involved in the exhibition, we were thrilled,” 1874 board member Vicki England said.

“We had just launched our amazing new away shirt in the summer and the design and story behind it grabbed their attention.

“We are pinching ourselves that our Northwich-inspired shirt is hanging shoulder to shoulder with some of the most iconic shirts ever from around the globe.

“This is a fantastic honour for our young club and I would like to thank the brilliant people involved with 1874 for making this happen. It has made us very proud.

“The exhibition is now open and is absolutely fantastic. We hope lots of football supporters are able to go along and enjoy it.”