Why Don’t Football Teams Make Their Own Shirts and Merchandise?

Why Don’t Football Teams Make Their Own Shirts and Merchandise?

As football fans, we all know that feeling when the new season kicks off, and with it, the release of new shirts, scarves, and other club merchandise. These items often flood our club shops and online stores, with some fans eagerly snapping them up, while others wonder why many football clubs don’t take the plunge and produce their own merchandise—specifically, their own football shirts.

At first glance, it might seem like an obvious move for a club to take full control of its brand by manufacturing its own shirts. After all, it would allow them to retain a higher percentage of the revenue and maintain complete control over design, quality, and pricing. However, there’s much more at play in this decision-making process, and it's not just about maximizing profits.

The Big Money Draw: Why Partnerships with Suppliers are So Attractive

Most football clubs, particularly the big ones, partner with global sportswear giants like Nike, Adidas, Puma, and Under Armour. These partnerships come with hefty contracts, sometimes worth millions over several years. The appeal is clear: a big upfront payment for the club, a guaranteed sponsor that brings recognition and credibility, and the mass production of shirts that will be sold worldwide.

But is this deal just about the cash, or does it hinder long-term growth for a club’s merchandising department?

A key consideration here is that the revenue generated from shirt deals doesn’t always trickle down into a club’s day-to-day operations in the merchandising department. In some cases, clubs might make a significant percentage of their revenue from these supplier deals but fail to build up their own long-term brand presence in the merchandise sector. The convenience of working with a well-established supplier may ultimately limit their creative control, potentially affecting the growth of their merchandise and the ability to stand out in an increasingly crowded market.

How Much Input Do Clubs Have on Shirt Design?

An interesting question to ask is how much say football clubs actually have in the design process of their shirts. For the vast majority of teams, especially those in the lower leagues, shirts often have minimal input from the clubs themselves. Suppliers typically offer a standard template, adding the club's logo, colors, and sponsor logos to make it unique. In fact, many clubs around the world might end up wearing shirts that look very similar, with only slight differences in branding.

If you take a closer look, you might realize that most football shirts across leagues worldwide share common design features. While this can be practical and cost-effective for the supplier, it doesn't always contribute to building a unique, standout identity for a club.

A memorable, well-designed shirt can help attract more than just loyal fans; it can capture the attention of fans of other clubs, even from different countries. The most iconic shirts in history tend to be those that have a distinctive design, something that sticks in people's minds. Think of the bright orange shirts of the Netherlands, the bold stripes of Juventus, or the classic red and white of Arsenal.

So, could clubs gain more from putting more thought into how their shirts are designed? Could they do more to stand out in a competitive market? After all, if the design isn’t special or memorable, it might not encourage people beyond the local fanbase to purchase.

Building the Brand: Do Clubs Truly Think About It?

Beyond the shirt design, we need to ask a bigger question: do clubs really focus on building their brand in the global market? It’s not just about football matches; it’s about how a club positions itself as a lifestyle and culture.

Take, for example, clubs with deep histories, fascinating cities, and passionate fanbases—teams with unique identities that many casual fans may not know much about. While teams like Real Madrid, Manchester United, or FC Barcelona do a great job promoting their clubs globally, there are many others that simply don’t use their rich histories, cities, and cultures to their advantage. Smaller or lesser-known clubs, even in cities with amazing stories to tell, don’t always seem to maximize their potential brand awareness.

Why isn’t more done to highlight these factors? Could clubs focus more on what makes them unique—whether it’s their stadium, their city’s culture, or something else entirely—when they market their merchandise?

The Merchandise Department: Is Enough Effort Being Made?

Let’s also talk about merchandise beyond the shirts themselves. Every club has a shop, either online or physical, that sells scarves, mugs, hats, and other memorabilia. But have clubs really put much thought into what merchandise would appeal to fans and non-fans alike? More often than not, these club shops seem to follow the same formula, with little creativity or unique offerings. It’s as if the mindset is to simply add more shirts or limited-edition items to the shelves to push up sales.

But is that enough to grow the merchandising arm of a club? Maybe it’s time to think outside the box. Why not create different product lines that target various types of fans, or even non-football fans? Or why not experiment with collaborations and partnerships outside the traditional realm of football merchandise? There’s untapped potential in creating merchandise that fans of the broader sports community or lifestyle fans could be interested in.

Back to the Original Question: Why Don’t Clubs Make Their Own Shirts?

Ultimately, it boils down to one big question: why don’t clubs make their own football shirts? On one hand, there’s a huge financial incentive to partner with a major supplier. These deals bring in large sums of money and allow clubs to leverage the established expertise of global brands. However, the downside is that the club loses a degree of creative control over its merchandise and can sometimes miss out on growing its own identity in the merchandise space.

On the other hand, by producing their own shirts, clubs could potentially take more risks with unique designs and styles, fostering a deeper connection with fans and building their own merchandising empire from the ground up. This would, of course, require significant investment in both production and marketing, but the potential benefits in terms of growth and brand development could be huge.

Maybe, just maybe, clubs could do more to take control of their merchandise, pushing boundaries and thinking outside the box. After all, football is a game that’s built on passion and creativity—why not bring some of that into the world of merchandising as well?