New kit

[IDM]

My bad.. a typo and poor eyesight.. I’ll change it.

[ravenrover]

Depends what generation you started to watch Rovers. 60s, going into 70s etc, I just recall us being predominantly white with red trim. Then, going to all red shirts and white shorts. I wasn't aware really of any tradition or identity relating to hoops.

With various stabs at it along the way, it was JR I think who really championed the hoops.

However, I think we all know the identity GB wad referring to, and that's the brand of football rather than the kit.

I would imagine the average football fan who pays an interest to this sort of thing would associate us with good football, eventhough sometimes it's just been an aspirational thing. I can't imagine many seeing us as a hoofball club.

The owners have generally seen it through and try to appoint managers who want to play good football and I'm glad we have. Some owners don't seem to give a monkeys what kind of football is played, as long as they think it's winning football.

Yes I suppose if your team plays in a strip that looks a kin to pyjamas and win that’s fine .., BUT if you loose .

Oh heck, he's back
It's all the boards fault not investing enough in the kit

[ForsolongaRover]

When I began watching in the late 1940s we played in red and white hoops and white shorts and I think black socks with red and white tops to them, but we did change to white shirts with red collars and cuffs(!) and black shorts. That was in the Peter Doherty era I think, but the hoops were distinctive and hold the sentimental value especially as they are associated with the SOD era too.

As I look at it, the latest shirt is red with white horizontal lines, hardly hoops really.

[River Don]

After a short blue start Rovers have really stuck to red and white throughout.

Red shirts, white shirts, red and white shirts. Looking at the historical kits website I think it looks like the hoops are now the most common rovers colour way down the years over a few eras.

As I remember there was a decision made involving supporters, possibly the fore runner of the VSC to consistently have hooped designs. It was the most distinctive Rovers top and the idea was to build a strong club identity. I think that objective has been achieved.

This kit just about hangs on to a hooped design. As an alternative one off, I don't think it does any harm.

It'll be interesting to see if it sells well or not.

[NickDRFC]

Call me a cynic but right now this looks like it could be pretty commercially astute. Seems to be plenty of people who like it and will buy it, but also plenty of dissenters so when the club turns around in a year’s time and say they want to revert back to a more traditional hooped design closer to our identity they’ll sell plenty of those as a result.

[RoversAlias]

The first Rovers kit I ever saw was a plain white one with Beazer Homes pasted on the front, so I had no concept of that tradition until we reverted to hoops in 2001/2.

[River Don]

The first Rovers kit I ever saw was a plain white one with Beazer Homes pasted on the front, so I had no concept of that tradition until we reverted to hoops in 2001/2.

The problem was back then Rovers had no traditional kit beyond the colours red and white. The season after plain white they moved to red and navy. There was a confusion there.

The move to hoops was a conscious effort to build a tradition and make the club distinct. I think that has been a great success.

[Donnywolf]

The Hoops are iconic - imo - and should be stuck to as Plymouth do with Green and Blackpool Tangerine

As an old timer I have seen kits and styles change over the 60 ish years and none have pleased me like the Hoops have - even loved the blue and white away kit [over and above the African Violet]

For that reason the new kit disappoints me as it moves away from what we have become used to [broad-ish Hoops] and in fact I loved the spoof one with the large Viking badge and would have pounced on one of those

Incidentally would that design have been allowed by the EFL ? Suppose yes as there are multi coloured designs out there at times

[keyser_soze]

The problem was back then Rovers had no traditional kit beyond the colours red and white. The season after plain white they moved to red and navy. There was a confusion there.

There was a real identity crisis around that time. That red and navy was a total rebrand, and they even got rid of the Viking after a little to-do with the Supporters Club (they stopped them using it, so the Club took the astute, and fairly inflammatory move to copyright the logo as the club had failed to ever do so) and we ended up with a shield on one side and a weird Thundercats logo on the other side - i was never sure which one was the official club logo.

Not long after that (maybe the next season) all was forgiven and it was back to the Viking and hoops, and it has stayed that way since. JR tried to introduce the black to make up look a bit more like Man Utd I believe - and I must admit i've always preferred the kits with a bit of black to compliment the hoops.

[Filo]

The problem was back then Rovers had no traditional kit beyond the colours red and white. The season after plain white they moved to red and navy. There was a confusion there.

There was a real identity crisis around that time. That red and navy was a total rebrand, and they even got rid of the Viking after a little to-do with the Supporters Club (they stopped them using it, so the Club took the astute, and fairly inflammatory move to copyright the logo as the club had failed to ever do so) and we ended up with a shield on one side and a weird Thundercats logo on the other side - i was never sure which one was the official club logo.

Not long after that (maybe the next season) all was forgiven and it was back to the Viking and hoops, and it has stayed that way since. JR tried to introduce the black to make up look a bit more like Man Utd I believe - and I must admit i've always preferred the kits with a bit of black to compliment the hoops.

Didn’t the Retford Branch copyright the Viking logo and gave the Club permission to use it?

[keyser_soze]

I seem to remember the club stopping the supporters clubs using the logo on their merchandise - and yes i think it was the Retford branch rather astutely found out the copyright had not been maintained/applied for and as
a reaction copyrighted it (there was not suggestion the
 club were not allowed to use it). Club didn't like it and changed the logo for a season

[roversdude]

Sorry to harp on guys - do we still get discount on shirts with a season ticket ??

[River Don]

The problem was back then Rovers had no traditional kit beyond the colours red and white. The season after plain white they moved to red and navy. There was a confusion there.

There was a real identity crisis around that time. That red and navy was a total rebrand, and they even got rid of the Viking after a little to-do with the Supporters Club (they stopped them using it, so the Club took the astute, and fairly inflammatory move to copyright the logo as the club had failed to ever do so) and we ended up with a shield on one side and a weird Thundercats logo on the other side - i was never sure which one was the official club logo.

Not long after that (maybe the next season) all was forgiven and it was back to the Viking and hoops, and it has stayed that way since. JR tried to introduce the black to make up look a bit more like Man Utd I believe - and I must admit i've always preferred the kits with a bit of black to compliment the hoops.

Rovers have often used Navy blue as a third colour on the home kit too. That works pretty well and I think is more unique than red white and black. Historically the club started out with Navy blue, so there is that too.

I liked the fan designed shirt that outlined the red hoops with fine navy lines.

Occasionally it's been green highlights. And grey once.

[Barmby Rover]

Can the club produce the "fake kits" for sale? They would all sell well in the shop.

[vaya]

Can the club produce the "fake kits" for sale? They would all sell well in the shop.

I'll admit it. When I read that initially I thought it didn't say "kits" and I wondered if we'd gone back to the days of JR.

[Metalmicky]

Can the club produce the "fake kits" for sale? They would all sell well in the shop.

I'll admit it. When I read that initially I thought it didn't say "kits" and I wondered if we'd gone back to the days of JR.

Kats...?

[The Beast]

Call me a cynic but right now this looks like it could be pretty commercially astute. Seems to be plenty of people who like it and will buy it, but also plenty of dissenters so when the club turns around in a year’s time and say they want to revert back to a more traditional hooped design closer to our identity they’ll sell plenty of those as a result.

Tend to agree, not a big fan of the new kit but if it just changes marginally each season people are less likely to buy it, a lot of people will be happy when we turn back to the regular hoops and hopefully buy the shirt in droves.

[KeithMyath]

I like it, for a season or so. then back to our standard. I don't buy shirts tbh, so its not me they are trying to entice. My son will get one for his birthday though.

[silent majority]

Sorry to harp on guys - do we still get discount on shirts with a season ticket ??

No.

[roversdude]

Thanks Martin

[afro goal machine]

I walked past club in town earlier, it looks decent in person give it chance, ill be waiting to see what the away shirt looks like before buying one

[Bessie Red]

I like it, for a season or so. then back to our standard. I don't buy shirts tbh, so its not me they are trying to entice. My son will get one for his birthday though.

Exactly my thoughts too. Okay for one season as it is quite different from recent kits. However I would like us to revert to more traditional hoops  from next season.

[foxbat]

all in all , and just in terms  of how it looks , when combined with the red shorts ( which I don’t  usually  like) , it does look really good .

[sheffield exile1]

I seem to remember the club stopping the supporters clubs using the logo on their merchandise - and yes i think it was the Retford branch rather astutely found out the copyright had not been maintained/applied for and as
a reaction copyrighted it (there was not suggestion the
 club were not allowed to use it). Club didn't like it and changed the logo for a season

Yes The late great Andy Liney actually helped the club but it was misinterpreted initially, but as always a sensible compromise was reached. I still love my 69-70 retro white with the Doncaster council badge on the shirt (until I believe they objected, in god's name why???) as it was around my first supporting the club. Great memories of Wilcockson, Clish etc. Quite like this season's kit. Basically there are only so many hoop kits you can create. I also have the 47-48 Toffs one in the thickest cotton in the world!

[Bentley Bullet]

You can create far more variations of a hooped or striped shirt than you can a plain one. 

[mjg]

I liked the one with the big Viking on the front , the actual new kit is a no no from me , I told the Mrs if you don’t get me the new rovers shirt for Christmas I won’t be offended

[WheatleyRover]

I like it, can't understand what you're all moaning about, it's just a different take on the Hoops, they clearly go all the way around the shirt.
It's nice to have something a little different, they're just really thin White Hoops.
Miserable gits.