Dembare dump blue strip

IN a year in which they are battling the demons of relegation that almost struck them in 2005, Harare giants Dynamos have even broken with tradition and lately dumped the blue outfit synonymous with  their brand.

In a move widely believed to be anchored on superstitious beliefs, Dynamos no longer put on their blue strip during their home matches and have stuck with their away colours - white for all their assignments.

The marked departure from the norm this season has coincided with coach Lloyd Mutasa's return for another spell with the fading giants.

DeMbare have worn the white strip at home in their last six assignments, including Saturday's Chibuku Super Cup first round match against Bulawayo Chiefs at Rufaro.

They have also worn the same strip on the road.

Superstition has always been at the centre of the choice of colours, but team manager Richard Chihoro, however, downplayed the superstitious beliefs being linked to the decision.

"We have two strips and we don't have a problem interchanging. It's either we wear all-blue or all white. Sometimes we mix the blue and the white, whether we are home or away.

"That is what we have been doing and I also think our supporters are fine with it because they are used to it," said Chihoro.

Although there are no hard and fast rules that force the teams to wear home kits and away kits with strictness, colours have always carried a deeper meaning in the history of the game and the identity of a brand.

Dynamos have been struggling to get on their feet this year and will have to fight hard to survive relegation, reminiscent of the 2005 season.

The Glamour Boys are currently two points away from the drop zone with just eight games remaining in the season.

The superstitious half at the club believe that results have eluded them when they played in the blue kits, hence the decision by the technical side to opt for white.

Coincidentally, they have enjoyed some success in the white strip and it remains to be seen if they will opt for the same tomorrow when they face Bulawayo Chiefs this time in a league assignment.

The sides met at the weekend and Dynamos won 1-0 in the first round of the Chibuku Super Cup.

But they still have unfinished business in the league as DeMbare seek to maintain a stranglehold on the newboys who they beat 1-0 in the reverse fixture in Bulawayo.

A football kit is arguably the most important thing about a club in professional football. It gives clubs their identity which easily connects the chemistry with the fans especially at home where the team expects to take full advantage of the conditions.

Successful professional clubs have had other fancy colours for their away matches but they have almost always maintained their home colours.

Players have often testified that the feeling of wearing the club colours always inspire them and the psychological boost has driven them to success over the years.

Football kits can also tell so much about a team's history and the psychology behind their past. Dynamos have made the blue shade their own sacred colour in local football in the last 50 years.

Unfortunately they have not been able to use the club colours to rake in revenue to as is the case in the modern world where clubs anchor their marketing initiatives around the sale of replicas.

In the well organised clubs, the entire marketing, from websites to memorabilia, is based around the colour of their home kit.

Clubs like Arsenal have been wearing red at home since 1886. The colour has been the same although the strip has often come in various designs to suit the whims of the market. The same applies with FC Barcelona, whose red and blue dates back to the club's formation in 1899.

Their home kit has become a big brand that many talented young players worldwide dream of donning.