Championship: Reading launch new kit with stripes to highlight climate change

Reading FC have launched their home strip for 2022-23 with striped sleeves alongside their traditional hoops.

The stripes highlight the increases in average temperatures each year in Reading and were done as part of the club's partnership with the University of Reading.

The design 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, as the material does not lose its characteristics during the process of making a shirt, the kit itself remains completely recyclable.

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.

“We are not perfect, but this is the start of a journey. We will not aim to change the world overnight. But we want to aim to reduce our carbon footprint as a football club and give our fans the opportunity to come with us on the same journey. Featuring the climate stripes in the design of our home kit is one way we hope to inspire more climate conversations amongst our supporters and our local community.”