Aston Villa have received complaints about this season’s wet-look shirts from their women’s team players, in addition to the men’s team’s concerns that the heavy kit is weighing them down.
The latest development puts even more pressure on Villa’s kit manufacturer Castore to find a swift solution to the problem.
Telegraph Sport revealed on Tuesday that Villa’s men’s team players had told club chiefs they are unhappy that the kit quickly becomes wet through and clings to players’ bodies when they perspire, and Villa are working with sports manufacturer Castore to try to find a solution as quickly as possible.
It has now emerged that Villa have also received similar complaints from players in the women’s team, who are due to kick-off their season against Manchester United, live on television, on Sunday.
A source close to the women’s squad has described the kit as feeling ‘really bad’ to play in, while another separately said they are ‘deeply concerned’ and hoping for a solution.
Castore have been contacted for a response regarding the complaints of the Villa men’s and women’s players.
Villa and the club’s women’s team manager Carla Ward are understood to be aware of the women’s players’ issues with the kit and are waiting to find out if Catsore can provide a quick solution.
Villa’s women wore their new kit for all-but one of their pre-season friendlies, but wore a training top for the other. It’s thought they are currently set to play in an unchanged version of the shirt this weekend, when Ward’s side will be live on BBC Two when they host United in the new season’s opening fixture on Sunday [12.30 kick-off].
Villa, who finished fifth in the WSL table last term, will also be live on Sky in the second weekend of the season when they travel to Liverpool on 8 October, potentially putting the concerns about the kit in the spotlight for the opening fortnight of the WSL campaign.
Villa launched new home, away and third kits this season and are two years into what was described as being a ‘multi-year’ contract with Castore.
The club’s co-owner Nassef Sawiris owns a stake in German sports manufacturer Adidas, which has prompted speculation that Villa could look to follow Newcastle United in moving from Castore to Adidas in the future.
Newcastle invoked an exit clause in their deal with Castore, which means that from next season the club will have their kits made by Adidas.
On Villa’s issue, Andy Brian – commercial contracts lawyer and partner at law firm Gordons – told Telegraph Sport: “From a legal point of view, the key question will be whether the club’s agreement with the manufacturer contains a detailed specification of the products to be supplied and, if so, whether that spec extends to the composition and weight of the products.
“Typically, manufacturers will supply one spec of product for replica kit sales, and another more high-performance spec for the athletes to wear. In recent years, some manufacturers have also made higher spec ‘stadium shirts’ available for general sale at a premium price point.
“If the supply contract contains a detailed spec which is not being achieved, then it will be pretty straightforward to resolve; Castore will have to supply according to that spec. I don’t know what this contract says, but perhaps the more likely scenario is that Castore is supplying products which do comply with the contract, but Aston Villa are not happy with the quality. Realistically, it will likely be resolved commercially, but it’s pretty embarrassing.”
Villa have been a WSL side since winning promotion from the Championship in 2020 and last season they enjoyed their best-ever campaign.
