Saturday’s game sees the clash of the stripes as Sunderland welcome Southampton to the Stadium of Light.
Both teams’ traditional home kits are red and white stripes and no doubt whichever set of fans you ask, they’ll say their club wears them best!
We decided to take a look at the history behind the stripes and find out a little bit more about those iconic bars of red and white.
Sunderland actually sported the stripes first, dating back to 1887, whereas the Saints didn’t introduce their stripe until 1896, after trialing a number of variations, including halves, quarters and a simple red sash on their shirts.
Only once since adopting the stripes have Sunderland strayed away from the norm; back in the early 1980s French designers Le Coq Sportif introduced a radical new look for the Lads, a predominantly white shirt with red pinstripes, a move that didn’t prove too popular with fans.
Since then the Black Cats have remained faithful to the traditional stripe, even through shirt sponsor changes and the club’s transition to the Stadium of Light back in 1997, where a new club badge was introduced.
Whereas Southampton haven’t been as loyal to the stripes. A number of variations have been seen over the years at both the Dell and St Mary’s, including bolder two stripe and one stripe kits and the all red shirt they introduced in 2013 when they returned to the Premier League.
In this particular battle of the stripes Sunderland come out on top as they prove to be a lot more faithful to their favoured stripes.
Fans can show their stripes for less and pick up the latest SAFC home shirt in official club stores for just £18.79, a nod to the club’s history, having been formed by a group of school teachers back in 1879.
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