How to Root for Arsenal in Style
In the past, being an Arsenal fan was much simpler. You either watched the match in person or you caught the game on TV. In either scenario, you probably yelled yourself hoarse in the process. As a Gooner in 2013, more is expected from you than waking up the next day with a bad case of laryngitis. You also have to represent. This means wearing team colors with pride as well as losing your voice.
Thanks to clever merchandising and the Internet, there is no shortage of places online to get quality Arsenal gear. With a little bit of due diligence, finding the right gear to wear should not be a problem.
Buy Only Genuine Team Arsenal Apparel
The popularity of Arsenal is undeniable, with an estimated fan base of 113 million people globally. A 2011 Forbes list of the world's 50 most valuable sports teams has Arsenal valued at $1.19 billion (US), making it the seventh most valuable team in the world.
Unfortunately many unscrupulous vendors take advantage of a team's popularity by selling counterfeit clothing. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized counterfeit clothing with an estimated value of $133 million (US) in 2012. Much of this clothing included fake sports jerseys. As a result, CBP recommends buying only licensed apparel:
"Purchasing authorized league merchandise guarantees the quality and life of that souvenir, while also providing a reputable source for concerns, returns, and exchanges."
Many sites online sell genuine Arsenal apparel. A typical Arsenal jersey should sell in the £50.00/$90.00 (US) price range. Nike has been the team's official uniform supplier since 1994, so jerseys will have the 'swoosh' logo on them. Any jersey sold significantly less than that price range without a swoosh logo is likely a knock off.
Both Arsenal and Nike offer genuine team apparel for purchase online. Outside of those two sources, there is not a hard and fast rule for determining whether or not an online store is honest or not.
Current and Upcoming Kits
Although Nike recently 'leaked' part of the 2013-2014 Arsenal kit, the latest kit you can purchase online is the 2012-2013 version.
The 2012-2013 home jersey has the traditional red with white sleeve scheme, including red and navy striping on the sleeves.
The 2012-2013 road jersey with its purple and black striping may become something of a collector's item since it won't be renewed for the 2013-14 season. Nike revealed that the 2013-2014 road kit will be a yellow jersey with navy and red striping on the collar and sleeves.
If you are looking for a goalie jersey, you can get the home dark green jersey with light green on the bottom half of the sleeves or dark pink for the road. Just know that these jerseys are quite sought after and a quick glance online found that the pink jersey was sold out at several stores.
There has been no word back from Nike so far about the home kit or goalkeeper kits for 2013-2014. Arsenal recently signed a five-year, £179 million deal with Puma to become the team's official provider, beginning with the 2014-2015 season.
Other Options
For many Arsenal fans, the cost of a jersey may be a little steep or it simply does not fit their style. A variety of stylish polo shirts are available from the team’s online store in the £20-30 range. T-Shirts are also available in the £12-20 range. These are great for fans wanting quality licensed apparel on a budget.
For colder weather a handful of sweatshirt and jacket styles with the team’s logo are available in the £30-40 range.
Conclusion
Being a true Arsenal fan means more than wearing your emotions on your sleeve; you now must wear those emotions on the sleeve of licensed team apparel. Fortunately, there are many options ranging from team kits to regular clothing with team colors and logos to satisfy most tastes and budgets.
