Untold Arsenal: part of the new kit designer team.

By Walter Broeckx

When I surfed to the Arsenal website this afternoon I noticed that a few new articles had gone on line about the new kit manufacturer Puma. One of them was a little film where the designer explained the concepts behind the new collection.

You might have seen the film already. Now I have too. And I must say I almost fell off my chair while watching it. And probably Tony will fall off his chair when he takes the time to have a look. If you haven’t seen it yet you can find it here

The film contains an explanation given by the person from Puma who designs the new kits that the Arsenal players will be wearing next season. And that most of us will purchase or get as a birthday present (hope the kids will get the hint) in the next days, weeks or months.

The designer talked about the fact that Puma has been a kit manufacturer for many, many years. And that Arsenal also is one of the biggest clubs in history with a history rich and filled with innovations. So the perfect match for both it seemed. But that is of course salesman talk.

But the designer spoke about things from the past and when hearing him I got the impression that he must be a avid reader of the other Untold website about Arsenal, the AISA Arsenal History Society website.  A website you can find here and for those who want to learn anything about Arsenal this is the bible of our history.  As I don’t write on it I say that without sounding too pretentious.

And when the designer was talking about Arsenal being innovative in tactics, numbers on shirts, the floodlights, the hooped socks…all Arsenal inventions that Puma wants to bring in to the new kit somehow.  So that is great. He knew what he was talking about.

But what made me dead certain that this designer got his inspiration from our own head of Untold Towers is the fact that while the camera zoomed in to different Arsenal pictures and objects they also showed books. Not just books I must say. No, A book.

I think the long lasting readership of Untold Arsenal will know that Tony has written a few Arsenal books in recent years. And one of those books was ‘Making the Arsenal’. And it was this book that was shown very specifically in the film.

So adding the numbers I could only come to the conclusion that Tony Attwood has inspired the designer to whatever the outcome will be.  His book was there clear to see. And the things he mentioned from our history and that Tony has repeated time and time again. Yes, this designer knows his stuff and this is thanks to Tony.

Next thing we will probably hear about the presentation that it will be Tony in person to do the catwalk when the new kit is finally being presented to the rest of the world.  The audacious  stunt of the kit launch will not be Mario Balottelli presenting the new kit as some have suggested but it will be Tony presenting it walking on the catwalk holding his book in one of his hands advertising both the kit and his book.

Of course this is all fun and a bit gibberish talk (unless Tony confirms my thoughts suddenly) and I think that they will have younger persons doing the kit launch than Tony. No offence Tony but well… I surely wouldn’t be suited to walk on the catwalk myself. So don’t take it as an insult.

But apart from the funny twist I gave it, the fact remains that Tony and his book certainly (and I really think his history website too) are seen by both club and Puma as things of importance. Things to take with you when you want to understand and know the club.

So along to his other contributions to Arsenal and to the history of Arsenal like proposing to erect statues outside the stadium it is another moment where we can see that Tony really is part of ‘making the Arsenal’ to what it is today.  His websites that have caused some waves and caught the attention of Arsenal itself up to the highest echelons of the board. His books. His numerous articles that we cannot count any more. It must be several thousands by now.

So it is an honour and a privilege for me to be writing along Tony on this site.  And to be mistaken for Tony from time to time. Except when some people start shouting and abusing him (or me) behind the scenes of Untold Arsenal.

You perhaps haven’t read Making the Arsenal yet. And if you haven’t you can buy it through the link that I’m copying from the home page of this site.  It is also on Amazon and of course in the Arsenal stores at the stadium.  By having that book you will not only learn a lot more about an important period in the history of our club but will also enjoy his humour and I can assure you, you will be able to smile on more than one  occasion. Well I did.

But more importantly it is a book that has been used to get the inspiration for the new kit. So now lets keep our fingers crossed that the kit is a bit decent, shall we….

Footnotes: the Puma deal is not just the largest kit deal in Arsenal’s history, but at £150m over five years is the largest deal of its type in British football history, easily beating the previous biggest – the Man U deal.

AISA Arsenal History Society’s other claim to fame is that it was at a private meeting that we had with Ivan Gazidis that we put forward the notion of  the statues around the Emirates – starting with the Chapman statue. 

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