Arsenal Draws For Reggae Music In Unveiling Of Jamaican-Inspired Pre-Match Jersey
Arsenal FC drew for Reggae music as its soundtrack, as it premiered a new pre-match jersey comprising the Jamaican national colours – black, gold and green – in collaboration with sporting gear giant adidas for the 2022/23 football season.
According to the club, the release of the jerseys, which feature a bold, all-over geometric print is being done in a bid to celebrate its Jamaican supporters.
The video commercial for the jersey shows scenes supposedly of Jamaica, begins with Arsenal’s Brazillian forward Gabriel Jesus flipping a vinyl record, then pans to youngsters somersaulting near a sound system, then children playing football on a pitch, all while a Roots Reggae beat plays in the background.
“With many Jamaicans living in our local community and across the capital, it pays tribute to those who call both north London and Jamaica home,” the Gunners noted in a release.
According to the club, the campaign mixes football and fashion and features supporters in Jamaica, as well as its footballers in London wearing the jersey, which will be showcased across the weekend at Notting Hill Carnival, and ahead of its men’s first-team game against Fulham.
The release also quoted former their former player Ian Wright, who is of Jamaican parentage, as gushing about their tribute to Jamaicans.
“It’s fantastic to see adidas and Arsenal celebrating its rich and diverse fanbase. Arsenal is for everyone, and creating initiatives, support and products that resonate with the wide-ranging fanbase is fantastic to see. The fans are going to love it!” Wright stated.
Arsenal’s origins date back to late 1886, when a group of workers from the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to form a football team, initially calling themselves Dial Square after the sundial atop the entrance to the factory.
The club has won 47 trophies in its illustrious 136-year history including 13 Champions League titles, and currently holds the record for most FA Cup wins.
Jamaicans have had a longstanding love affair with Arsenal, with an Arsenal Jamaica Supporters Club (AJSC) even being established in December 2015 and which the club recognizes as the official supporters club in Jamaica.
The AJSC even has its own banner which was placed in the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners home ground, at the beginning of the 2015/ 2016 Barclays Premier League season.
In June 2017, Arsenal FC had announced that via its Arsenal Jamaica Supporters Club, it aimed to “connect Jamaican Arsenal supporters and foster an environment that is welcoming to new members and fans” and had a designated meeting place for the members at Caribbean Estates in Portmore, St. Catherine.
According to the AJSC, the organisation exists as a means to create what it describes as an epicentre for supporters to communicate and share their views.
“The Jamaican diaspora stretches across all continents and we have been fortunate to connect with many of these individuals that share the same passion we have as it relates to Arsenal FC. We are determined to connect with many more passionate supporters across the globe in addition to increasing the visibility and history of Arsenal FC and the Arsenal Jamaica Supporters Club,” the group noted on its website.
In May this year, Reggae Boyz coach Paul Hall had called up the then uncapped Arsenal midfielder Omari Hutchinson for an international friendly against Catalonia in Spain.
Hutchinson was being eyed by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) which had indicated earlier that the international friendly against Catalonia would offer opportunities to look at new players, mainly from Europe and that the new players, depending on the assessment of the technical staff, “could play a role, in short, medium, or long term plans and meets the objective of incorporating new players in our roster as early as possible in a new four-year cycle.”
Hutchinson who was born in England, is eligible to play for Jamaica through his parents, and is said to be one of the most promising young players in England.