by Dave Knapper
dave.knapper@thesentinel.co.uk

OFFICIALS at Stoke City say the club is happy to consider kit designs dreamed up by supporters after fans bombarded an internet message board with ideas.

But any designs will have to be put on ice for at least another season after the club confirmed the strips for the next campaign have already been rubber-stamped.

Stoke fans have submitted a string of designs for potential home and away shirts on the popular Oatcake fanzine’s internet message board.

The home kits follow the traditional red and white stripe template whereas the designs for the away strips come in a range of colours including green and black, silver, navy, gold, white, and a host of fluorescent tones.

One of the main contributors is 27-year-old Mark Mills, from Bucknall.

Mark, who posts under the guise of ‘roro’ on the message board, has seen his designs given a unanimous thumbs up by fellow fans.

The insurance adviser, who has been a season-ticket holder since 1990, began designing the strips after seeing the odd idea posted by a fellow user on the message board.

He said: “It was nothing to be taken seriously, I just wanted to see how some shirts would look design-wise and posted them on the Oatcake to share. I have received feedback, and people have also added their designs.”

Mark’s ideas have even prompted one Stoke supporter based in Thailand to look into ways of having some of the kits produced.

Mark, who has two degrees, one in contemporary crafts and another in product design, is to train to become a teacher. He admits to being a fan of this season’s Stoke shirts but isn’t sure all supporters have taken to them.

He said: “I am very happy with this season’s kits when worn correctly. However, when we wear the yellow shirt with the red shorts and socks we look more like Ronald McDonald and it is not pleasing on the eye.

“This season’s kits do appear to have been a bit hit and miss with the supporters, a bit like Marmite – you either love them or hate them.”

He produced the designs, which have won the plaudits on the internet by using some simple design software and templates available on the web.

He said: “Creating the shirts themselves does not take much time, once you have an idea in mind it can take anything between five and 15 minutes, tops. It is just a case of trial and error.”

All Mark’s designs display the current strip manufacturer, Le Coq Sportif, and the current sponsor, Britannia.

His all-time favourite all-time home shirt is the design produced in the 1994/1995 season by Asics whereas his preferred away kits range from the white Le Coq Sportif offering in 2002 to the black strip made by Puma in 2005.

He added: “Obviously as a fan I’d love some of my designs to be eventually used by the club, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Oatcake fanzine editor Martin Smith said: “Some of the kits which have appeared on the Oatcake message board are just fantastic.

“I have to admire the way some of the fans have really given it some thought.”

The last time Stoke appeared in a shirt designed by a supporter was in 2007, after the club ran a following a competition run by the club and the Potteries Shopping Centre. The all-white kit embossed with a red version of the famous crest on the shirt and shorts was designed by 14-year-old school girl Kate Ackley and worn in some of the pre-season fixtures.

Back In 1999 Stoke fans were handed the task of choosing the Asics-produced home and away shirts.

But any more fan-influenced strips will need to wait until the 2010/2011 season.
Steve Buxton, head of PR and communications at Stoke City, said: “I have seen some of the designs and there are some really nice ones and some good ideas and we will happily consider them for the future.

“The designs for next season have already been finalised but we will be happy to receive any designs for the season after.”

Mr Buxton also played down the idea that some of the designs which have appeared on the Oatcake fanzine’s message board could be used as a possible third strip next season.

He added: “A third kit is not something we are planning as a football club.”

Anyone who would like to submit a strip design should emailsend it to media@stokecityfc.com