Traditionsclub changes polarizing jersey after backlash
A Piece of Fabric, Polarizing: After Rot-Weiss Essen unveils new home kit, the traditional club faces a heavy backlash. The reason: the club crest. Angry fans even start an online petition - with success. RWE acknowledges an error and changes the kit.
The harsh criticisms paid off: Rot-Weiss Essen, the third league club, changes its new home kit for the 2024/25 season due to heavy fan criticism. The club found itself compelled to make adjustments following an online petition, with the focus on the club's crest. What happened?
A polarizing piece of fabric. Last Friday, RWE presented its official home kit for the upcoming third league season, but the supporters reacted other than joyfully. The reason: only the sponsor logo was visible in white on the red jersey. The club crest, traditionally in white on a red background, had been printed in red on the fabric and thus disappeared at a closer look.
"A sign of disrespect towards the club's tradition"
The fans would not let this go unchallenged and vented their anger on social media. RWE also admitted that the reactions were "far from positive." In the end, the fans started a petition on change.org. "This is not only a sign of disrespect towards the tradition of the club but also an obstruction of visibility and identification with our proud crest. As long-term supporters of Rot-Weiss Essen, we want the original crest back," the demand read. The crest was "almost made invisible." "We cannot allow our identity to be denied recognition in this way," it continued.
2733 people signed the petition - and now it has been successful. As Rot-Weiss announced on Friday evening, the club will redesign its new kit and will bring the club crest, as originally planned, in red and white onto the fabric. "Instead of the full red emblem, the 'original' RWE logo in red and white will be visible," the club stated in a statement and admitted, "we made a wrong decision."
"We are a club run by our members and proud of our roots and tradition," said Alexander Rang, Marketing and Sales Director at RWE. "Together and united, we will achieve our goals. That's why it was important to us to quickly and seriously examine all options after the criticism."
The online petition, spearheaded by disgruntled supporters, managed to gather 2733 signatures, demanding a return to the original Rot-Weiss Essen crest on their third league soccer jerseys. In response, Rot-Weiss Essen, the soccer club, acknowledged their mistake and announced that they would be redesigning their new kit, ensuring the traditional crest is prominently displayed in red and white.
