Lets put this into perspective, 3 seasons ago, very few people even knew we were once known as the Rubies, let alone play in Ruby. I seem to remember others not so keen to change from our traditional red and white colours. The Rubies as a nick name has hardly caught on has it.
Its not like PB is re-branding the club into Cheltenham Tigers and playing in orange and black!
option 1 for me!
2014-15 Home Kit
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I believe that we should have been allowed to consider both Ruby and Red options. I think our marketing men have a habit of thinking they know best and springing these things on us, while the board just accept them. The colour of the shirts is a minor issue, compared to the calibre of who fills them, but these minor issues do promote much discussion with the fans.
I did a quick ad hoc poll while selling raffle tickets before the game, getting 60 responses to the question of red or ruby. The figures were 27 Red, 25 Ruby and 8 don't care - with quite a number of other suggestions thrown into the mixers. In particular, I liked the idea of a throw back to a fifties strip, which I suppose is "reverse Arsenal" - White with Red Sleeves.
From those in favour of Ruby, it was the idea that this is a unique identity that held sway, while those favouring red felt this was the colours we had worn in our most successful years. [From the statistical point of view, I should point out that the sample size was too small, and the margin was too close to be significant].
While I'm on, the winning raffle prize of £109 was claimed. The number was 22658
I did a quick ad hoc poll while selling raffle tickets before the game, getting 60 responses to the question of red or ruby. The figures were 27 Red, 25 Ruby and 8 don't care - with quite a number of other suggestions thrown into the mixers. In particular, I liked the idea of a throw back to a fifties strip, which I suppose is "reverse Arsenal" - White with Red Sleeves.
From those in favour of Ruby, it was the idea that this is a unique identity that held sway, while those favouring red felt this was the colours we had worn in our most successful years. [From the statistical point of view, I should point out that the sample size was too small, and the margin was too close to be significant].
While I'm on, the winning raffle prize of £109 was claimed. The number was 22658
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art vandalay
- Posts: 628
- Joined: 24 Nov 2009, 22:11
As we have mostly worn red, it's inevitable that we have worn red in our most successful years. And, of course, it's also true that we've worn red in ours most unsuccessful years!
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29827
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
But in those three years we have been on TV seven times and visited two Premier League grounds with extensive match highlights and match reports.mattyboi wrote:Lets put this into perspective, 3 seasons ago, very few people even knew we were once known as the Rubies, let alone play in Ruby. I seem to remember others not so keen to change from our traditional red and white colours. The Rubies as a nick name has hardly caught on has it.
Its not like PB is re-branding the club into Cheltenham Tigers and playing in orange and black!
option 1 for me!
So whilst we know red and white is 'traditional' the rest of the world think of us as ruby.
Such mixed messages - we had the new badge decision made with no real consultation because that was needed to define a brand and boost marketing and sponsorship. Now we have good marketing exposure on TV and the media with ruby they want to dilute and confuse the brand again...! Makes no sense.
Imagine if a sponsor comes in not knowing much about kits, and is chatting to Mr Baker in the Directors Box about Spurs and ESPN and Wembley before the game. Then two teams come on the pitch, no ruby in sight and the sponsor asks Mr Baker "ah, which team are we?" Embarrassing.
Now is the time to kick-on with ruby and to own it. We can still be called The Robins, same as Cardiff are still The Bluebirds. Robins has nothing to do with red and white - it's just a nickname, just like how the Black Cats of Sunderland or the Bees of Brentford have no relation to red and white.
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CheltRobin
- Posts: 1995
- Joined: 10 Sep 2013, 15:36
I have really liked the Ruby shirts over the past few seasons - not only do they look good to wear, but they are distinctive amongst the other 91 clubs. However, as we are stuck we the 3 options, I would go for the Red and White stripes, it's by far the best (Arsenal style shirt average, hate the all-red - reminds me of the MA era - Argh!!).
However, why can't the club a little bit of Ruby on the collar or the edges of the sleeves - surely a decent compromise all round then??
That's what I'm gonna be suggesting to the club anyway - let's see what happens!!
However, why can't the club a little bit of Ruby on the collar or the edges of the sleeves - surely a decent compromise all round then??
That's what I'm gonna be suggesting to the club anyway - let's see what happens!!
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PaulGodfrey
- Posts: 198
- Joined: 28 Dec 2009, 22:50
Just a bit of historical perspective:
The 'ruby' kit was brought in as a one-off to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary and was only supposed to be used for a single season. Because we were successful that year we ended up keeping the colours for another two seasons.
The historical case for ruby is quite flimsy unfortunately. In all the research I've done into the club history I've only seen us referred to as the Rubies on a couple of occasions and that was way back in the early years. Around that time we were also known as the 'Garden Towners' or just 'Town'. When the club had success in the 1930s we were referred to as 'Town' and 'Robins' seems to have started just after the second World War (when the team wore a white shirt with a red Robin design on it). Also, it should be considered that nobody actually knows what our original kit colour was - the only photos we have from that time are black and white. My guess is that somebody once saw the term 'Rubies' in a match report and assumed what the colour would have looked like.
The ruby or deep red colours are also not unique. Northampton Town, Chelmsford City and Paulton Rovers among others all wear the same colours. When we played at Northampton earlier in the season one of their officials said to me: "how come you've started playing in our kit these days?" He was joking but probably had a point.
In terms of kits, I'm currently putting together some graphics of our old kits (the historical kits website is incomplete and inaccurate for us) but since turning professional in 1932 we have worn a wide variety of kits over the years including red and white hoops, red and white stripes (thin, thick and pinstripe), red with white arms, white with red arms, red with black and white designs, plan white shirts and plain red shirts. Shorts and socks have ranged from red to white to black. From this perspective, if someone were to ask me "what are our historical kit colours?" then based on historical information I would have to answer red and white. In terms of nickname, this is of shorter duration but there is clear evidence of 'Robins' dating right back to the 1940s.
The 'ruby' kit was brought in as a one-off to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary and was only supposed to be used for a single season. Because we were successful that year we ended up keeping the colours for another two seasons.
The historical case for ruby is quite flimsy unfortunately. In all the research I've done into the club history I've only seen us referred to as the Rubies on a couple of occasions and that was way back in the early years. Around that time we were also known as the 'Garden Towners' or just 'Town'. When the club had success in the 1930s we were referred to as 'Town' and 'Robins' seems to have started just after the second World War (when the team wore a white shirt with a red Robin design on it). Also, it should be considered that nobody actually knows what our original kit colour was - the only photos we have from that time are black and white. My guess is that somebody once saw the term 'Rubies' in a match report and assumed what the colour would have looked like.
The ruby or deep red colours are also not unique. Northampton Town, Chelmsford City and Paulton Rovers among others all wear the same colours. When we played at Northampton earlier in the season one of their officials said to me: "how come you've started playing in our kit these days?" He was joking but probably had a point.
In terms of kits, I'm currently putting together some graphics of our old kits (the historical kits website is incomplete and inaccurate for us) but since turning professional in 1932 we have worn a wide variety of kits over the years including red and white hoops, red and white stripes (thin, thick and pinstripe), red with white arms, white with red arms, red with black and white designs, plan white shirts and plain red shirts. Shorts and socks have ranged from red to white to black. From this perspective, if someone were to ask me "what are our historical kit colours?" then based on historical information I would have to answer red and white. In terms of nickname, this is of shorter duration but there is clear evidence of 'Robins' dating right back to the 1940s.
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PaulGodfrey
- Posts: 198
- Joined: 28 Dec 2009, 22:50
I wasn't involved with the kit this time (it coincided with the youth audit) but I'm not sure if it cropped up because the ruby was always meant to be a temporary thing (a bit like Arsenal did for their last season at Highbury). Down the years the main reasons for staying with Errea have been business ones.
It's all very well dismissing the "ruby" as not technically traditional or not unique (not certain I altogether agree with this as it wan't as purple as Northampton etc not to mention red is hardly unique).
The thing is, in that short time it has been seized upon, and is now seen as part of our identity for a large proportion of the fan base. You can't blame us, within circa 35 miles we have two other historically league teams playing in red calling themselves "The Robins". There is absolutely nothing unique about that.
Kids at school "Who do you support?", "The Robins" "Ahh Swindon Town, how about that Nile Ranger eh?" "Bleurgh! not those Robins" " Bristol City?" "no!"..."who you talking bout then?"
TBH be honest, I'd rather we played in white than go back to red and white stripes or any other iteration of red and white (although I could live with a red v neck shirt made by adidas with white pinstripes
). And this coming from someone who grew up supporting a club that played in red and who gets annoyed whenever there are even white shorts as part of the kit...
It could even save the money long term. Brrow some silks from up the road and have whadney dress up as Ruby Walsh
The thing is, in that short time it has been seized upon, and is now seen as part of our identity for a large proportion of the fan base. You can't blame us, within circa 35 miles we have two other historically league teams playing in red calling themselves "The Robins". There is absolutely nothing unique about that.
Kids at school "Who do you support?", "The Robins" "Ahh Swindon Town, how about that Nile Ranger eh?" "Bleurgh! not those Robins" " Bristol City?" "no!"..."who you talking bout then?"
TBH be honest, I'd rather we played in white than go back to red and white stripes or any other iteration of red and white (although I could live with a red v neck shirt made by adidas with white pinstripes
). And this coming from someone who grew up supporting a club that played in red and who gets annoyed whenever there are even white shorts as part of the kit...It could even save the money long term. Brrow some silks from up the road and have whadney dress up as Ruby Walsh
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C.V
Ooo rrrrrrrrr Ooo rrrrrrrrrrrrrLaurence wrote:PaulGodfrey wrote:Around that time we were also known as the 'Garden Towners'
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London Exile
- Posts: 3197
- Joined: 06 Dec 2009, 15:48
Any news on this decision?
I thought JP tweeted they were expected to make a choice this week?
I thought JP tweeted they were expected to make a choice this week?
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hookyrobin
- Posts: 121
- Joined: 30 Jan 2014, 20:09
It's interesting that people have used the example of Cardiff City and their change of colours when discussing this issue. Whenever I see them playing at home I've noticed that the overwhelming majority of supporters are still rocking the blue.
I'm one of those who think we're missing a huge opportunity by leaving the ruby (on top of the fact that since wearing a ruby and white scarf I've had many people ask which team I support - something that was never provoked by wearing a red and white scarf (no doubt an assumption that I was a Man Utd/Liverpool/Arsenal supporter)).
What I'm taking a long time to get round to saying is: like the Cardiff show of blue, those of us who think that ruby and white was a touch of class and clear-thinking (from a, yuck, branding point of view), should just continue to wear ruby and white. I fully intend to keep it going. It might be a bit perverse when we play Northampton, but otherwise I think those who supported the ruby (Arab Spring?) revolution shouldn't have any reason not to stick with it.
I'm one of those who think we're missing a huge opportunity by leaving the ruby (on top of the fact that since wearing a ruby and white scarf I've had many people ask which team I support - something that was never provoked by wearing a red and white scarf (no doubt an assumption that I was a Man Utd/Liverpool/Arsenal supporter)).
What I'm taking a long time to get round to saying is: like the Cardiff show of blue, those of us who think that ruby and white was a touch of class and clear-thinking (from a, yuck, branding point of view), should just continue to wear ruby and white. I fully intend to keep it going. It might be a bit perverse when we play Northampton, but otherwise I think those who supported the ruby (Arab Spring?) revolution shouldn't have any reason not to stick with it.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29827
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
I won't be buying another shirt unless a nice away kit comes out in the future.
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Piro Teknix
- Posts: 167
- Joined: 05 Nov 2013, 22:25
I have never bought a shirt, they don't do them in my size.
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Circa 1887
- Posts: 842
- Joined: 04 Mar 2013, 12:39
As things stand, I won't be buying it - irrespective of current performances on the pitch, both versions of the stripes look like a douzen other kits we've had. Not for me.Smouty wrote:So its been decided that next years kit will be red and white stripes ... thoughts??
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cheltsaxon
- Posts: 573
- Joined: 10 Nov 2010, 21:51
- Location: Cheltenhamshire
Chairmans choice don't know why they bothered asking the fan's it made no difference to the outcome.
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London Exile
- Posts: 3197
- Joined: 06 Dec 2009, 15:48
Out of the 2 choices I'd opt for option 1 the thin stripes
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London Exile
- Posts: 3197
- Joined: 06 Dec 2009, 15:48
I'd like to see an all black kit as an away/3rd kit when we replace the current blue one.
The only highlight of the MA era was the away kit for me!
The only highlight of the MA era was the away kit for me!
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CheltRobin
- Posts: 1995
- Joined: 10 Sep 2013, 15:36
So, stripes it is then - but Thin Stripes or Thick Stripes? I cant decide - Where's Gok Wan when you need him?!?
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29827
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
My only concern is the financial aspects. Have to trust that the Board know better than me.