Celtic will open a new chapter in their long and illustrious history with a brand new home kit for the 2013-2014 season.
After a momentous 125th anniversary campaign — notable for a stunning Champions League victory over Barcelona, qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League and a domestic League and SFA Cup double — the Glasgow giants have a new contemporary on-field look for next season. Their sights are fixed firmly on the future, represented by exciting emerging talents such as Tom Rogic and Tony Watt.
As legendary manager Jock Stein observed, “We don’t want to live with history…we must make new legends."
On the new home shirt, each of the club’s iconic green hoops is made of up seven smaller hoops, which are inspired by some of the club’s greatest players — such as Jimmy Johnstone and Henrik Larsson, who wore the No. 7 shirt.
The shirt features a modern crossover V-neck collar, and a woven label inside the neck features a quote from former Chairman Robert Kelly: “This Celtic Football Club is much more than a football club. To a lot of people it’s a way of life.”
The home shorts are white with a green stripe down each side, and the white home socks feature the new hoop design with seven fully engineered thinner hoops as featured in the shirt.
The new kit showcases Nike's committment to aiding the performance of players with key technological benefits:
RECYCLED POLYESTER
The kit is made from recycled polyester as part of Nike’s commitment to produce performance apparel with reduced environmental impact. The shirt and shorts of each kit are made from up to thirteen recycled plastic water bottles.
In the pioneering process, plastic bottles are chopped into flakes, then melted down to form yarn that is spun into fabric, reducing energy consumption by up to 30 percent compared to manufacturing virgin polyester.
Since 2010, Nike has diverted more than 1.1 billion plastic bottles from landfills through the use of recycled polyester.
FABRIC AND NIKE DRI-FIT
The kit weighs just 150 grams, 23 percent lighter than previous Nike kits. It also boasts a 20 percent stronger knit structure and significantly improved stretch.
The fabric uses Nike Dri-FIT technology to draw sweat away from the body through the fabric where it can evaporate, to keep players cool and dry.
Ventilation zones, consisting of tiny laser-cut holes, feature under the arms on both sides, as well as at the shorts waistband, to allow additional comfort and cooling. A mesh panel across the entire back increases air circulation.
FIT AND CONSTRUCTION
The shirt has been crafted with bonded T-bars to support the seams at key points and inner welded seams with a clean finish to give a more striking appearance, while also increasing comfort and performance.
NIKE PRO COMBAT
To complete the ultimate playing uniform for modern football, Nike Pro Combat baselayer is supplied to be worn underneath the match-day kit, offering players greater comfort and impact protection.
The Nike Pro Combat range of long-sleeve and short-sleeve tops made of sweat-wicking fabric allows players to keep cool and dry in hot conditions, and warm and dry when the weather becomes cold. The slider shorts feature extra padding and thigh protection to absorb impact so players can go to ground and tackle with greater confidence.
