Why Crystal Palace are wearing white in home match against Manchester City

When Premier League fans tuned into Crystal Palace’s match against Manchester City on Friday (August 28), they may have expected the Eagles to be wearing blue and red, but supporters were surprised to find the home side wearing white – and there’s an explanation.

Palace are one of the few teams, alongside Barcelona, known for wearing blue and red stripes on their home shirts.

Last week, the Eagles travelled to Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton, who also play their home matches in blue. As a result, Palace wore white, with no one questioning this, given that the blue in Palace’s traditional home kit would have clashed with the Toffees’ strip.

However, fans noticed on Friday that, despite City wearing their black away strip, Palace were still wearing their white kit with a blue and red sash.

One fan said: “It was probably explained in the pre-match broadcast, but why are Palace playing in white at home?”

Another added: “Are Crystal Palace wearing their away kit at home? That can’t possibly be the home shirt.”

A third wrote: “What’s going on with Palace’s kit here? It looks like they are wearing an away one, but I’m assuming it’s the home kit. It’s nothing like their usual home shirts, haha.”

A fourth questioned: “Are Crystal Palace wearing their away kit at home? What nonsense is this?”

A fifth commented: “Does anybody know why Crystal Palace players are wearing white at home? Is their home kit not blue and red?”

A sixth said: “Is there any explanation for Crystal Palace having effectively adopted an all-white kit this season, which is different from the traditional blue-and-red striped kit?”

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However, there is a valid explanation.

This year, Palace have opted to wear a white home shirt as a nod to the one they wore 50 years ago, when they reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1976.

A white strip with a red and blue sash was also used by the club in the early 1980s. The Eagles last wore a white home shirt during the 2008/09 campaign.

In a press release marking the release of the white kit, Palace wrote: “The new kit reimagines a classic design that has become one of the most recognisable shirts in Palace history – the iconic sash.

“First introduced in 1976, the sash returns 50 years on, with a modern twist on a South London staple.

“The sash first came to prominence during the Eagles’ run to the 1976 FA Cup semi-finals before becoming the club’s official home kit for the first time in 1976/77. It has since remained a much-loved part of Palace history.

“The badge also has a retro feel, with its design harking back to Palace’s circular club crest, originally used from 1973 to 1987.

“The sash is a thread running through generations of Palace history: a symbol of identity, continuity and resilience through change. Those same qualities sit at the heart of Temporal, whose technology helps businesses build critical systems designed to keep running through complexity, pressure and failure. Together, Palace and Temporal have used the launch to celebrate what is built for the long run.”

The club added: “Heroes from the 1970s teams who wore the original sash design with pride, including Vince Hilaire, Dave Swindlehurst and Billy Gilbert, were also among the first to see the brand-new kit, as were club heroes Darren Ambrose and Mark Bright.

“The modern sash shirt is paired with stylish white shorts featuring red and blue trim running down the sides. The kit is complete with predominantly white socks, which feature red and blue hoops to complete the design.”