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A new football season often means a new kit, but deciding what your club actually needs can be less straightforward than it first seems. A new home kit is often the obvious starting point, but what happens when your colours clash with another team? Do you need a full away kit? What about a training kit, goalkeeper kit and replacements throughout the season?
For many teams, there’s also the question of budget. Clubs often have a limit on what they can spend, and there’s no point ordering more kit than your players will actually use.
The good news is you don’t necessarily need to replace everything at once. By understanding the purpose of each type of kit and planning around your fixtures, training schedule, and squad size, you can build a custom football kit that works for your club without making the process more complicated than it needs to be.
What’s the Difference Between a Home Kit, Away Kit and Training Kit?
Each type of kit has a different purpose, so it helps to start by separating the three.
Home Kit
The home kit is usually your main match kit. It’s the design most closely associated with your club and will normally feature your main colours, badge and sponsor branding. For many clubs, this is the kit that becomes the visual identity for the whole team.
Away kit
An away kit gives you another option when your usual colours are too similar to the opposition's. Depending on the league or competition you play in, you might also need an alternative kit for certain fixtures. An away kit is a chance to introduce a different design while still keeping clear links to your club.
Training kit
Your training kit serves a different purpose again. Rather than being reserved for matchdays, it’s designed for regular use during training sessions, helping players look and feel like part of the same squad. This could include training tops, shorts, jackets, and other teamwear. Since players wear these items several times a week, comfort and durability are particularly important.
Of course, clubs shouldn't forget one more kit type: the goalkeeper kit. Your goalkeeper needs to be clearly distinguishable from teammates, opponents, and match officials, so you should plan their kit alongside the rest of the team's colours.
What Does Your Club Actually Need?
Most clubs don't need three full kits. Here's how to work out which ones you do.
| Club type | A sensible starting point |
| New club | Start with a home kit, goalkeeper kit and core training wear. If you expect colour clashes, consider an alternative away shirt or different shorts and socks instead of buying a complete second kit right away. |
| Established club | A home kit, goalkeeper kit and training wear will usually form the core collection. Add a full away kit if your league regularly requires an alternative or your home colours frequently clash with opponents. |
| Multi-age-group club | Consider a consistent home and goalkeeper design across age groups, with training wear that can work for the whole club. Consider an away option when fixtures require it, and plan your sizing carefully while allowing for replacements as younger players grow. |
No single combination suits every football club, so prioritise the kit your players will actually use rather than spending budget on extra options simply because they’re available.
Does Your Football Club Need a New Home Kit?
For most clubs, the home kit is the natural place to start. It’s the kit most strongly associated with the club, so it needs to represent your identity while giving players something they’re proud to wear. A well-designed home kit can also make a new season even more exciting, particularly when you have new players joining the squad.
Before choosing a completely new design though, think about how long you want it to last. If you have several age groups or teams, it can help to create a design that works across the whole club rather than one that suits only a particular squad. This can also make future replacements easier, particularly when younger players outgrow their kit.
When Does Your Club Need an Away Kit?
An away kit is useful when your home colours clash with the opposition, but that doesn't necessarily mean every club needs to buy a completely separate set of shirts, shorts, and socks. If budget is a concern, you can create a more practical alternative.
For example, your club might use a different pair of shorts and socks with the home shirt, or order an alternative away shirt instead of a complete second kit. In some situations, bibs can also be a simple option for training or less formal fixtures.
The right approach depends on your league requirements, how often colour clashes occur, and how much kit your club actually needs. If you choose a full away kit, it doesn't have to look completely unrelated to your home design either. You can carry across your club badge, sponsor logos, key colours or other details to make both kits feel like part of the same club.
Why Invest in a Custom Football Training Kit?
Training wear is often used more than match kits, so it's worth including in your wider teamwear collection. A good custom football training kit can help players feel like part of the same squad while giving them comfortable clothing for regular sessions. It can also give your club a more consistent appearance when teams are training, travelling or attending events.
Think about how your players actually train before deciding what to order. A club that trains several times a week might get much more value from durable training tops, shorts and jackets than one that only has occasional sessions.
Training wear can also complement your match kit. Using the same club colours, badge and branding creates a recognisable identity without making every item look identical.
How Should Clubs Prioritise Their Teamwear Budget?
Every football club has different priorities, so no single kit combination works for every team. A new club might decide that a home kit is the most important investment, while an established club might already have a suitable home kit and want to add a new away option or custom sports kit for training.
Your squad size is important too. A larger club with several teams might need more sizes and more replacement items, while a club with frequent training sessions can get more value from investing in training wear. Not to mention, consider how you handle occasional kit problems without buying an entire second collection. Changing shorts or socks, ordering an alternative shirt, or using bibs can sometimes be a more affordable way to deal with colour clashes.
The aim isn’t to have several different football shirts and a large selection of options for the sake of it. It’s to have the right kit for how your club actually plays, trains, and travels.
Keeping Your Football Kit Designs Consistent Across Every Range
Your home kit, away kit, and training wear don't need to look exactly the same, but they should feel like they belong to the same club. There are a few ways to maintain a consistent identity:
- Using the same badge placement
- Keeping sponsor branding consistent
- Using the same colours or recurring design elements
This gives you more freedom to create different looks while maintaining a recognisable club identity, and it’s particularly useful if you have several teams or age groups. A consistent approach means that even when designs vary, players still look like they are part of the same club whether they’re playing matches, training or representing the team elsewhere.
If you want to create several different items around one overall design identity, our online kit designer can help you start bringing those ideas together.
Planning Your Teamwear Around the Football Season
Good timing can make ordering much easier, particularly when you’re buying for a whole squad. Start by working backwards from your first fixtures. Consider your league start date, pre-season schedule, tournaments and when new players are likely to join. Also think about when you might need replacement items during the season.
Lead times and minimum order requirements are key here. Make sure you understand how long your kit will take to produce and whether there’s a minimum quantity before ordering. Giving yourself some extra time is particularly useful if you need to collect sizes, confirm player names, or get approval from other committee members.
Youth teams need a bit more planning. Children and teenagers can grow a lot during a season, so only ordering the sizes needed at the start can leave you needing replacements sooner than expected. It can be sensible to plan ahead, track which sizes are being ordered, and find out how straightforward it will be to order additional items later.
Christmas can also be a good time to review what your club needs. Rather than waiting until the next full kit refresh, you could use the opportunity to add training tops for winter sessions, club jackets and warmer layers, or personalised items as gifts for players and coaches. Planning these smaller additions around the season can make your overall budget easier to manage.
Create Your Football Team Kits With My Club Group
Choosing the right combination of home, away, training, and goalkeeper kits ultimately comes down to what works for your club. You might need all of them, or decide to build your collection gradually as your squad grows. The key is to consider how your players use their kit, what your competitions require, and your budget. With a consistent approach to colours and branding, you can create a collection that represents your club across matchdays, training sessions and everything in between.
At My Club Group, we help clubs create teamwear built around their identity, from matchday football team kits through to training wear and other personalised items. We can help you design a complete look that your players are proud to wear throughout the season.
Ready to create your club’s next teamwear collection? Explore our custom football kits and find out how we can help design your squad’s complete look.
