A new football kit is more than just something your squad wears on matchday. It represents your club colours, your badge, your sponsors and the identity your squad carries onto the pitch.
For many clubs, the first step is easy: having an idea. The challenge is turning that idea into a finished kit that every player can wear.
There are designs to develop, artwork to check, names and numbers to confirm and final decisions to make, all before production can begin. Some clubs move through these stages in a matter of days. Others need weeks to get feedback and approve every detail.
The important thing to understand is that the design and manufacturing stages have separate timelines. At My Club Group, the 5-6 week production and delivery period only begins once your final artwork has been approved and full payment has been made. Any time spent gathering logos, reviewing concepts or making changes comes before that.
Knowing what happens at each stage of the process helps you prepare properly, avoid delays and enjoy the process of creating a kit your squad will be proud to wear.
How Long Does the Custom Football Kit Design Stage Take?
The design stage can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
There isn’t a standard timeframe because every club approaches the process differently. A team that already knows its preferred style, club colours and sponsor positions might approve its final design much more quickly. A club involving several committee members, coaches and sponsors may need more time and revisions before they reach a final decision.
This stage turns initial ideas into a finished kit concept ready for production. It usually involves:
- Creating the first design concept
- Choosing colours, patterns and the overall style
- Adding club badges and sponsor logos
- Positioning player names and numbers
- Reviewing the artwork
- Making revisions
- Approving the final design
Changes are a normal part of making your own football kit. The first concept shows how your ideas could work in practice, while revisions help turn them into a design that feels right for the club. However, each round of feedback adds time. If different people have different thoughts or conflicting requests, the process can quickly slow down.
Going into the project with a clear idea of what you want will help. You don’t need a finished design, but agreeing on your colours, general style and essential details gives the design team a much stronger starting point.
Turning Your Kit Ideas Into a Design
Every custom football kit starts with your club’s vision. You might already have a clear idea in mind, right down to the pattern and collar style. Or, you might simply know that you want to modernise your traditional colours. Both are good places to begin.
Before you approach a supplier, think about the main elements of the design:
- Existing club colours
- Position of your badge
- Sponsor logos and agreed placement
- Preferred patterns or styles
- Home, away and goalkeeper kit requirements
- Any club traditions you want to keep
You don’t need a finished design ready, and a good football kit manufacturer should take your ideas and develop them into something practical, distinctive and ready for production.
Online kit builders can be useful for exploring colour combinations and comparing different ideas before making a decision. Clubs can choose colours, add badges, sponsor logos and player numbers during the design process before approving the final artwork. But some teams prefer to work directly with a designer, especially when they want something more unique; just remember this can take a little bit longer
"Designs that go to our design team can take up to 72 hours to be returned.” - James, our Sales Manager
Whichever route you choose, the aim is the same: to create a design that looks like it belongs to your club.
Preparing Club Information Before Ordering
Having the right information ready early can save a lot of time later. Before your order can move into production, a supplier will need accurate club artwork, sponsor details and player information. Missing files or last-minute changes can hold up the order, so it helps to gather everything in advance.
Club Badge and Artwork
Find the best-quality version of your club badge. Small images copied from social media or a website can become blurry when enlarged, while high-quality artwork will keep the colours, text and finer details clear. Your supplier can advise which file formats they accept and whether the artwork needs improving before it can be added to the kit.
Sponsor Logos
Ask each sponsor for its current, approved logo and check the company name and colours are correct. Some sponsors might also have rules around how their branding should appear or may need to approve the final placement. This stage can take time, especially when several sponsors are involved, so it’s worth requesting the artwork and approval early.
Player Information
Collect player names, shirt numbers and garment sizes before the order is finalised. You might also need to confirm goalkeeper requirements, coaching or staff kit and the quantity of each item. Check spellings carefully and make sure shirt numbers haven’t been duplicated. Setting a clear deadline for squad information can also help prevent late changes from delaying the order.
Appointing One Person to Approve the Design
Creating a new kit often involves input from committee members, coaches, sponsors, players and parents. Their input can be useful, but too many separate decision-makers can make approval harder and slow things down.
Instead, it’s recommended that you appoint one main contact who can:
- Gather feedback from everyone involved
- Combine comments into one clear response
- Confirm club decisions
- Communicate with the kit supplier
- Approve the final artwork
This doesn’t mean one person chooses everything, and they can still involve the whole club in the process. Their role is just to organise the feedback and make any revisions easier to understand. This prevents the project from getting stuck and helps reach a final design sooner.
Checking Every Detail Before Production
Final approval is one of the most important stages in the process. This is your opportunity to review the final design and make sure every detail is correct before manufacturing begins. Clubs should check:
- Colours and patterns
- Badge size and placement
- Sponsor logos
- Player names and numbers
- Garment sizes
- Quantity of each item
- Home, away and goalkeeper designs
- Any matching shorts, socks or training wear
Look at the whole kit rather than checking each detail by itself. For example, a sponsor logo might be correct, but needs moving to create more space around the player number.
This final approval can take time, and clubs should allow for that. Waiting for committee meetings, sponsor responses, or final player information can add days or weeks before production starts. This is why preparation is so important.
Once the artwork is approved, changes also become more difficult. Manufacturing begins based on the confirmed design, so any late amendments can interrupt production or require parts of the order to start again. Take the time to get it right before giving the final go-ahead.
How Long Does Production and Delivery Take?
Once your final artwork has been approved and full payment has been received, the kit can move into production.
At My Club Group, manufacturing and delivery take around 5–6 weeks from this point. The timeline doesn’t begin when you receive the first design concept. It starts only when every detail has been confirmed, the final artwork has been approved, and payment has been made.
Production includes several stages behind the scenes:
- Preparing the approved artwork for manufacturing
- Producing the kit in the correct sizes
- Printing the colours, badge and details into the fabric
- Completing quality checks
- Packing the finished order
- Preparing it for delivery
Remember, any delays during the design and approval stages can affect the final delivery date. If your club spends 3 weeks approving the artwork, those 3 weeks come before the 5–6 week production timeline.
Got a firm deadline? Raise it at the beginning. A clear target gives everyone the best chance to organise design feedback, approvals and payment in good time.
How Clubs Can Make the Process Faster and Easier
The best way to keep your football teamwear order moving is to prepare as much as possible before the first design is created. You don’t need to have every detail worked out, but a few early decisions can save a great deal of time later.
Before starting your order:
✓ Decide on your main club colours
✓ Gather examples of patterns or styles you like
✓ Find the best-quality version of your badge
✓ Request approved logos from each sponsor
✓ Agree who will collect and communicate feedback
✓ Confirm who approves the design
✓ Start collecting player sizes and numbers
✓ Set deadlines for internal decisions
✓ Allow time for design changes
Preparation doesn’t take the creativity out of the process. It gives your club more freedom to enjoy it because the practical details are already under control.
Creating Your Own Football Kit With My Club Group
Creating a bespoke kit has several stages, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. My Club Group supports clubs from the first idea through to final delivery. You can choose your colours, add your badge and sponsor logos, include player names and numbers and review the complete design before anything is made.
Whether you’re organising kit for a five-a-side team or a much larger squad, the aim is to make creating custom sportswear straightforward. Prepare your information, keep communication organised and allow enough time for artwork and approvals.
Once you approve the final design and pay in full, your 5–6 week production and delivery timeline begins. When it arrives, your squad can pull on a kit that feels unmistakably theirs. Designed by your club. Built by ours.
Ready to create a football kit your squad will be proud to wear? Explore My Club Group’s custom football kits and start bringing your ideas to life.
