Kitster/Whooey are both right - we've taken advise on the kit and its design to try and avoid any infringement issues, but as I keep stressing we ARE close to the wire with it - there's a risk. The problem is that if we get rid of the risk, we lose the point, so its a risk we have to accept.
Ive tried to mitigate the risk further by getting a bonded uk warehouse set up and dependant upon where the kits are coming from, I may be able to get the load consolidated on the back of some other shipments coming from the Far East - thats better from a shirt perspective, less good for me personally, but again I'll just have to weigh up the risks involved as we get to pushing the button on these shirts.
There are a couple of observations I'd like to make:
It would be great to see this shirt sell 5,000+, but despite the interest I'm not convinced we will, and without that sort of number we aren't going to register in a sea of whoppers wearing their brand spanking, fresh from the club shop official kits - we've got to be realistic. Unless we push this thing as hard as possible, its going to have limited effect. If we could get the numbers up then, great, it will help to bring prices down further - and thats got to be good news.
The Kop - if we can't realistically expect a boycott, they won't let us do mosaics, and we don't expect a sea of black shirts in there for the opening match of the season, then (much as I hate to say it) its got to be scarves for YNWA that'll get the most coverage.
Ive suggested black MOURNING scarves - because that doesn't need any special effort and everyone can get access to them pretty damn cheaply (ie; no cost, no effort = no excuse).
But, Kitsters working on some ideas and we could post those up in a while)
I know about all the Manc feedback and that, but do we really give a sh*t?
Its those fuckers that are public enemy number one at the minute and we can get back and focus on old rivalries and the stuff on the park once we've got rid of the cancer in the club.
The world watches the Kop and the world would get a right shock - ok, it doesn't make them go away, but it does attract attention and then it generates a public interest story. The story leads to the shirt and the boycott of official merchandise - that sort of sh*t starts to trouble sponsors and bankers alike.
Now I know that there's a fair few that will say, but it's a drop in the ocean compared to official merchandise sold around the world and all that, but for all the typing and skyping that goes on and connects with Reds around the world, the publicity generated by black shirts and black (or whatever alternative design) scarves on the Kop and around the ground on the first home game of the season would be massive in comparison.
None of this saves the day, but its visible and it generates interest - and any interest that highlights their mismanagement and keeps the pressure up is good news.
In the meantime, back to the shirts - just keep spreading the word.
Website should be functional as soon as we've got the price sorted, but its going to be a couple of days yet.
Hope you dont mind me post from RAWK mods but its to give insight into the drive behind this
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