A SADDLEWORTH-BASED football team has again linked up with the world of music by having a famous band sponsor its away kit.
Uppermill FC attracted interest when Oldham’s Inspiral Carpets adorned its shirt for the 2025/26 season.
Now as it rises into the non-league pyramid after being accepted into the North West Counties League, it has teamed up with Liverpool band China Crisis.
The act that scored a string of successful singles and albums in the 1980s has lent Uppermill its logos and imagery so the club can create yet another intriguing collection of football kits and shirts for the 2026/27 campaign.
And fans are snapping it up as the band still actively tours.
The idea for this latest sporting and musical collaboration came from Uppermill FC’s chief executive, Steve Southern, who, by his own admission, maybe has too much time on his hands to come up with ideas like this.
He said: “The link up with The Inspiral Carpets last season seemed to strike a chord with people from near and far, and a large number of people tapped into the fun of the moment by buying shirts either from the football club or at gigs.
“It got me thinking whether we could try the same thing again.
“China Crisis has always been a band I really liked, so I chanced it by emailing them to see if they would think about lending us their logos and imagery for a new kit design for the club.
“The band replied almost instantly and said they loved the idea!
“I then contacted our kit designers and suppliers, Hope and Glory, and they wasted no time in coming up with a couple of initial designs.
“We shared the designs with the 8,000 strong China Crisis Appreciation Society on social media and the feedback we got was overwhelmingly positive – it enabled us to improve the design even further.
“We now have an agreed design. The burgundy-coloured shirt will become the away kit for our first team next season.
“We have also produced a ‘Flaunt the Imperfection’ blue alternative colour, named after the band’s gold disc-selling album of the same name.
“At the band’s request, we have a lilac-coloured shirt, which is their current colour scheme to celebrate their very long period in the music business.”
“We would like to thank China Crisis for their open mindedness to work with us on this project, and thanks, as ever, to the creativity and patience of Hope and Glory in coming up with a really excellent design.”
A pre-order system for fans of Uppermill FC and China Crisis is up and running until June 21.
It can be found at: https://store.hopeandglorysportswear.co.uk/product-category/uppermill-fc/china-crisis.
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