Adidas recently unveiled the special edition Manchester United x Stone Roses collection, bringing together Manchester’s most decorated football club with one of the city’s most revered musical icons.
As the walk-out music for games at Old Trafford since the early 2000s, the song, This is The One, has become synonymous with match days at the Theatre of Dreams. The song first featured on the self-titled 1989 album The Stone Roses, and thenew adidas collection takes its eye-catching design from the record’s unforgettable cover art.
The hero of the collection is the Manchester United x Stone Roses Originals Icon Jersey, which blends the bold, unmistakable backdrop of guitarist John Squire’s artwork with a timeless Originals look. Several other details on the jersey are drawn directly from the album cover, from the red, white and blue of the adidas three stripes on the sleeve, to the gold lettering of ‘The Stone Roses’ on the inside of the collar. The Manchester United crest is also adapted to include the words ‘This is the One’ on the lower segment and two lemon slices in place of footballs on either side. The look is complete with the signature adidas Trefoil in red.
The lifestyle side of the collection also features a black tracksuit and black shorts, both adorned with the red, white and blue three stripes, the adapted Manchester United badge and the famous Stone Roses lemons. With a long-sleeve t-shirt, scarf and, of course, bucket hat completing the collection, fans have everything they need to show their passion for music and football off the pitch.
The collection comes to life on-pitch with a pre-match jersey and reversible anthem jacket. The jersey features a grayscale version of the Stone Roses album artwork, with the adidas performance logo, Manchester United badge and official sponsor all in striking gold to match the lettering featured on The Stone Roses’ first album cover.
Fans will get a first glimpse of the collection on pitch when it is worn by the Manchester United men’s team players before they face Aston Villa away on February 10th , and by the women’s team away at Southampton on February 11th.
Inigo Turner, Design Director at adidas, said “For many fans that remember watching the famous class of ‘92, The Stone Roses music is probably the soundtrack playing in their heads. Both the team and the band represented global youth movements that had Manchester at their heart. We’re excited to celebrate that relationship through this collection, which represents the beautiful fusion of Northern England football and musical culture.”
James Holroyd, Chief Commercial Development Officer, Manchester United said, “The Stone Roses is a band that is deeply knitted into the unique Manchester United fan culture both locally and globally. This collection is the perfect way to recognise our joint histories in a way that connects with both older fans and the new generation of supporters.”
To mark the launch, some of the current players from the men’s and women’s teams appear in a series of iconic photos, inspired by legendary portraits of the Stone Roses. adidas has also released a short film, titled Roses are Red, featuring players and legends showcasing the collection alongside a cast of United’s fanbase and backbone. Some of the names appearing in the video include Gary Neville, Wes Brown and Liam Fray.
To further celebrate Manchester’s musical connections and its current music scene, adidas and Manchester United are teaming up with NTS for a live radio broadcast from the club’s dressing room on February 20th.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Manchester United x Stone Roses collection recently launched and is available to purchase from Manchester United stores, via selected adidas retail stores and adidas.co.za.
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