Bonkers Kit Launch: Portland Bangers Release Massive 6-Piece Kit Collection for Inaugural Season
Apr 23, 2025, by Chris
- Extensive Inaugural Kit Collection: Portland Bangers FC, a new semi-professional team, launched a massive six-piece kit collection for their first season, which is highly unusual for a team at this level.
- Unique Designs and Branding: The collection includes a variety of designs beyond the standard home and away kits, featuring unique elements like a pink sausage mascot, a St. Johns Bridge motif, and a distinctive coral color, reflecting the team's quirky branding.
- Unconventional Launch Strategy: Releasing such a large number of kits at once is an unconventional strategy that offers variety but could challenge establishing clear kit identities.
In a highly unusual move for a new club, especially at the semi-professional level, Portland Bangers FC has unveiled a VERY extensive Inaugural Kit Collection at once. The USL League Two expansion team, owned by the Portland Pickles baseball team and humorously calling themselves "the wurst soccer team in Portland," has partnered with the brand Official League for a surprisingly extensive range.
The collection features not just the standard Home, Away & Third (third is already unusual for US teams) kits, but also includes two "retail" jerseys and a Goalkeeper kit, for a total of six distinct designs.
Portland Bangers Logos
Portland Bangers' crests are as unique as the kits. The Portland Bangers crest features a green roundel containing a white shield inspired by the St. Johns Bridge arches, prominently displaying the team's pink sausage mascot, Saucy T. Sausage. The secondary logo rrecalls those of early US soccer.
Portland Bangers 2025 Kit Collection by Official League
The collection utilizes a core palette of white, dark green, and a distinctive coral shade across various designs, many featuring polo collars.
1. Portland Bangers 2025 Inaugural Home Kit:
Features a white base with thin horizontal hoops in green and pink. It includes a white polo collar with green and pink trim. Featuring the logo of the supplier, "Official League", on the front.
2. Portland Bangers 2025 Inaugural Away Kit:
A dark green base featuring a subtle halftone dot pattern showing Portland’s iconic St. John’s Bridge
3. Portland Bangers 2025 'Bangerang' Third Kit:
A white base dominated by large pink lightning bolt graphics outlined in dark green. Includes a polo collar and contrasting pink sleeves. Sponsored by "Official League".
4. Portland Bangers 2025 'St. John's Blush' Kit:
A predominantly pink/coral shirt with a polo collar. Instead of a sponsor, it features the word "BANGERS" in large white text across the front. Dark green trim appears on the sleeves and side panels.
5. Portland Bangers 2025 'Xtra Sauce' Kit:
A classic hooped design with thick white and dark green horizontal stripes. It features a contrasting pink/coral polo collar.
6. Portland Bangers 2025 Goalkeeper Kit:
Inspired by the famous goalkeeper kits of the 1990s, the Bangers keeper kit has a lightning design in the club's trademark colors.
Unusual Strategy & Design Overlap
Releasing such a large collection simultaneously is highly unconventional. While offering variety, it also presents potential challenges in establishing clear kit identities. The team's quirky branding (named after sausages, "wurst team" tagline) likely plays into this unconventional, perhaps 'more is more', approach to their inaugural kit launch. The kits are priced at $99 USD for most adult versions via the Official League website.
What do you think of Portland Bangers' massive inaugural kit collection? Is it too much, or a fun way to launch a new team? Let us know in the comments.
BG Pathum United 26-27 20th Anniversary Kit Released
Thai League side BG Pathum United have officially released a special 20th anniversary kit for the 26-27 season. Produced by Nike and launched under the club's "Side by Side" campaign, the commemorative shirt celebrates two decades since the team was originally founded in 2006 as Bangkok Glass FC, reviving the historic green color from the club's early years.
The Nike BGPU 26-27 20th anniversary shirt combines a vibrant green base with contrasting black accents on the crew neck collar and sleeve cuffs, flanked by white side panels. It features clean monochrome white applications throughout, including the club crest, the Nike Swoosh, and the front sponsor. Two variations of the jersey are available: the domestic Thai League version featuring Leo branding on the chest, and an AFC Champions League Two version with Singha Corporation and a Thai flag detail on the sleeve.
White shorts and white socks complete the throwback look. The BG Pathum United 26-27 20th anniversary kit is now on sale through the club's official online shop and at the BGPU Mega Store, priced at 999 THB for the standalone jersey. The club has also made a limited "Side by Side" collector's boxset available for 2,000 THB, containing two shirts, two commemorative scarves, and a sticker sheet.
Special Rayados 'Legado 86' Commemorative Kit Released
Mexican side CF Monterrey and Puma have officially unveiled a special commemorative jersey, titled the Jersey Legado 86. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Monterrey's first-ever Liga MX league championship won in the Mexico 1986 tournament, the commemorative shirt made its on-pitch debut during their 26-27 Liga MX match against Cruz Azul.
The shirt's defining characteristic is the substitution of the modern club crest with the classic 1986 retro emblem, which showcases the historic mountain silhouette, vintage football, and classic club lettering. Puma positioned their red cat logo and the retro crest to replicate the arrangement seen on the original 1986 jersey, while modern club partners such as BBVA and Codere are incorporated across the traditional navy and white stripes.
Several bespoke detailing elements complete the design, including a star graphic with the number 86 printed inside the collar and the current Rayados crest positioned on the nape of the neck. Released in a limited run of 1,986 pieces, the collector's item pays homage to one of the most celebrated moments in the club's history.
FC Kaiserslautern 26-27 Special Kit Released
Bundesliga 2 side 1. FC Kaiserslautern have officially unveiled their special 2026-27 'Herz der Pfalz' (Heart of the Palatinate) kit. Made by Castore, the shirt debuted against Eintracht Braunschweig and celebrates the region's wine culture and late-summer wine festivals.
The special shirt features a light beige base with a darker stylized grapevine pattern, while Bordeaux-red details appear on the collar, cuffs and monochrome Castore and FCK logos. The 'Herz der Pfalz' wording is placed on the upper back, with additional lettering inside the collar.
What do you think of the new 1. FC Kaiserslautern 2026-27 special kit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Various Argentine Clubs To Switch Kit Supplier
Following latest reports from Argentine kit expert Marca de Gol, various Argentine clubs are expected to change kit supplier for the upcoming 2027 season.
Notably, four top flight sides could already be on their way to partner with local brand Atomik: Vélez Sársfield, Atlético Talleres, Gimnasia La Plata and Atlético Tucumán. On the other hand, Italian brand Givova are seemingly losing two teams - Gimnasia as mentioned above and Atlético Unión to Fiume Sports.
Which of these supplier change do you look forward the most? Let us know in the comments.
Puma Kit Durability Questioned Again as Julian Ryerson Suffers Ripped Shorts
Borussia Dortmund full-back Julian Ryerson suffered an unusual kit malfunction during BVB's 1-0 Bundesliga victory against VfB Stuttgart. Midway through the second half, the Norwegian international engaged in a physical duel with Stuttgart winger Jamie Leweling. As Leweling fell to the turf, he grabbed hold of Ryerson's shorts, completely tearing the outer seam apart and leaving the fabric hanging loose.
Ryerson initially attempted to carry on playing by knotting the shredded material at his hip. After repeatedly signaling toward the bench that the damaged kit could not hold up, he eventually made his way to the sideline. Second-choice goalkeeper Alexander Meyer rushed over to hand him a fresh pair, resulting in a brief moment where Ryerson was left in his base-layer yellow undershorts before donning the replacement gear and re-entering the pitch.
The incident has brought Puma's kit durability back under scrutiny. The German brand constructs its authentic elite kits using lightweight Ultraweave performance fabric, prioritizing minimal weight and high breathability. However, the delicate material has repeatedly faced criticism among supporters after tearing in high-intensity tussles, with Ryerson's mishap marking another visible tear on the Bundesliga stage this 26-27 season.
