Kits are significant parts of the football culture, with fans keenly identifying with them for various reasons.
Fashion apart, football jerseys mean a lot to supporters of clubs and national teams, with the colours key identifiers.
Orange Football Teams
Few sides don the orange jersey, but some of the biggest clubs across the globe are parts of the teams that play in orange kits.
- Blackpool play in tangerine – a tone of orange – shirts and white shorts, with their socks combining both colours.
- Brisbane Roar play in orange shirts – with black diagonal shoulders with a thin, white line under the black – black shorts and orange with black banded socks.
- Dundee United rock tangerine shirts, black shorts and tangerine with black banded socks.
- Houston Dynamo don all-orange kits, with black designs on the necks, arms and sides of the jerseys.
- Hull City play in black and amber (yellow and orange) striped shirts, black shorts and black and amber socks.
- Istanbul Basaksehir FK play in orange shirts and socks, accompanied by navy blue shorts.
- Lorient wear orange shirts, with a diamond checker pattern with a subtle wave pattern applied, black shorts and white socks.
- Luton Town play in orange shirts, with white and blue on the trims, blue shorts and orange socks.
- Montpellier play in predominant navy and less conspicuous orange shirts and socks, accompanied by navy blue shorts.
- Shakhtar Donetsk rock orange shirts and socks with thin stripes, with black shorts to match.
On the international scene, only two popular countries are among the football teams that play in orange kits
- Ivory Coast play in all-orange kits, with a touch of green on the shoulders.
- Netherlands rock bright orange shirts, shorts and socks, with black designs on them.
Football Clubs with Orange Kits
Blackpool
Blackpool were founded in 1887 and have won one major trophy – the FA Cup in 1953.
They have worn orange kits since the beginning of the 1923-24 campaign following a recommendation from referee Albert Hargreaves, who had officiated a game between the Netherlands and Belgium and loved the Dutch side’s colours.
Blackpool are based in Lancashire, England, and also called the Seasiders, the ‘Pool and the Tangerines, with the 16,616-seat Bloomfield Road their home ground.
They are currently owned by British businessman Simon Sadler.
Brisbane Roar
Brisbane Roar were founded in 1957 as Hollandia F.C, changing names to Queensland Roar before adopting their current name ahead of the 2008-09 season.
They have won 17 trophies and have worn orange kits since they were founded.
Brisbane Roar play in the 11,500-seat Moreton Daily Stadium and are owned by Indonesian conglomerate Bakrie Group.
The Queensland, Australia-based outfit have won seven Brisbane Premier League titles, five Brisbane Premier League finals, two A-League Men Premiership, three A-League Men Championship and one National Soccer League Cup.
They are nicknamed The Roar.
Dundee United
Dundee United were founded in 1909 as Dundee Hibernian, switching to their current name in 1923.
The Dundee, Scotland-based side have won five major trophies and have worn orange kits since 1967, with Mark Ogren their current owner.
They are often referred to as the Terrors and the Tangerines, playing their home games in the 14,223-capacity Tannadice Park.
Dundee United have won one Scottish league title, two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups.
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo were founded in 2005 and have won three major trophies.
They have worn orange kits since they were founded and are nicknamed Orange Crush and El Naranja.
The Dynamo play in the 22,000-seat PNC Stadium and are currently owned by financial pundit and investor Ted Segal.
The Houston-based team have won two MLS Cups and one U.S. Open Cup.
Hull City
Hull City were founded in 1904 and are without any major trophies.
They have worn orange kits since inception, playing their home games at the 25,586-capacity MKM Stadium.
The East Riding of Yorkshire-based outfit are popularly called the Tigers and are currently owned by Turkish media company Acun Medya.
Istanbul Basaksehir FK
İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü were founded in 1990 as Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyespor before adopting their current name in 2014.
They have won one major trophy and have worn orange kits since they were founded, playing their home games at the 17,319-seat Fatih Terim Stadium.
Also known as Boz Baykuşlar (The Grey Owls) and Turuncu Lacivertliler (The Orange-Navy Blues), they have Göksel Gümüşdağ as president and they count one Turkish Süper Lig title as one of their accomplishments.
Lorient
Lorient were founded in 1926 and have one major trophy.
They have worn orange kits since inception and are also called Les Merlus (The Merlucciidaes), Le FCL and Les tangos et noirs (The dark orange and black).
The Brittany-based club have one Coupe de France (French Cup) to their name and are owned by Loïc Fery.
Lorient play their home games at the 18,890-capacity Stade du Moustoir.
Luton Town
Luton Town were founded in 1885 and have won one major trophy – the Football League Cup in 1988.
They have worn orange kits since 1973 and are owned by themselves (Luton Town Football Club 2020 Ltd).
The Bedfordshire, England-based outfit play their home games at the 10,356-seat Kenilworth Road and are also called the Hatters.
Montpellier
Montpellier were founded in 1919 as Stade Olympique Montpellierain before changing to their current name in 1989.
The Occitanie-based side have won four major trophies and have worn orange kits since they were founded.
They are owned by Laurent Nicollin, with the 32,900-seat Stade de la Mosson their home ground.
Montpellier are also known as La Paillade, with a Ligue 1 title, two Coupe de France and a Coupe de la Ligue to their name.
Shakhtar Donetsk
Shakhtar Donetsk were founded in 1936 and have won 36 major trophies.
They have worn orange kits since 1961 and are also referred to as Hirnyky (Miners) and Kroty (Moles).
The Donetsk-based outfit are owned by Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov and are currently playing their home games in the 70,050-seat NSC Olimpiyskiy in Kyiv after they temporarily moved from the Donbass Arena due to war in the Donbas region.
Shakhtar Donetsk have won 13 Ukrainian Premier League titles, 13 Ukrainian Cups, nine Ukrainian Super Cups and one UEFA Cup.
National teams that play in orange kits
Ivory Coast
The Ivory Coast national football team were founded in 1960 and have won two major trophies.
They have worn orange kits since they were founded and are also referred to as Les Elephants (The Elephants), with two Africa Cup of Nations titles under their belt.
Netherlands
The Netherlands national football team were founded in 1905 and have won one major trophy.
They have worn orange kits since they were founded and are nicknamed Oranje, Holland, Clockwork Orange and the Flying Dutchmen.
The UEFA European Championship in 1988 is their only major silverware.
One for the nostalgia lovers – here’s Dennis Bergkamp’s amazing goal against Argentina in the 1998 world cup wearing the famous orange kit:
Other football teams that play in orange kits
Other teams that play in orange kits include:
- Aalesunds FK
- Albirex Niigata
- Atletico Minero
- Bargh Shiraz
- Barnet
- Chepo
- Cobreloa
- Envigado
- Felda United
- Litex Lovech
- Omiya Ardija
- Orange County SC
- Puntarenas FC
- Saipa FC
- Sanat Mes Kerman
- Shandong Taishan
- Shimizu S-Pulse
- Umm-Salal
- Ural Yekaterinburg
- Wuhan Optics Valley