West Brom announced the launch of their new kit recently.
West Brom launched their new home kit for the upcoming season with a social media video that explained the thought process behind this year’s design.
BBC Match of the Day host and former England striker Gary Lineker gave his reaction to the video on his Twitter page, describing the club’s work as “lovely.”
The video itself follows the grandson of legendary Baggies striker Jeff Astle as he dons a West Brom kit bearing his grandfather’s surname and number 9 on the back. The Astle family worked with the club on the new kit’s design and launch, and donations from shirt sales will be made to The Jeff Astle Foundation.
West Brom also announced that The Jeff Astle Foundation would be the club’s official charity partner for the 2023/24 season.
Who was Jeff Astle?
Astle was a striker who spent most of his career at the Hawthorns. He represented the club between 1964 and 1974. During his decade at West Brom he won the FA Cup in 1968 and the League Cup in 1966. He also netted more than 100 goals for the Midlands outfit and made 5 appearances for England in his career.
Astle tragically passed away in 2002. His death was linked to a degenerative brain disease. Noted for his exceptional aerial ability as a player, Astle regularly headed the ball. It was later found that these ‘minor traumas’ had contributed to his failing health in later life. As reported by Sky Sports, Astle was later deemed the ‘first ever British footballer to die as a result of heading a football.’
The Jeff Astle Foundation was set up 2015 with a commitment to raising awareness of sporting-related brain injuries and supporting those affected. West Brom’s new kit bears the foundation’s logo.
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