A Colour That Never Felt Like Home

It was a cold winter night in Manchester. 

Forty-four-year-old Richard James was filled with excitement, eager to watch his favourite football team Salford City play against their local rivals Oldham Athletic. James had been coming to Salford games since he was 10 years old and the Peninsula Stadium had become something of a second home to him. However, what once felt like a home felt somewhat unfamiliar now. As he got to the stadium and took his seat, he looked around to see red scattered everywhere. 

For James, red never felt like home, orange did.

That feeling, quiet, persistent and deeply emotional, underpins a major shift at Salford City. This year, the club announced that it will return to an orange home kit next season following a fan vote. This decision marks a symbolic return to an identity that many supporters thought they had lost forever.

A Lifelong Supporter 

For lifelong supporter Richard, the announcement carried a special weight.

“The first time I ever saw Salford play was in 1972,” he said. “They were called Salford Amateurs back then. I’ve been a hardcore supporter since 2007, home and away, every single game.”

He vividly remembers the moment the club switched to red in 2014.

“I was not happy at all,” he said, shaking his head. “We all turned up to the meeting in our tangerine shirts because we had an idea the colours were going to change. Gary Neville was in charge, and we were basically told we’re playing in red and white and the badge was changing too.”

The decision split the fanbase.

“Some people said they wouldn’t support the club anymore. For me, you don’t stop supporting a club because the colours change. I didn’t agree with it, but there wasn’t a great deal we could do.”

When asked about the return of the orange kit, Richard said “I’m delighted but I just wish it had never changed in the first place.”

He also added that he was surprised at the level of support for the return.

“People say most of the fans here only know Salford in red and white, so I was shocked so many voted for orange. But maybe that tells its own story.”

The Younger Generation 

For younger supporters like 16 year old Daniel Collins, orange represents something he never experienced directly, yet still understands.

“I’ve only supported Salford for about two years,” he said, “but even I can tell orange just fits the club more. It feels like something that belongs to Salford. You hear all the older fans talking about the old orange kits and you sort of pick up on the history even if you weren’t around for it.”

Daniel believes that the switch is important for the club’s future as well as its past.

“In a place with so many big teams, having something bold makes us stand out,” he said. “If you see orange, you know it’s Salford.”

A local club with a growing identity, that’s what drew Daniel in.

“I heard good things and thought, why not get involved? Supporting a club like Salford feels more personal than supporting a Premier League giant.”

Inside the Decision

Inside the club, the decision reflects more than nostalgia, representing a deliberate shift in branding and identity. Salford’s Head of Creative Andrew Gordon has been central to the process.

“My job is all about the brand and identity of the club,” he said. “One of the main areas I work on is kit design, making sure it reflects Salford and tells stories but is also appealing to fans. Being involved in the return to orange has been incredibly exciting.”

The push, however, did not start in the design office.

“This wasn’t my idea,” Andrew explained. “It came from members of the board, including David Beckham, who has fond memories of Salford playing in orange. His friend Dave Gardner used to play for the club and the kit was orange then. Beckham’s a traditionalist; he believed bringing it back was the right move.”

Gary Neville’s old views make the reversal even more striking.

“Gary once said tangerine didn’t represent Salford,” Richard recalled. “That Salford is a working-class area, and working-class means Labour, and Labour is red. So therefore Salford must be red. Coincidental of course that it matched Manchester United’s colours.”

But times have changed. New investment, new leadership and a renewed emphasis on heritage have reshaped the conversation around identity.

“We’re on the doorstep of two of the world’s biggest football clubs,” Andrew said. “Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, they all have massive histories. This is a crowded neighbourhood. Now is our time to stand up and be different. There’s nothing more bold than a bright orange kit.”

A New Beginning

For Richard, the return feels like a personal victory too.

“That flag up there,” he said, pointing towards the west stand, “has been hanging for years. Staring at Gary Neville every match. Maybe it helped a little.”

And for supporters like him, the change marks a new chapter.

“A new kit, a new badge, a new beginning,” he said. “Something that resonates with more people.”

As he watched Salford kick off under the floodlights that night, wrapped in a scarf faded by years of use, Richard imagined the stadium bathed in orange once again.

“It’s going to feel like Salford,” he said simply. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”