Brentford bring back two-year home shirt as clubs face pressure over kit costs

Brentford have launched a home shirt that will be worn throughout the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons, restoring their two-year kit cycle after a one-season centenary design.The Premier League club have worked with technical partner Joma on the new shirt, which is being promoted through the campaign “Always Twogether”.Brentford previously said: “Our intention is to return to a two-year cycle to keep our kits affordable and sustainable, subject to partnership agreements.”The policy reduces the frequency with which supporters are asked to purchase replacement home shirts and gives the same design a longer lifespan across matchdays, retail and club content.Brentford were among the first Premier League clubs to move away from annual home kit releases, initially retaining their 2021/22 shirt for a second campaign.The approach provided a point of differentiation in a market where clubs and manufacturers have increasingly expanded the number of new home, away, third and special-edition shirts released each season.Brentford temporarily returned to a one-season cycle in 2025/26 to mark 100 years since the club adopted their red-and-white stripes.That shirt also represented the first design produced under Brentford’s partnership with Joma, which replaced Umbro as the club’s technical supplier.The new 2026/28 design resumes the longer cycle while maintaining the traditional striped identity associated with the west London club.A two-season shirt can limit immediate retail sales opportunities, but it also strengthens Brentford’s positioning around supporter affordability and responsible consumption.The policy gives fans greater value from each purchase while reducing the volume of replica products that become outdated after a single campaign.It can also extend the commercial life of partner branding carried on the shirt, although longer cycles require clubs to align sponsorship agreements with kit planning.Brentford’s decision arrives as football shirt prices and the growing volume of annual releases face greater scrutiny from supporters and consumer groups.The club have sought to balance those concerns with the revenue value of merchandise by maintaining a regular range of away and alternative products alongside the longer home cycle.