Aston Villa women are due to wear a controversial kit against Manchester United in the Women’s Super League this weekend.
The top flight of English women’s football returns on Sunday, with Carla Ward’s Villains opening their 2023/24 campaign against Marc Skinner’s team at Villa Park.
Excitingly, the game is set to be televised on BBC2 on Sunday, October 1. However, the forthcoming WSL match is currently being overshadowed by the prospect of the home team being forced to wear a clingy ‘wet look’ shirt.
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For the second season running, British sports brand Castore has created a home, away and third kit for the Claret and Blue.
However, many Premier League players have reportedly already complained to the club to say that the shirts retain sweat - specifically the new home strip.
Unfortunately, as Villa women do not have their own separate strip, it means they could be forced to wear the controversial home shirt this weekend.
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English football commentator Jacqui Oatley has claimed that wearing the kit is going to be a ‘big problem’.
Speaking to Newsbeat ahead of the WSL season, the broadcaster said: “They've got four TV games coming up.
“Normally they'd absolutely relish those games and look forward to them. But they're actually dreading it because they're really conscious about how they're going to look in this wet, clingy kit - for obvious reasons.”
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It’s thought that Villa women have already worn the not-so-sweat-wicking shirt for pre-season friendlies against Villarreal and Chelsea.
Oatley herself has claimed that Ward’s side ‘absolutely hated’ playing their football in the new Castore kits.
"You can imagine, as a female athlete, you have plenty enough to think about just being the best you can be on the football field without thinking about getting sweaty and your kit clinging to you, both from a performance aspect as it is with the men but also from an aesthetic aspect.
"And, as we know, women are different specimens when it comes to our bodies and it can really affect us and how we perform if we're constantly thinking about how we look, or a top might be clinging to our breasts and also our body shapes.”
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The Wolverhampton-born commentator continued to say that somebody from Castore should have ‘thought through’ before releasing the kit ahead of the Premier League and WSL seasons.
"But it seems perhaps that wasn't the case, because they didn't think about it for the men so I'm quite sure they won't have thought about it for the women.”
It’s claimed that the club have previously highlighted their concerns to the sportswear company on behalf of both the men’s and women’s teams.
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BBC reported that Villa is working closely with the company and has asked it to come up with a solution which will benefit both teams as soon as possible.
Aston Villa women will face the Red Devils on Sunday, 1 October at 12:30, before playing away games against Liverpool at Prenton Park on Sunday, 8 October and Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, 15 October.
Ella Scott