DUBLIN JERSEYS COULD be used to help people in need worldwide if a charity initiative proposed by Andy Kettle gets off the ground.
The Dublin County Board chairman has suggested that old Dubs jerseys could be swapped by fans in order to get money off the All-Ireland football champions’ new kit, which was launched yesterday.
Kettle would then like to see the old tops donated to a world charity and used to help needy people around the globe.
“Hopefully, we will look at something in the new year where there is a sort of semi-amnesty for want of a better word whereby you can exchange your old jersey for new,” he explained. “I would see that with possibly tying up with a world charity or something like that. The old jerseys could go to a needy cause somewhere. It’s something that we’re looking at.
“It all depends on costings. It depends on retailers so there are a couple of things.”
Dublin unveiled their new kit for the 2014 season earlier this week and it is their third jersey change inside four years. Kettle insists that the Boys in Blue aren’t trying to hit cash-strapped fans in the pocket and says that the latest jersey change was caused by a change-over of sponsors.
Vodafone were Dublin’s title backers this year and were expected to see out the final season of their five-year deal in 2014. However, they decided to end the contract early and insurance giants AIG have taken over as sponsors of Dublin hurling, football, ladies football and camogie teams across all grades.
“If we had of known that Vodafone were just going to go for a fourth year we certainly wouldn’t have changed jersey last year,” he said.
Kettle also revealed that he had the final say in the colour of the new jersey, which is slightly darker than the sky blue worn by the Dubs in recent years.
“I have to put my hand up here – it was my choice,” he admitted. “I felt the blue in the jersey was getting washed and washed and it was becoming very close to a white jersey.
“I think this is more back to the Dublin style.”