In Turin in 1903, a five-year-old football club was having trouble with its jerseys. The pink coloured shirts were fading every time they were washed, so the club asked its players if they had any contact who could supply a new kit that would be able to survive the elements. One of the players, John Savage was English, and had some contacts in Nottingham who could supply a more durable kit.

His friend was a Notts County supporter, so had some of the team’s black and white shirts that he shipped out to his friend in Italy. The club received the shirts and loved them, saying the colours looked aggressive and powerful.
Juventus have worn those black and white stripes ever since, going onto become Italy’s most successful club. 

Back in England, the club who gave Juve their famous striped have not had a different story. The club has been in the lower leagues of football for most of their history, and were relegated from the fourth tier last season. Now they’re in financial difficulty and players and staff have not been paid for two months.

One of the main parts of their financial struggles recently came to light due to the favour they did for Juventus 116 years ago. The club has not been able to pay Puma for their new shirts, so are wearing the kit from last season. When fans learned this news they took to social media in hope that the Italian Giants would return the favour from 1903, and supply Notts County with their new kit. A local politician wrote a letter to Juve and the plan worked.

Juve’s owner Andre Agnelli said he would supply Notts County with new kit. It was a great gesture that shows the gratitude the club has from their humble beginnings. 

Juventus wrote: “Considering the long-lasting relation between the two clubs, Juventus would have gladly assisted in providing new kits for next season.”

Unfortunately, Notts County were unable to accept the offer due to their contract with Puma, while the shirts offered by Juventus were Adidas.

But the gesture from Juventus shows the century-old bond between these two clubs, despite finding themselves on totally different paths as football clubs in 2019. #mmlove