FMFC’s first kit of 2023 is now available for purchase
MADISON, WI: Forward Madison has released the 2023 Away Kit, the Smoky Sunset Kit, ahead of the club’s fifth season. For the fourth consecutive season, the Club’s away kit has been designed by the Flock, the Club’s Independent Supporters Group. The kit is available now both in-person at the Flamboyance Team Store inside of Breese Stevens Field, or online. $5 from every kit sold will be donated to the Flock Soccer Foundation, who work to make soccer more accessible for youth in the Madison community.
The Smoky Sunset Kit designed by members of The Flock, featuring pink, blue, and violet pastel colors that represent a sunset over historic Breese Stevens Field and the smoke that rises from the Flock End after a Forward Madison goal.
“I think it resonated right away, it’s why I liked it,” Flock designer Andrew Schmidt said. “I was like, oh, yeah, that absolutely reminds me of match days.”
The kit also has a navy blue and pink collar and sleeve caps that accentuate the overall design.
“It was about coming up with something, some characteristic, that the team can take with them on the road that reminds them of Madison, of Breese,” Flock designer Mark Crosby said. “That’s what really led us down the path of looking at sunsets and thinking about that color scheme.”
The Smoky Sunset Kit continues the tradition of supporters designing Forward Madison’s Away Kit every season.
“It’s important for the Club to continue to be led by the supporters and the community,” Forward Madison Chief Operating Officer and Owner Conor Caloia said. “Through the design, you can see how much effort and passion is poured into this kit. Our players know about the story of the kit and bring it to life with every away match they play.”
For the Flock designers, it’s something to look forward to every season.
“It’s just an amazing opportunity to work for your local club, and have them wear it on the field,” Crosby said. “There’s no other team that I support that I really feel as part of, and this is just a small piece of that.”
For the designers, much like the overall supporter group, it’s all about impacting the community that surrounds them both now and for future generations of soccer players.
“We’ve put our boots on the ground from day one to make sure that we’re established inside the community first and foremost,” Flock Vice President and designer Chris Fox said. “This is a continuation of reaching the community using the beautiful game to help people as we should. It’s always going to make an impact, especially for the youth inside Madison through the Flock Soccer Foundation’s work with Millennium Soccer Club, Cap East, and other organizations.”
The first time Forward Madison will wear the Smoky Sunset Kit will be Sunday, March 26th at 2pm CT when the club travels to Omaha, Nebraska to face off with rivals Union Omaha in the USL League One season opener. The Flamingos open their home regular season against Greenville Triumph on Saturday, April 15th at 6pm CT.