MLS’s juggernauts for the 2022–23 football season, Chelsea Launched New Home Kit For 2022–23 Season on Thursday.
The new uniform was unveiled by the Blues on their website, chelseafc.com, and honors one of their greatest managers, Ted Drake.
Chelsea released the following statement: “We can now reveal the new Nike home kit that will be worn by Chelsea for the entirety of the 2022–23 season. This kit pays homage to Ted Drake, one of the most significant individuals in the club’s history.
Drake joined Chelsea as manager in 1952, and 70 years later, his influence is still felt strongly at Stamford Bridge. This theme is continued by our new home kit, which has several features that pay homage to the ground-breaking changes he made to modernize the team, resulting in one of the most significant turning points in our history.
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“Our new home kit for 2022/23 pays tribute to his work to revolutionize the club off the field, which did much to cement his lasting legacy at Chelsea.
Drake changed the team’s moniker from “the Pensioners” to “the Blues,” feeling that it was more appropriate for the dynamic team he was assembling in west London. Since then, the nickname has persisted, and “the Blues” can be seen in the embroidery on the collar’s buttons of the new shirt.
That collar also alludes to another Drake-made change to the club’s identity that has endured through the years: the addition of the iconic “lion rampant regardant” to the club’s badge, which took the place of the image of a Chelsea Pensioner as its main motif under the legendary Blues manager.
The ‘lion rampant regardant’ is still present and serves as inspiration for the Pride of London in the current badge, which is largely similar to the one that was worn on the team’s shirts for the first time during Drake’s final season at the Bridge in 1960/61.
The heraldic lion is featured again on the Henley neckline in a turquoise pattern, signifying the club’s tenacity and bravery. It’s a small detail with a modern twist that feels just as fresh today as Drake’s original vision did.
