The new SSE Airtricity League of Ireland season has begun and while the destination of silverware is a long-time away, we already have some winners and loser in the style stakes. Ciaran Fisher casts his eye over the new jerseys on offer for the 2016 season.

DUNDALK (CX+)

Dundalk have moved away from six years of Umbro clobber to partner up with CX+ Sports. The budding sports brand is part of the internationally renowned Horseware stable.

Commendably, CX+ have looked to the club’s past for inspiration for their bespoke kits. The home jersey contains a black stripe as an ode to the last kit worn by a league and cup double winning team.

The away kit is a sharp black and gold number that harks back to Dundalk’s roots as the Great Northern Brewery footballing side. Fyffes’ colours and club’s crest have been adjusted to compliment the jersey. 

CORK CITY (Nike)

Last year, Cork and Bray both thought they were onto winners with swish green Nike kits but then ended up with nearly identical kits, awkward!

This season, Cork have a pleasant new Nike away strip that continues to resonate with their county colours. Even if it is another paint-by-number generic kit, it is a huge improvement on the tie-dye look sported last season. The green home jersey stays. 

SHAMROCK ROVERS (New Balance)

Tradition dictates that the Hoops’ home jersey was going to be fairly predictable. New Balance haven’t changed a whole pile here, but the varying size hoops is an attempt to change it up -although I’m not convinced it’s for the better.

Their away jersey brings together the black and gold that has featured on previous away jerseys quite nicely even if the crest isn’t as well integrated as could be. It certainly won’t be featuring on the same pitch as the similar Lilywhite offering. 

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC (Umbro)

This year’s home jersey has skimmed down on the white adorned by recent Saints’ jerseys. Only for the Clune sponsorship and strips of white, you might be forgiven for associating it with a Tolka based club. That said, red dominated Pats’ jerseys are not uncommon if you go back through the archives of jerseys past.

BOHEMIAN FC (Hummel)

Last year Bohemians took to the streets of Dublin to model the Hummel offering of their iconic colours. This year, fans may well take to the streets to protest the atrocious away shirt. Grey and snot green and an overbearing sponsorship makes it a bit of an ugly duckling. The home jersey stays the same as last year’s, thank goodness.

LONGFORD TOWN (Legea)

The Longford kit is red with chunky vertical stripes and a black collar. A little uninspiring. Longford fans won’t mind though as the colours are loud and proud.

DERRY CITY (Hummel)

This Candystripe offering from Hummel is neat. The Hummel arrows on the shoulder are a new addition and give it a pleasing symmetry.

The green and navy of the away jersey works better than it sounds and is up there with the Bray away kit for those who want to stand out at 5-a-side.

BRAY WANDERERS (Nike)

If someone wears the same gown to the ballroom dance as you it can be very embarrassing. Bray have respectfully ditched their Cork City jersey and have gone for a promising Dark kit that breaks from the usual green and white. Nice.

The away kit will remain the outlandish yellow and blue albeit with a change of sponsorship.

SLIGO ROVERS (Joma)

Sligo’s home red Joma jersey is a nice plain tailored design. Certainly an improvement on the vertical stripes that adorned the jerseys last season which, to be frank, looked uncannily like a Derry City jersey.

Still, one can’t help but wonder if Pats and The Bit O’ Red have some sort of jersey exchange programme going on this year? The white away kit scrubs up much better than last year’s effort too. And if you don’t like either of those, there’s even a third kit.

GALWAY UNITED (Uhlsport)

There’s always room for a team sporting maroon. Galway United fill that void with a stylish classic home jersey from Ulhsport.

The home jersey is distinctive and a throwback to their 1991 jersey. The away is a fresh white. Both are nice but if white could pale, the away jersey pales in comparison to the home kit. There’s something really satisfying about a jersey that gets a club’s home colours on point.

FINN HARPS (Legea)

This jersey has a simple retro feel to it. Jerseys like that have their fans out there.

For this writer it’s a bit too shiny and the big collar makes it look like an old fashioned GAA jersey. Besides, there was an opening for a team in blue this year too.

WEXFORD YOUTHS (Bodibro)

The last team to secure a place in the SSE Airtricity Premier League was Wexford Youths. They arrive on the scene with some quirky and unique jersey. Despite all the pink on the home jersey, it isn’t all that pretty.

There’s a lot going on on the front and it could maybe do without the vanity name on the shoulder too. The horizontal sponsor fades on the away black strip to make it less of an attack on the senses while the ‘keeper’s jersey has a target mark on it which might be a subliminal aid.

A gracious thank-you to the media teams of each clubs above who supplied the images for this article.