Sarawak United’s official kit for the 2021 Premier League season. – Photo courtesy of Sarawak United FC Official Facebook page
KUCHING (June 30): Sarawak United has chosen black as its home colour, becoming the first team in this year’s Malaysian Super and Premier leagues to play home matches in black shirts.
It may well be the only team to do so in the Malaysian League this season.
According to Sarawak United FC chairman Dato Posa Majais, black was chosen for the team shirt for home matches because of the mythical ‘black cat’ associated with the state football team of the 1980s.
“We want to remember those days when Sarawak football was on the ascend in the Malaysian football arena in the 1980s by wearing black for our home matches.
“Many of the older generation of football fans would know the relation between a black cat and Sarawak football so this is a tribute to that era,” Posa told TV Sarawak yesterday.
During the 1980s opposing teams routinely allege that the Sarawak team and fans brought a black cat to the State Stadium in Petra Jaya. It led to accusations that the homesters used black magic to get an edge.
The era of the black cat coincided with Sarawak’s rise in Malaysian football under the flamboyant head coach Awang Mahyan Awang Mohamed.
The current Sarawak team have actually been playing in black jerseys for home matches in the first half of the season so far. The team’s ‘interim kit’ had already introduced Sarawak United’s new logo featuring a Dayak Shield.
But it was only yesterday that team officials adopted black as the team’s official home colour following the launch of the Sarawak United’s new kit to kick off the second half of the Premier League season.
Spanish sports brand Joma is the kit maker for the team.
“We are glad that we have finally been able to reveal our official kit for this season today,” said Posa.
“The colour design of the Sarawak United kit for this season will remind Sarawakians of the Sarawak state football team of the yesteryears. We do not want to forget the identity of that team which has been the pride of the people of Sarawak for many years,” he added.
The players will also wear either blue or red in away matches for the remainder of the 2021 season.
The new Sarawak jerseys are available on sale at the club’s website at https://sarawakunitedfc.com with more details at the club’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sarawakunitedfcofficials.
Sarawak United currently top the Premier League with 23 points from the 10 matches played in the first half of the season.