[Salopbaggie]

it can't be a Club representative or fan.

Granted a fan would not do it, but the club certainly would, remember that quote "follow the money".

Many of us get a shirt regularly, the more similar the years shirt is, to the previous year, means we would be less likely to buy a new one. Then we must think who stands to gain most from the sale of shirts and who will lose most if we do not buy a new one. If the designs are close we may be more likely to say, it's close enough to last year I can make do for another year, but if it looks totally different, we feel the need to replace it so we fit in with everyone else, problem is, 'everyone else' is thinking the same thing.

Strangely, research shows the the same logic works in reverse, if they were put out a shirt designed or at least the design approved by the fans, we would be even more likely to buy a new one, which is the very reason all the big companies test their new products and designs in customer panels and via surveys long before they are released.