Sunderland Association Football Club has incorporated visual references to the city’s new Keel Crossing pedestrian and cycle bridge into its 2025-26 home kit. The bridge, designed by Knight Architects with Arup for contractor VolkerStevin and Sunderland City Council, will provide a connection between the Stadium of Light and Keel Square in the city centre.
The kit design features several elements inspired by the bridge, including the words “Connecting the City & Stadium” on the inside collar, a vertical paving pattern on the white stripes, a bridge silhouette on the rear of the neck, and a paving motif inspired by the Keel Line on the pre-match half-zip top. The Keel Line is a granite strip running through Keel Square and onto the bridge, commemorating the city’s shipbuilding heritage.
Simon Harker, Project Manager, Knight Architects, said: “We are bowled over by the way in which Sunderland AFC has adopted the bridge into its new season kit. We design bridges for people. Itโs incredibly humbling therefore that the club describes their shirt as a symbol of everything that connects the people of Sunderland.”
The new kit is scheduled to be worn for the first time at Sunderland AFC’s opening home match of the season. The Keel Crossing bridge is a significant addition to the city’s landscape, and its incorporation into the kit design highlights the connection between the stadium and the city.
Image Courtesy: bdonline.co.uk
