Who should approve a club’s new football kit: board, coach or kit manager?

A new kit can look like a straightforward purchase until someone must approve the budget, someone else checks the crest, and the coach notices that the colours clash with the away strip. There is no single role structure that fits every club. The aim is not to give one person every decision, but to make each responsibility visible before artwork and sizes start circulating.

Separate spending approval from ordering

The board, or the person named in the club’s own procedures, may need to approve the expenditure. That does not mean the board must inspect every name on a shirt or adjust every stripe. A treasurer can check that the proposal fits the agreed budget, while a named order coordinator gathers team needs and handles communication. Check your own constitution and delegated-authority rules; do not assume that a coach can commit club funds simply because the team will wear the kit.

Match each review to the right people

Coaches and players can assess whether colours and contrast work on the pitch. The kit manager can collect model preferences, sizes and quantities, but should not approve spending alone if the club requires a separate budget decision. Whoever looks after the club identity should review the crest and colours. Share the artwork with specific questions rather than asking everyone to comment on everything.

Agree a sequence before the artwork arrives

A practical sequence might start with the team describing its needs, move to a budget check, then a design review, and finish with written approval from the authorised person. Decide who will consolidate revisions and send one set of feedback. If several teams are ordering together, appoint one contact who can distinguish shared choices from team-specific details.

Make the final approval easy to understand

Keep the exact artwork version, garment choices and squad-list file that were approved. Record who approved each part and when. That gives the club something better than an old chat to rely on if a question comes up later. Use the order information to see which details to gather, and contact AEVO through contact if you want to discuss a design proposal. Request a quotation before taking a budget decision; approving a mock-up is not itself approval of the cost.

Make the division of responsibility usable

Put the agreed roles in a short decision note or an email thread everyone involved can find. Name who gathers each team’s needs, who reviews the visual direction and who has authority over the spending. A practical arrangement might let the kit coordinator own the working file, the coach explain what the side needs on the pitch, and the treasurer check whether a quotation fits the budget. The authorised decision-maker then approves the cost and final order. One person may hold more than one role, but make clear which responsibility they are exercising when a decision is made. Invite concerns before the review closes, not after the file has been sent. If the group cannot agree on a design, send one or two defined questions to the person or body empowered to decide. This lets players contribute their experience without accidentally transferring financial responsibility to them.

If a proposed change affects quantities or product selection, return it to whoever checks the budget—even if the artwork was otherwise approved. That keeps a creative preference distinct from a new financial commitment.