Club and museum collaborate to celebrate Black Country industry
West Bromwich Albion have unveiled a new away shirt that draws its visual language from the Red House Glass Cone, the iconic Stourbridge landmark that has long represented the industrial heart of the Black Country. The club says the design is the result of months of work with museum staff and intends the kit to honour local craft and the region’s manufacturing heritage.
The outline of the Glass Cone is reproduced on both the front and the back of the strip, while the shirt’s red, black and white palette is intended to evoke the fire and embers associated with historic glassmaking. Models for the launch shoot wore the shirts inside the Cone itself, signalling the close ties between the project partners.
- Design motif: Outline of the Red House Glass Cone on front and back
- Colours: Red, black and white to echo fire and embers
- Collaboration: West Bromwich Albion and the Red House Glass Cone museum (Dudley Council)
The museum has flown the Cone flag on Black Country banners since 2012 and the partnership is billed by the club as an extension of a long-standing embrace of local identity. The project follows a trend among football clubs to use kit launches as opportunities to celebrate community links and showcase local culture to wider audiences.
"Working with the team at WBA has been amazing! When they first approached us, we couldn’t believe it and grabbed the opportunity with both hands," said Kate Jones, Museums Manager for Dudley Council.
Kate Jones added that the final product has been "superb" and expressed enthusiasm for further joint activity: "We absolutely love the new shirt and are really looking forward to working with WBA on lots of new and exciting projects going forward. Showcasing heritage through sport has been the best opportunity and it helps us reach a whole new audience which is something we are always keen to do." The museum’s involvement has given the club access to local expertise on the iconography and history of the Cone.
West Bromwich Albion describe the partnership as a way to foreground the club’s Black Country roots. Sam Jeffery, the club’s Chief Business Officer, framed the launch as a tribute to craftsmanship and community continuity:
"The concept celebrates the heritage and craftsmanship that define our identity, while reflecting the strength of an Albion fanbase that spans generations, communities and continents."
Local consequences and wider reach
For supporters in West Bromwich and the surrounding Black Country, the kit will carry both sporting and civic meaning. Wearing the Cone motif enables fans to signal regional pride while supporting the team on the road. For the Red House Glass Cone museum, the collaboration offers a route to reach new visitors and audiences beyond the immediate region, particularly as shirts are displayed and sold to supporters nationwide and internationally.
Financial benefits from such tie-ups are typically twofold: a share of retail income from replica shirts and increased footfall at the partner institution when the project is promoted locally. The museum and club have indicated they will continue to work together on future initiatives, though specific plans beyond the kit launch have not been detailed publicly.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Motif | Outline of Red House Glass Cone |
| Colours | Red, black, white |
| Partners | West Bromwich Albion; Red House Glass Cone (Dudley Council) |
| Target season | 2026-27 campaign |
The move also highlights a broader cultural conversation: how football clubs can act as custodians of local identity. West Bromwich Albion have a history of engaging with their locality and this latest initiative ties the club materially to one of the Black Country’s most recognisable monuments.
Supporters and local history enthusiasts will be watching to see how the shirts are received on the terraces and whether the collaboration yields further community projects, exhibitions or joint events that keep the Cone and the region’s industrial legacy firmly in the public eye. For residents of West Bromwich, the kit represents more than a strip to be worn on matchdays — it is a wearable emblem of place.
The club says the design was created after many months of meetings with the museum team and that both organisations hope the partnership will lead to "new and exciting projects going forward." Fans will see the shirts during the 2026-27 season as Albion travel across the footballing map.
