Blacky's brief history in football

08/09/2021

No shirt embodied the spirit of the time 25 years ago, as well as Blacky's. The Swiss textile company has made it colorful, not just on the shirts.

The 90s were the period of flashy soccer jerseys. Bright colors, strange patterns - everything was allowed. At the time, the "Blacky" company, founded in Münchwilen TG in 1984, was also involved in the big business of football.

It was the time of bright yellow headbands and wide pants with ethnic motifs. And Blacky brought these late 80s and early 90s colors and designs to gyms and soccer fields in Switzerland. Neon violet was no longer just a nightclub extravaganza or a privilege for "Miami Vice" stars. Hundreds of amateur footballers across the country tucked into funky Swiss shirts on Sunday mornings and could easily have been mistaken for a dance group.



What we smile about today was innovative then. "The models were a bit questionable," says Jörg Stiel. The then NLA goalkeeper of FC Wettingen is now active in the sporting goods business. At the time, he wasn't particularly fond of his pink Blacky goalkeeper sweater. But from today's point of view, the brand was one step ahead. “Blacky was great in terms of color. They had something almost futuristic ".

The visionary behind this project was named Bruno C. Schwarz.
A strong niche brand born in 1984 Blacky Modedesign in Wil. A prancing horse in the logo. Schwarz created the first collection for cycling. Colored fabrics with good Swiss quality have found success in sales. According to the «Cash» newspaper, Schwarz achieved a turnover of 32 million francs in 1991, just seven years after its foundation. This made Blacky a strong niche brand, an alternative to the then market leaders Adidas and Puma, albeit still a long way from them.

The rapid rise was made possible not only by cycling. The company began producing equipment for tennis, football, ice hockey, and many other team sports. Schwarz used a process he had come to know from bicycle clothing manufacturing: thermal printing. In the past it was common to apply or embroider soccer jerseys. This meant that each element was applied to the fabric in separate steps. Three stages of work were required for the sponsor, the club logo and the manufacturer's branding. Not so with thermal printing. By drawing the entire design on paper and printing directly onto the fabric.

Blacky's first football collaboration with FC Wettingen. "In terms of design, Adidas couldn't keep up" with the revolutionary products of the time, says Strasser, the company's sports director at the time.

( FC Wettingen 1992-93 )

The highest visibility was achieved with the match of the year for Swiss football. In the Uefa Cup, SSC Napoli and its world champion Diego Armando Maradona were guests of the small Mitteland club. All the lights were on them, or rather: on the living god of football, the then unattainable Maradona, 1986 world champion, 1987 Serie A champion and reigning champion of the Uefa Cup. The match was the best publicity for Blacky on the national and international stage.


( Maradona Wettingen vs Napoli round of 32 Uefa Cup 1989-90 )

The company then achieved cult status with its Swiss national team jerseys from 1990/91. Uli Stielike, then coach of the Swiss national team, was also the general agent of the Blacky and this had created many problems. At that time, Switzerland was equipped by Adidas. The latter did not want Stielike to appear for the national team under the Blacky brand, and Blacky did not want to see her agent with the competitor's brands.After a few hot weeks in the summer of 1989, the compromise came: Stielike in the national team or with Blacky neither with Adidas, but rather neutral with no brands on the technical supply. But the situation changed again at the end of the season when the German manufacturer terminated the contract for around 400,000 francs a year without notice. The Blacky horse was now the official supplier.
Only a day after the signing of the contract, Blacky presented the draft for the new equipment to the Swiss football association. Very few have forgotten it. The big Swiss cross on the stomach and many, many stripes, cross and diagonal.


( The 1990-91 Switzerland shirt )

An ascent that lasted too short. After just two years, Blacky was again replaced as a supplier to the national team in May 1992. The Italian sports goods manufacturer Lotto offered the association 650,000 francs a year instead of 400,000.

A year later, the company was declared bankrupt due to bad investments by the owner Bruno Schwarz

Credit :  www.zwoelf.ch/die-blacky-story