Following the official launch on December 3rd 2024, a limited-edition range of shirts will be available to buy with 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these shirts going towards further improving accessibility at Worthing FC’s home ground, the Sussex Transport Community Stadium. Worthing FC men’s team will then debut the kit when they host St Albans City on Saturday 14th December.
This is the first-ever collaboration football kit created to celebrate Disability Awareness Month, and the project is the result of the friendship between Worthing FC owner George Dowell MBE and wecanfly founder Jake Baker-Cliff. Wecanfly is an accessible clothing brand on a mission to change the perception of disabilities in society, and the inspiration behind the brand is Jake’s twin sister Daisy, who has a disability.
George and Jake first met on a panel hosted by footwear brand Foot Patrol for Disability Awareness Month in November 2022. From there, a friendship grew, based on a mutual love of football and a passion for disability inclusion. Jake suggested creating a special edition kit for Worthing FC in honour of Disability Awareness Month, and the work began.
From the start, it was decided the project would be a charitable one and in order for it to be successful, Worthing FC’s kit manufacturer Macron had to be on board. This led Jake and George to Macron’s headquarters in Italy where they pitched the idea. The response was positive, with Macron firmly in favour of this one-of-a-kind collaboration.
Jake and George worked through a meticulous design process to ensure the kit honoured Worthing FC’s close-knit community. The colour purple was chosen to represent pride, dignity, respect and empowerment, and the shirt features a wave pattern in a nod to Worthing’s seaside location. Mackerel from the Worthing FC badge are woven into the mesh side panels which are wecanfly’s signature green, and the lower back of the shirt displays wecanfly’s slogan: ‘Disability is not inability’.
George says, “The marriage of the two things I’m most passionate about – football and raising disability awareness – has made this kit an absolute joy to work on. There is no other project like this, I’m immensely proud to have been a part of it, and I’m really excited about what this means for people with disabilities.”
He continues, ‘We are so pleased with the incredible look of the kit and we think it sends a loud, clear message: that sport, and football especially, is for everyone. By buying a shirt, you’re supporting disability inclusion – and becoming a part of history.’