Bournemouth's red and black kit has a simple origin. Bournemouth FC adopted those colours in 1970, after the club were relegated for the first time in their history, and the move was made to emulate AC Milan because they were winners. Now the two clubs meet in Europe at the Vitality Stadium, which gives the old inspiration a neat modern twist.
Why Bournemouth changed their colours
Neil Vacher, the club historian, told bbc.co.uk: "It happened in 1970. We'd just been relegated for the first time in our history.
We had a change of manager and a new chairman and they decided we could do with a new kit.
They wanted to emulate AC Milan because they were winners."
That is a tidy explanation of why Bournemouth's shirt looks the way it does. The change was not just cosmetic, it was a conscious nod to a club that represented success and style to people on the south coast.
Joey D'Urso, the football historian and author, also told bbc.co.uk: "Bournemouth basically copied AC Milan and adopted the colours. It's quite common in English football."
He added that AC Milan are "a very glamorous football team, the second most successful in the history of the European Cup or Champions League after Real Madrid."
The present-day meeting adds another layer. Bournemouth are fifth in the Europa League table with 6 points from 2 matches and have won both of their European games, while Milan sit fourth in Serie A. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has made 7 appearances across all competitions this season for Milan, is part of the current backdrop too.
The colours were borrowed half a century ago. On Thursday, Bournemouth get to wear them in a match against the club that inspired the look in the first place.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
