For better or worse, Everton have a bit of a reputation for, at times, having things go absolutely wrong, whether by their own doing or through circumstances outside of their control.
This is the nature of "Everton that," a response by Evertonians to things going wrong, seemingly in a way that feels specific to only the Blues.
In the latest edition of exactly that, we bring you the mess surrounding Everton's new away kit.
Everton's new away kit making the rounds
Apparently, a billboard near Hill Dickinson Stadium has already shown the announcement of the club's away kit for the upcoming season before any official word came from Everton.
The shirt, which is predominantely white with what appear to be blue and yellow stripes and a dark blue collar, is actually quite a nice look as a secondary kit, as it seems to borrow the yellow or amber element that is the standout feature from the home kit.
There have been other sightings around the city, including on an electronic billboard near Liverpool city center, that feel like enough smoke to indicate that this is the real thing, not some elaborate online hoax (which would be a rather sad thing to do anyway).
Taking away whatever feelings you may have about the kit (like last year's away, this looks miles better than the home shirt), the fact that this has been handled so poorly by the club feels like the most "Everton that" moment in recent memory.
That's compounded by the fact that this leak hit X and other online sites a few days ago, and the club hasn't decided to just cut their losses and release the kit. Instead, there has been nothing but radio silence, despite mounting evidence that the club's brass messed this one up.
And that, more than the leak itself, is what leaves you scratching your head.
Mistakes are possible, even within large entities like a major English football club. The large number of journalists with insider information suggests that people within clubs are willing to talk if they're asked.
But this is bigger than a simple leak.
Somebody messed up here, either inside the club, outside of it, or both, and nobody has taken the onus of fixing it. At least not so far.
Maybe this doesn't mean anything, but for a club that has the ambitions that Everton claims it does, this is not the best look. Even if the players will look pretty good on the pitch in the new shirt.
Add us as a preferred source on Google