Why is Crystal Palace's home kit white?

For the first time in almost two decades, Crystal Palace will wear a white home shirt for the duration of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

Traditionally, the Eagles have worn a blue and red strip. White is also a colour associated with the club, and while it is often a secondary tone in home shirts across the past 40 years, it has frequently featured as the primary shade on away and alternate jerseys.

But Palace have this year opted to wear a white home strip. It includes a blue and a red sash diagonally across the chest, in keeping with the club’s traditional colours.

Palace say that the kit is a nod to their shirt worn 50 years ago. Having featured a sash during their run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1976, the following season saw the club implement the shirt for the duration of the campaign.

Following that initial use, the white strip with a blue and red sash was worn frequently by the club during the early 1980s.

The strip also contains the use of Palace’s former circular badge, worn by the club between 1973 and 1987.

Palace wore the shirt for the first time competitively in their 2-0 away defeat to Everton on the opening fixture of the season.

Pierre Sage’s side will wear the shirt at Selhurst Park for the first time on Friday night when they host Manchester City in their first home match of the campaign.

The last time Palace wore a white shirt as their home kit was during the 2008-09 season, which the club spent in the Championship.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.