Southend United has been working with us here at Solopress for many years and we’re proud to have earned their trust and produce many printing projects. Our relationship with the club goes back many years, during which we have been front of shirt sponsors for the 2023/24 season, become the club’s print partner for everything from programmes to advertising boardings, and remain sponsors of Roots Hall’s North Stand. We were honoured that they came to us with the big task of redesigning their changing area, as this plays such an important role in inspiring the team’s performance. We’re very proud of what we achieved and produced, with all the elements designed and produced right here in Southend.
Bringing the passion home
Southend United had a very successful year, making it to the National League play-off finals at Wembley. However, some of their team spaces didn’t reflect the team’s progress. The changing room was dull and uninspiring — a bland design that didn’t represent the Shrimpers’ spirit. After all, these spaces are more than just a place to get changed. They’re a place to spark team morale and create a positive buildup before a big game.
After the success of our design at Wembley the team decided they wanted a big change and a new season revamp. They reached out to our design service and the briefing progress began.
Kicking off the briefing process
With so much riding on the look and feel of the changing room, we wanted to take the time to fully understand what was needed. Michael Day, Southend United’s account manager here at Solopress, went to Roots Hall to see the space and discuss the club’s goals, as well as taking those all-important measurements! During this process he also advised the right materials to ensure the best results. The dimensions for some of the panels were too large to print, which meant Michael needed to work out the best way to split them so that the joins would be as discreet as possible.
Once the sizes and stocks were determined, we were able to produce a quote for the Southend United team to review. After his visit (and quote approval), Michael gave our designer – Oscar Jackson – an in depth run down of what was required.
The club wanted a clean and simple design that strongly reflected their kit and colours, with the iconic blue and yellow of Southend United F.C. With a clear brief established, Oscar could begin his designs. He took different elements from the club’s badge and phrases that fans know and love. He chose a font that complements the text in the club badge, giving the changing room that strong Shrimpers feel. Oscar further decided to include three swords within his design as a nod to the team’s Essex roots.
The game plan
The new changing room decor needed to be fresh and new, while staying true to the club’s heritage. As a result, there were lots of productive discussions between Solopress and Southend United to ensure that we got every detail perfect. There were plenty of design challenges presented by the scale of the project, requiring careful judgement to determine the font sizing and to strike the right balance between too much and too little wording.
As a fan himself, Oscar took the challenge on board to help the club achieve their goal. His experience and passion for the team meant “it came naturally” as he understands the team’s culture and branding, leading him in the right direction.
With clear instructions and the strong understanding of the customer, Michael and Oscar were able to get the designs signed off first time on the first draft!
Match materials
A range of products were used to bring the vision to life. 5mm Foamex boards were used to display the text and phrases that line the top of the room. A large floor sticker was added to display the Southend United badge proudly. And finally, wall stickers were added to the doors also displaying the badge with pride.
Once these were all printed, Michael was able to help deliver them to Roots Hall. Rylee Doe – Southend United’s commercial manager – was struggling with manpower to get these set up and ready for the grand reveal. We were happy to help with the installation process, so Michael and Matt Corstorphine (large format manager) went down to Roots Hall to volunteer with the set-up, only a couple of hours before the big reveal.
The players’ tunnel
As well as the changing room the tunnel also received a glow up. The new club quote and song covers the walls, bringing the positive energy right up to the side lines. The team at Southend United has very specific ideas for how they wanted the tunnel to look. They wanted the fresh new song to be the focus of the space, giving it another layer of meaning to the club.
Post-game analysis
The finished result surprised many at the club as it went beyond what they had imagined for the space. This makeover was kept a secret from the players, and the grand reveal left them shocked. It was smiles all around as the team took in their new changing rooms and tunnel. It’s a fresh new start for a brand-new season.
Rylee Doe was very pleased with the result and told us:
“Southend United have been working with Solopress for multiple seasons and we’re incredibly proud of our partnership. We were very impressed with the branding of the changing rooms at Wembley Stadium and felt that it was important to replicate that professionalism at Roots Hall for our first team squad. Oscar Jackson and Michael Day were amazing to work with and their support for the team shows in the work produced for us. We hope that the new changing room design sparks inspiration for all of our players throughout the seasons to come.”
High praise
The praise continued onto social media where the post showing the players reactions gained many expressed comments. One fan commented ‘Superb! Starting to feel like a proper set up again’.
Here at Solopress we are extremely proud of our team for taking on such a challenge and producing a result that has been so widely. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the Southend United team and look forward to many projects in the future.
Looking for a way to change up your business’s look or want to build on your existing designs? Please reach out to our SoloDesign team who can help you transform your company’s look.
