The start of a new season brings excitement of football fans, regardless of which team you support or where you are from.
Smelling the freshly cut grass, returning to your favourite seats and seeing your club’s new signings in action are what fans dream of in the summer months.
But there is nothing quite like an away day to get fans excited.
Travelling the length and breadth of the country in the most extreme weather conditions, armed with nothing more than a repertoire of songs and unbridled optimism are what football is all about.
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Middlesbrough fans will be making the 220-mile trip down to Luton ahead of their Championship clash on Friday evening, a game you can hear live on talkSPORT.
But as fans are braced for the return of the EFL, talkSPORT.com thought it apt to take a closer look at what fans can expect to see their sides wearing on away days.
Below, we have ranked every Championship side’s away kit – from worst to best. Scroll down to see where your side ends up on the list.
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24 – Blackburn Rovers
Had Rovers not included the hideous pattern on the left-hand side of their away shirts, we could have been talking about this kit in a far more positive tone.
As it is, it looks like something out of the opening credits from a 90’s TV show.
23 – Luton Town
Ahead of their return to the second tier, Luton clearly decided to make a statement to all the other clubs in the Championship.
Unless that message was ‘Shield your eyes’, then we aren’t really sure what the aim was.
The squiggly pattern over the top of the white and black design is a bit of an eyesore.
22 – Barnsley
The Tykes earned automatic promotion last season, finishing just behind Luton. And like the Hatters, it seems Barnsley’s plan is to dazzle their opponents.
The blue and gold number looks a bit like the colours have run on Arsenal’s away kit from 2015/16.
If Daniel Stendel’s side are stay up this season, they had better hope they can play like the Gunners in this monstrosity.
21 – Nottingham Forest
Mixing and matching two colours on a football shirt is always a difficult task, especially in a classic half-and-half design.
What’s worse with this kit is that it is almost identical to the away shirt Forest wore in the 2009/10 season.
20 – Preston North End
Wearing an all-red kit is normally a great way of playing it safe. Think Liverpool or England’s away kit from the 2018 World Cup.
But in this case, it just looks as though Preston have been a tad lazy by making their entire kit red, with little or no imagination involved.
19 – Reading
Reading’s home kit is extremely smart this season, with the Grandad collar a retro nod to the past.
However, the Royals have got it wrong on the away strip, with a bizarre pattern splashed over a black kit.
The red trim on the collar on the socks and collar is a nice touch, but not enough to put this kit higher up the ranking.
18 – West Bromwich Albion
There are certain kits throughout history which stand alone in both their historic value and aesthetic appeal.
Think Peru from the 1970’s, Celtic’s green and white hoops, and the black and white stripes of Juventus. But the green and yellow away kit from West Brom is a tradition which harder to get on board with.
17 – Leeds United
The Elland Road club were the last to announce their new strip for games on the road and the dark grey and pink has not gone down well.
It’s not the worst though and supporters’ frustrations may stem from the fact it’s centenary away shirt
16 – Millwall
Neil Harris will have a real job keeping Millwall up this year based on last season’s form.
But the incentive of getting a better kit if they do so may be the motivation required to fire the south London side up the table.
While there is nothing wrong, per se, with the Lions’ away strip, it just lacks imagination and excitement.
15 – Middlesbrough
While the shirt may not be the greatest, the introduction of black shorts and white socks is a nice touch to Boro’s away kit this season.
The blue and red hoop going through the middle does look a bit out of place, but the simple Hummel logo and the club’s crest maintain a bit of class.
14 – Derby County
Had Derby kept the away shirt a plain blue, we could be looking at one of the nicest kits in the division.
As it it, Umbro have decided to add a pattern on the front which, when caught in the right light, just looks a bit sticky. The Atomic blue shorts and socks are a nice addition though.
13 – Cardiff City
As long as it isn’t red, Cardiff fans will surely be happy with whatever kit gets released at the start of the season.
The bright orange is certainly a bold move, with the Bluebirds hoping it will be remembered as much the kit they went straight back to the Premier League in.
12 – Sheffield Wednesday
There’s something very wholesome and retro about Sheffield Wednesday’s away kit this season, particularly the classic announcement from sponsors Elev8.
The royal green shirt and the white of the socks and shorts just seem to fit nicely together.
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11 – Charlton Athletic
The Addicks are finally back in the Championship after their play-off success last season, and will certainly be looking smart this season.
The black, green and purple is a nod to classic strips from the past and looks extremely classy.
10 – Bristol City
After some of the poor shows from recent years, Bristol City appear to have finally got it right with their 2019/20 away kit.
Having seen their side wearing purple and green in the past, the classic black strip of this season will surely put a smile on the faces of Robins supporters.
9 – Hull City
Hull are a side who are rather limited in what colour away kit they can have and, after opting for a black strip last year, the Tigers have gone back to white.
The very faint amber detail just above the black strip on the arms is a really nice touch and a reminder that less can be more.
8 – Birmingham City
The Blues normally wear a white or yellow away kit, so black represents a nice change.
Much like Germany’s kit at the World Cup, there is very retro pattern on the front which is subtle enough to look good, but demand attention.
7 – Stoke City
The Potters have brought in a raft of savvy signings this summer and will certainly look good when away from home.
Jordan Cousins and Nick Powell are two good operators at Championship level and, in this eye-ctaching Macron design, do not back against Stoke from making a Premier League charge.
6 – Wigan Athletic
The Latics have really stepped in the kit department in recent years, with their black and gold number from the 2017-18 season a real hit.
And it seems Puma are keen to carry this on, with their red strip for this season. The navy blue on the arms and the socks break up the striking number and compliment the red really well.
5 – Swansea City
While the home kit is a touch easier to predict, Swansea fans have been kept guessing as to what their away strip will look like.
But Joma have delivered another snazzy home shirt, with the blue and green stripes complimenting one another really nicely.
4 – Huddersfield Town
After the initial debacle with their sponsor issues on the home shirt, Huddersfield Town have pulled out two absolute stunners.
With no advertising on the front and three different shades of blue on display, Jan Siewert’s men can rest assured they will still look like a Premier League side even after their relegation.
3 – Fulham
Black and red are the staple colours of Fulham’s away kit, but there is something about this season’s design which is even more eye-catching.
The white stripes on the shoulders, made classic by sponsors adidas, just seem to combine well with the red and black.
2 – Queens Park Rangers
After the pink monstrosity from last season, QPR have got it really right with their away kit for this season.
The aqua blue shirt, combined with gold crest and sponsor logo, looks impeccable. And the collar just makes this a must-have for Rangers fans across the country.
1 – Brentford
Brentford have absolutely nailed it with their away kit this season, with the black and yellow looking seriously snazzy.
The material used absolutely makes this, with sponsors Umbro also including a ‘Farewell Griffin Park’ back neck sign off.