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Why Sunderland will stay up and Newcastle will go down...
Sunderland AFC's fight for Premier League survival could depend on the colour of their shirts, according to research out today.
An investigation by scientists from Durham and Plymouth universities showed teams which wear red have performed far better than clubs in other colours since the Second World War.
The study, published in the Journal Of Sports Sciences, suggests that simply wearing a crimson jersey gives an advantage because of humans' deep-rooted biological response to the colour.
In nature, red is a testosterone-driven signal of male quality, and its striking effect has even been harnessed by soldiers in the past.
The claim that red also means sporting success might come as a surprise to fans of clubs such as Sheffield United, who were relegated last year, but could be good news for the Black Cats in their battle to stay in the top tier of English football.
Out of the 10 teams battling to avoid the drop to the Championship, only Sunderland and Middlesbrough wear red.
And of The Lads' 10 remaining opponents, only Boro and Arsenal have red jerseys, and would almost certainly wear a change strip as visitors to the Stadium of Light.
Professor Robert Barton, of Durham University's Department of Anthropology, said: "Sunderland fans can maybe take a bit of solace from that.
"But there are a lot of other factors which influence performance as well.
"It might tip the balance between two closely-matched teams, but alone it is not going to be enough to guarantee success."
The research was based on English football league results, and showed a significant difference in success levels between red, white, blue and yellow or orange-shirted teams.
Of the top 68 clubs, those in red won more often at home, yet there was no advantage when they played away – often wearing a change strip.
Professor Barton, a Chelsea fan, said the depth of data showed there was no coincidence, and where two teams played in the same city, such as Manchester, Bristol or Nottingham, the one in red was almost always most successful.
He said: "Firstly, over time supporters may have been subconsciously more attracted to a club wearing red, so the club has developed an increasing resource base within its community.
"Secondly, there may be a positive psychological boost from wearing red, or being associated with a red team, that is reflected on the field of play.
"Competing against a team in red could also impair performance."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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