Reggae artists or musicians, in general, don’t tend to earn recognition from the football community.
However, ahead in the summer of 2021/22, Dutch giants Ajax decided to honour the now sadly deceased reggae legend Bob Marley by releasing a third kit in his honour. The club worked with his family in order to honour his memory in kit form.
The kit’s main body is black, with red, yellow and green trim. The three same colours also appear on the shoulders of the shirt. There are also three little birds on the top of the back of the shirts, above Amsterdam’s Andreas crosses, once again in red, yellow and green.
There is also a fan version with images of Bob Marley and famous lyrics from some of the star’s other biggest hits. Meanwhile, the club also released a training jumper with the iconic red, green and yellow.
It is not just a tribute to Bob Marley, though. It’s also a salute to the Dutch club’s fans, which we will discuss later in this article.
What is the connection between Bob Marley and Ajax?
The story goes that in August 2008, Ajax played a friendly game against Welsh club Cardiff City in the Welsh capital. To prevent any crowd issues, the Ajax fans were told to stay in the stadium.
To keep the fans entertained, the club decided to play several songs over the PA system. One of those was Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds”, one of his biggest hits.
The Ajax fans took to the song and, from then on, claimed it as their own. In fact, the supporters of the Amsterdam giants now sing the song at every home game, no matter the result.
Bob Marley is one of the most influential artists of all time. His music spread the word of love, hope and justice.
Speaking about Ajax adopting her father’s song, his daughter Cedella Marley is quoted as saying, “I am beyond touched that Ajax has taken Three Little Birds and made it their anthem. Stories like this warm my heart and show how impactful songs like Three Little Birds can be. Soccer was everything to my father…and to use his words, ‘football is freedom’”
Bob Marley’s love of football was renowned. When he died in May 1981, it was reported that he was buried with his guitar, a football and some of his favourite herbal relaxants, shall we say!
One of European football’s giants producing a shirt to celebrate him and one of his songs is the ultimate honour.
Since Ajax released the shirt, they have also released other Bob Marley and Three Little Birds merchandise, such as a black t-shirt with his image and the Ajax colours, a “Three Little Birds’ themed-Ajax backpack, and a special Ajax edition of the song on a vinyl single.
The legend celebrated on his 78th birthday
Bob Marley loved to wear sportswear off the pitch. In fact, he is regarded as a trendsetter. In the recent biopic of his life, he is often pictured wearing tracksuits, notably Adidas.
There is now an iconic image of him playing football in a tracksuit while wearing Adidas’ famous Copa Mundial football boots.
He was pictured wearing Adidas on a regular basis during everyday life. To celebrate what would have been Bob Marley’s 78th birthday earlier this year, the German sportswear giants released a 1970s-inspired Jamaica Originals football collection.
The collection included tracksuits, t-shirts and a football shirt bearing the Jamaican colours. Adidas also worked with the Jamaican Football Federation to create a shirt for the national team, with British Jamaican designer Wales Bonner directing the project.
An apt partnership
Although Bob Marley is sadly no longer with us, his legacy lives on through his family and also his music. His songs are timeless and will live forever.
The fact that Ajax fans have taken one of his songs to heart shows the power of his lyrics. Football fans from a different continent than the artist are still singing one of his biggest hits over four decades after his death.
The bond forged between a music legend and a legendary football club is apt and should be celebrated. It is a special relationship that is unlikely to end anytime soon.