Argentinian football club Rosario Central unveil Scotland-inspired kit in tribute to Scottish founder

A football club from Argentina’s Primera Division has unveiled a new Scottish-influenced kit that pays tribute to one of their founders.

Rosario Central’s new shirt has a saltire-based design that’s a nod to Dingwall-born Colin Bain Calder, who was the first president of the club.

The shirt has a prominent white cross on a blue background, with a yellow trim on the sleeves and collar, and will be worn for the first time in a match against South American giants River Plate this week.

Kit manufacturers Umbro tweeted images of the new shirt with the message: “Our birth, our origin. Introducing the new official 3 jersey from Rosario Central. From Scotland to the world and since 1889 for life.”

The club, from Lionel Messi’s home city, was officially formed on Christmas Eve, 1889 by Calder and other workers from Central Argentine Railways.

Desde 1889 para toda la vida.

La nueva camiseta oficial 3 de @RosarioCentral estará disponible a partir del jueves en nuestra tienda online.#UmbroEsCentral pic.twitter.com/RtHkRebzTH
— Umbro Argentina (@UmbroArgentina) November 7, 2023

Calder was born in a house on Dingwall’s High Street in 1860 but, following the early death of his father, his family spent time living in one of the town’s poor houses.

By the early 1880s, Calder was working as a coach painter at a carriage shop and he later travelled 7,000 miles to work in Rosario as the development of the railways in South America drew skilled workers from Britain.

His keen interest in sport led to his involvement in local football games and the founding of Central, and his voice was said to have been instrumental in persuading the founders that the club would concentrate on football and not also play cricket.

Calder died in the city in 1907 and a street was named after him in 2014.

Originally a works team, the club has gone on to win the national champions on four occasions since, and won the Copa Conmebol in 1995.