Last week, Adelaide United began its defence of the FFA Cup in Northern Territory against Darwin Olympic.

Olympic, the home team, played in its normal red and white colours so Adelaide United, “The Reds”, wore a predominantly black shirt.

And it was right and proper. Away kits are a necessity in soccer with competition rarely confined to a single league or division in which each team wears different colours.

The shirt United wore also had a new design. Again this is normal, particularly in away kits.

But it has been brought in specifically for the FFA Cup and it complements a new home shirt design which is also for use in the knockout competition.

One of the limitations of having special shirts for the FFA Cup is they might never be used. The competition’s format means that United may not play a home game. Also, once you lose, you’re eliminated.

So is this just a marketing exercise? An attempt to make a few thousand dollars by selling new kits to fans?

If it is then the sales plan is a mystery. The new FFA Cup shirts were revealed nearly two weeks ago yet, if you visit United’s website, the only jersey advertised for sale is the yellow one that was designed for last month’s match against Liverpool.

But I’d be happy if the new FFA Cup kit was never released for sale and never replicated.

Its home shirt includes a thick dark blue stripe down the middle, breaking up the red.

The blue looks like Pantone 295, the official blue of South Australia. With yellow trim, all the state’s colours are well represented – as they were when United was founded in 2003 to play in the National Soccer League.

But we’ve moved on since then. In fact, in the first season of the A-League (2005-6), each club wore shirts that were almost single coloured and every team’s main colour was different. Adelaide United’s kit gave the club its “Reds” nickname which was strongly backed by its fans. Not surprisingly, the most popular supporter group is called the “Red Army”.

The more the other state colours are used, the less prominence the colour red has. And that makes a mockery of the identity the club has been building over the last decade.

You don’t have to be a marketing genius to understand the importance of brand consistency. It reinforces your identity as well as increasing recognition.

United wore an all yellow strip against Liverpool at Adelaide Oval. AFP image

United – The Reds – should not be parochial about wearing state colours; it should be parochial about being the team that wears red. With no prospect of promotion to it or relegation from it any time soon, the A-League (like the AFL) is a fishbowl and that gives Adelaide the opportunity to own the colour.

It’s an opportunity the club should make the most of. Wear red shirts, red shorts and red socks. Only use other colours in advertising and logos. (United did this until a few years ago but then blue and yellow crept back.)

Keep encouraging supporters to wear red. Perhaps hint that it’s mandatory. Some fans – no doubt those who remain confused about whether United is a team that plays in red or one that plays in state colours – wave red and yellow flags. Find those people, confiscate their flags and replace them with a predominantly red one. The sea of red should create a fervour that mesmerises opponents.

That’s how you build the passion that binds fans. The more they feel they’re part of something, the more likely they are to keep coming back.

And when you stick to a colour or colour scheme, an emblem, or (dare I say it) a song, you build tradition as well. This is particularly important in the A-League. It’s still a young competition and Adelaide United is still a young club.

Sticking to red won’t prevent United selling more merchandise either. There will always be subtle differences in kits from year to year. Indeed, sponsors change frequently and that’s often the way fans recognise shirts from previous seasons (“ahhh, you still wear the 2012-13 ‘Unleash Solar’ jersey”). Plus the club can continue to tinker with away shirts. Supporters will buy them, especially if they look good with jeans.

So let there be no doubt that red is the colour of Adelaide United and that the colour of Adelaide United is red. In the increasingly competitive market for sport, it’s a powerful asset that the club shouldn’t compromise.

Paul Marcuccitti is InDaily’s soccer columnist. He is a co-presenter of 5RTI’s Soccer on 531 program which can be heard from 11am on Saturdays.