Whole new ball game for Premiership

A yellow ball will be introduced in the Barclays Premiership for the first time tomorrow when every game in the top flight uses Nike’s new high-visibility Total 90 Aerow.

The Football League has been using yellow footballs during winter months for a number of years and from tomorrow (Saturday, November 6) until February 2005, the Premiership will do the same.

The ball is a new version of Nike’s regular Total 90 Aerow currently used in matches, but is yellow with blue stripes, designed to help players see it in low-light conditions.

Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs said: “Obviously in the Premiership we haven’t played with a yellow ball yet, so it’s something you just have to get used to.

“They’ve been using it in the First Division for a couple of seasons now but a ball’s a ball – you just have to get used to it. It’s like any other thing.”