How does The Thread work?

Each game shows a chronological list of kit suppliers (e.g. Umbro → Adidas → Reebok) or shirt sponsors (e.g. Sharp → Vodafone → AON) used by a single football club. Three entries are hidden. Type the club's name to guess; reveal hidden entries as hints if you're stuck — but each hint costs points.

Is The Thread free to play?

Yes. Today's The Thread game is free to play in your browser at football-iq.app — no signup or download required. A new club every day.

How is The Thread scored?

Guess with 0 hints revealed for 10 points. 1 hint = 6, 2 hints = 4, 3 hints = 2. Give up = 0. Wrong guesses are unlimited and free — only hints cost.

The Thread

From the archive · Thu 9 Apr

How to play

Kit sponsors

Oldest first · 3 hidden

Hidden sponsor, 1997 to 2002
Kejian, 2002 to 2004
Hidden sponsor, 2004 to 2017
SportPesa, 2017 to 2020
Cazoo, 2020 to 2022
Hidden sponsor, 2022 to now

Which club wore these sponsors?

Wrong guesses are free. Only hints cost points. Out of hints? Then you can give up.

Data correct as of 8 April 2026

What is The Thread?

The Thread identifies a club purely from its commercial history — the run of kit suppliers and shirt sponsors it has cycled through over the decades. It is a strange, oddly evocative way to remember a club, and it rewards anyone who grew up looking at shirts rather than league tables.

How to play The Thread

You're shown a club's kit-supplier or shirt-sponsor history in chronological order.
Three entries start hidden behind a redaction bar — reveal them as hints if you're stuck.
Type the club name into the input and submit to guess.
Score: 0 hints = 10pts, 1 hint = 6, 2 hints = 4, 3 hints = 2. Wrong guesses are free.
Out of hints? Hit 'Give up' to reveal the answer + kit-history fun fact.

The Thread strategy

Date the thread before you name the club. Sponsor names are era-stamped in a way suppliers are not: a Japanese electronics brand points hard at English football in the eighties or nineties, a betting company points at the 2010s, and an airline or state carrier usually means a club with money after 2005. Once you have the decade, the supplier sequence tells you the tier — long Umbro or Hummel runs suggest a different kind of club than an unbroken Nike deal.

The visible entries usually anchor an era — match the dates to a club's history.
Kit suppliers (Adidas, Nike, Puma) repeat across many clubs; the order is what makes it unique.
Shirt sponsors often tell you the country/region — a Japanese electronics brand probably means a 90s English club.

The Thread: frequently asked questions

How does The Thread work?: Each game shows a chronological list of kit suppliers (e.g. Umbro → Adidas → Reebok) or shirt sponsors (e.g. Sharp → Vodafone → AON) used by a single football club. Three entries are hidden. Type the club's name to guess; reveal hidden entries as hints if you're stuck — but each hint costs points.
Is The Thread free to play?: Yes. Today's The Thread game is free to play in your browser at football-iq.app — no signup or download required. A new club every day.
How is The Thread scored?: Guess with 0 hints revealed for 10 points. 1 hint = 6, 2 hints = 4, 3 hints = 2. Give up = 0. Wrong guesses are unlimited and free — only hints cost.

More daily football games

The Thread is a daily football kit-trivia game. Trace a club's chronological kit-supplier or shirt-sponsor history and name the team. Free to play in your browser, new game every day.

Player and club data is compiled from public records and is accurate as of the game's publication date. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it. Read how we handle advertising and cookies in our Privacy Policy.