The new MK Dons away kit pays homage to the World War 2 Enigma Codebreakers of Bletchley, however fans have mocked one surprising detail. Giving a nod to Alan Turing,Bletchley Park collaborated with the EFL League Two team on the design which referenced the circular keys on the Enigma machine – a typewriter-like device used by Germany to encode military messages.
Located in Milton Keynes, Bletchley Park was once the top-secret home of the World War 2 Codebreakers, it is now a vibrant heritage attraction in Milton Keynes. This critical work significantly shortened the war and saved millions of lives by providing vital intelligence to the Allied forces. From mid-1940, German Air Force signals were being read at Bletchley and the intelligence gained from them was helping the war effort.
MK Dons’ black strip features subtle letters ghosted into the fabric as a tribute to Alan Turing, who was responsible for breaking the Nazi Enigma code, and the team.
The Bletchley Park Trust, who uphold the memory of those who worked on breaking the code, were consulted when it came to the design.
However, eager eyed fans have found one rather confusing detail to the strip – the Japanese sponsor.
Suzuki, a Japanese car brand, has had a long-standing sponsorship agreement with MK Dons since 2014 and the sponsor is featured on the MK Dons’ codebreakers kit.
Japan played a significant role in World War II as a member of the Axis with Germany and Italy. The Asian country formally entered the war on September 22, 1940 with the invasion of French Indochina. It was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 was the catalyst for the United States’ entrance into the war.
Rushing to X one user said: “Nothing ‘honours’ the WW2 codebreakers quite like putting a Japanese sponsor all over the front of it.” The viral tweet has accumulated 380k views.
In reponse a user said: “Lovely touch to the WW2 code breakers with the clubs Japanese sponsor. Certainly more about the money than the history.”
“Even the Bletchley Park computer could work out that this wasnt thought through”, said a third.
A fourth questioned: “Would you prefer a gambling company?.”
A fifth argued back: “Suzuki UK is based in Milton Keynes and is a subsidiary of the Japanese group, so no idea what your point is.”
“This season’s Away Kit pays tribute to the Bletchley Park legacy, with Enigma machine keys subtly imprinted into the fabric, honouring Bletchley Park’s cipher-breaking achievements and the pioneering individuals behind them,” said a club spokesman.
The statement added: “MK Dons would like to extend sincere thanks to Bletchley Park Trust for supporting our launch and contributing to the kit’s concept and design.”
