Why teams in red win more

According to a study in Germany,the teams who wear red win more than those that are dressed in any other colour.Researchers have found that those teams who wear red tops, jackets or clothing score 10% cent more in any competition than if they were in another colour.

Experts believe that red could make individuals and teams feel more confident as well as being perceived by others as more aggressive and dominant.The findings could explain why Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, have been so successful,. On the other hand, the results could suggest that the success of those teams has given those that wear the red colour more confidence.

United and Liverpool have won a record 18 league titles, while Arsenal have had an uninterrupted run in the top flight for longer than any other team.

England's victorious World Cup team in 1966, led by Bobby MooreBobby Moore wore red, instead of their usual white, and have not won a World Cup or European Championship since.

The study, by German sports psychologists at the University of Munster, was reported in New Scientistmagazine. They showed video clips of taekwondo bouts to 42 experienced referees. One combatant wore blue, the other red.

They then showed them the same clips but digitally manipulated the clothing to swap the colours. The fighters wearing red were given an average of 13 per cent more points than when they were blue.

"If one competitor is strong and the other weak, it won't change the outcome of the fight," said Norbert Hagemann, who led the study. "But the closer the levels, the easier it is for the colour to tip the scale."

In 2004 scientists at Durham University also looked at how colour influenced sporting competitiveness. They analysed Olympic combat sports such as boxing, taekwondo, Graeco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling and found that nearly 55 per cent of bouts were won by the competitor in red.

"There is now good experimental evidence that red stimuli are perceived as dominant and that they cause negative effects on performance in those viewing them," said Robert Burton, one of the researchers. "It is plausible that wearing red also makes individuals feel more confident, although this hasn't yet been tested."