As regular readers will know I am looking to document the England Men’s National Football Team’s Kit History from 1960 to The Modern Day, creating some reference articles and documents for those that like to have quick reference to these things.
So far, I have the following:
England played 99 Games between 1970 and 1979, wearing their Primary (Home) Kit 80 times and change Kits just 19 times, including the use of a 3rd Kit for the first time.
The 70’s was also the decade of a change of kit manufacturer for the first time!
1970
1970 was a World Cup and England as Holders qualified for the tournament, this would be the only tournament that the team would make in this decade! In terms of Kit, it was the same kit that had been in use since 1964 in terms of design.
In February England wore all red to their visit to Belgium, this is first time this look had been used since 1963.
For the World Cup itself, England used the “Airtex” version of this kit, first seen in 1969, the also went with all white for the opening two fixtures against Romania and Brazil (also in the warm up game at Ecuador).
The third group game was when things got interesting in terms of Kit, England used a 3rd Kit for the first time, with an All Sky Blue Kit, this kit also used red numbers and was the first time blue shirts had been used since 1959 (although they were Royal Blue), a classic look for England even if just used for one game… England in Sky Blue is one of my favourite Kit Quirks, which you can read all about here.
In their Quarter-Final against West Germany, they returned their default Secondary Kit of the time, the red shirts / white shorts / red socks look for their third Kit Look of the tournament, but the Germans defeated England in a repeat of the ’66 Final and this was the end of World Cups for The Three Lions for this decade!
1971 – 1974
Between 1971 and 1972 there was little to discuss in terms of England Kits, the kit remained the same and we only saw the Secondary in action once in each of these years, Greece Away in 1971and West Germany Away in 1972.
In fact between December 1970 and May 1973, in the 22 games played by England they wore their classic Primary Kit in its white shirt / navy shorts / white socks look 20 times!
However, that changed in the Summer of 1973 when England mixed things up and introduced a new change kit, with a new colour introduced to The Three Lions colour palette, yellow! The Yellow shirts, navy shorts and yellow socks look was used three times that summer in games at Czechoslovakia, Poland and Italy for a look never seen again outside that Summer of ’73! This experiment was short lived and although we did see yellow used in exhibition match against “Team America” in 1976!
The wild times of the yellow kit were soon forgotten, and they returned to their classic Primary look for the next eight games, taking us to the summer of 1974. This summer saw the return of red shirts for a change look, the last times these shirts were used in default look with white shorts and socks against East Germany and then white shorts and socks against Bulgaria.
The final game of that summer at Yugoslavia was the last time the Primary kit design of the past 10 years was used… an end of a Kit Era for England!
The end of 1974 swept big changes for the England team, Sir Alf Ramsey had moved on from the team after 11 years in charge, a new manager and with a new a “Kit Deal” was introduced to the team. Admiral took over the reins from Umbro, introducing more colour into all elements of the Kit, with royal blue shorts and royal blue / red strim added to the shirt sleeves and sock cuffs, and white / red trim to the short for a radical new look for the England National Team.
The new kit was first worn against Czechoslovakia, wore had played England twice already this decade with England wearing All Sky Blue in 1970 and then Yellow in 1973…. this fixture was the gift that kept on giving in the early 70’s!
1975 – 1977
1975 was a year that England only played in “new” Primary Kit, playing nine games in total in their default look, the first time England had just worn white shirts in a calendar year since 1969, however there were a couple of “All White” looks used that year.
It was not until May 1976 that we saw England change from this look, when not only did they use white shorts for the first time with their Primary Kit for the first time since 1970 World Cup (which was also against Brazil), they paired this look with yellow socks for a Kit Look only used once in England’s history!
Later that Summer gave us a look at the Admiral Secondary Kit for the first time, which was the same in design as the Primary Kit but with red shirts, white shorts and red socks in its default look.
It would be another year until we see the Secondary Kit in action again away at Brazil as part of the South American tour of that summer, this time it was worn with Blue Socks to create a wonderful “Tri-Colour” Kit look, once of my favourite looks in England’s Kit History!
England would go on to use the Secondary in the next two games of the tour at Argentina and Uruguay, however used default red socks in these two fixtures.
1978 – 1979
Moving through 1978 and 1979 there was little to discuss, Secondary Kit was used twice in 1978 in their first two fixtures at West Germany and then at Home to Brazil, the first time since 1966 World Cup Final that England had used change colours at Wembley!
The summer tour of 1979 saw England in their Secondary Kit for three games in a row but it was the game at Bulgaria that provided us with a new kit variation of the Admiral Era, with red shirts and socks worn with white socks for the first time in these kits and the first time since June 1974, also against Bulgaria!
The return fixture against Bulgaria in November 1979, the final England of this decade provide us with another Kit look / Mash Up and another “Tri-Colour” Kit Look, with Primary shirts and shorts paired with red socks, ending the 70s in style!
Breakdown per year – 99 Games in Total
- 1970 – 12 Games
- 2 Primary Kit Variations
- 2 Secondary Kit Variations
- 1 3rd Kit
- 1971 – 9 Games
- 1 Primary Kit Variation
- 1 Secondary Kit Variation
- 1972 – 7 Games
- 1 Primary Kit Variation
- 1 Secondary Kit Variation
- 1973 – 12 Games
- 1 Primary Kit Variation
- 1 Secondary Kit Variation
- 1974 – 10 Games
- 2 Primary Kit Variations
- 2 Secondary Kit Variations
- 1975 – 9 Games
- 1 Primary Kit Variation
- 1976 – 10 Games
- 2 Primary Kit Variations
- 1 Secondary Kit Variation
- 1977 – 11 Games
- 1 Primary Kit Variation
- 2 Secondary Kit Variations
- 1978 – 9 Games
- 1 Primary Kit Variation
- 1 Secondary Kit Variation
- 1979 – 10 Games
- 2 Primary Kit Variations
- 2 Secondary Kit Variations
Well, that is the 1970s completed, a huge decade of Kits for England although not of success on the pitch, plenty of Kit Looks, plenty of change and sign of things to come as we look at the 1980s next time! Let me know your thoughts and comments below or over at @Kit_Geek and a reminder that the overall visual page of the England Kit History is now also live on the site here
Resources for this article / project
True Colours – Volume 2 and International Kits
Football Kit Geek - @Kit_Geek 
7 thoughts on “England Kit History: 1970-1979”