Tag: Nike

England Kit History: 1980-1989

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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 116 Games between 1980 and 1989, the most games in decade so far, saw The Three Lions wearing their Primary (Home) Kit 97 times and change Kits again just 19 times, the same number of times overall but only 16% of the total games.

The 80’s was also the decade where we started to see more regular changes in Kit Design.

1980 – 1981

The 1980s started with England in the same kits as they ended the 70s, however this was about to change with the second set of Admiral Kits introduced in May 1980 ready for the European Championships of that summer, the first tournament England qualified for in 10 years!

This Kit is one of England’s most well known and loved by the fans with it’s unique shoulder panels introducing more colour to the England shirt than had ever been seen before and huge leap from the Kit worn just six years before (Primary Kit of 1964-1974).

One thing to call out here was in the European Championship hosted by Italy, England wore a version of the Kit that was unbranded, to comply with UEFA laws of the time.

The team wore three different kit looks in 1980, with a return to all white look in the game against Romania, this was the first time in over 10 years since the team went for an all white combination, that was at The World Cup 1970 in Mexico!

1981 started with another all white look again and then in the next two fixtures both at Wembley (Romania and Brazil) saw the final outings of the first change kit from Admiral in it’s first use since 1979.

1982

1982 was a World Cup year and the first one England have played in for 12 years! It also gave us a new change kit from Admiral, the design mirrored the Primary Kit but used traditional red as the base colour. The first game it was used was the final warm up game before the World Cup in Spain against Finland, however it was its use in the World Cup that raised some eyebrows…

Against France in the opening game the shirt was paired with its default white shorts and white socks (from Primary Kit) for nice looking Kit Mash Up.

The interesting change was in the game against West Germany (2nd Group Phase of the competition) where there was slight change to the look of the shirt, with an extra white band appearing in the design.. also, this shirt carried the Admiral Branding!

Although not all players in the game had this alternative version….!

England meet West Germany in the Autumn of 1982 and went for another kit mash up, wearing change socks (red) with the Primary Kit… a look not seen since 1979, and just look at those wonderful numbers, might just be one of my favourites in England’s kit history.

1983 – 1984

In terms of kit usage 1983 was fairly uneventful, 11 games in total with the change kit used just once in its last outing was at Home to Greece in March, the final ever use of the famous kit design was in November when team played in Luxembourg, change was on its way…!

We are now into 1984, and a return of Umbro as the Kit Supplier for The Three Lions but this time carrying the “Double Diamond” branding for the first time, and they would provide kits for the next 29 years! The new look striped back the colour and design of the Admiral years and went for a more traditional look with a return of navy blue shorts! The kit was first worn against France in February 1984.

England toured South America in the summer of 1984 after failing to qualify for the Euros and this tour gave a first look of the new Umbro Change Kit, with the Secondary shorts and socks being worn at Brazil (remember that John Barnes goal) and Chile!

With the full Secondary kit being worn at Uruguay.

1985 – 1986

1985 gave us a return of the All White look again, mashing up Secondary shorts with Primary shirts / socks, this was worn in the game against United States that summer, not sure the light grey goalkeeper kit would be allowed to used with that kit nowadays!

The left over elements of primary / secondary kit were used in the game against Turkey later that year, with Secondary shirts and socks used with Primary shorts to give a red / navy / red look, one I particularly like England in! This also meant England went four games in a row with four different kit looks, the first time this had happened since 1974 and that included the change from Umbro to Admiral!

1986 was another World Cup year and like the last time tournament was held in Mexico there was an “airtex” version of the kit used for the tournament. By this team England had introduced a Sky Blue 3rd Kit, in the same template as the other two kits and for the actual tournament this kit was registered as the Secondary Kit for The Three Lions.

The only time elements of this kit were seen in action were in the Quarter-Finals against Argentina when they were worn with the Primary shirt to give us a unique white / sky blue / sky blue look, something never seen before or again!

This was the only alternative version of the England kits used that year!

1987 – 1989

1987 started with All white returning in a famous win at Spain, however by May of that year Umbro released their 2nd Primary Kit of their return for one of my favourite kit looks of all time.. first worn against Brazil! This would be the 4th and final official Primary Kit used in the 80s.

The change remained the same through 1987 was worn at West Germany and then for the final time in 1988 at Israel. The new change kit was introduced in Spring of that year and first worn against Colombia at Wembley in the lead up to Euro 88.

This was not the only change kit released, there was a 3rd kit in the same template. Regular readers and followers will know that this is my single favourite kit of all time and only got used in one U21 game, but we did get this wonderful Squad Picture of the Senior Team in this kit….. (so it had to be included)!

I have written a dedicated piece all about England in Sky Blue which you can find here.

These kits remain in place through 1989, were we got to see a couple of different kit mash ups, against Chile, white / white / red was used for the first time in 5 years!

This was followed by All White look against Sweden, however this game will be more remembered for how Terry Butcher’s kit looked at the end of the game…!

Breakdown per year – 116 Games in Total

  • 1980 – 13 Games
    • 3 Primary Kit Variations
  • 1981 – 9 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 1982 – 15 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 3 Secondary Kit Variations
  • 1983 – 11 Games
    • 1 Primary Kit Variation
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 1984 – 11 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 1985 – 12 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 2 Secondary Kit Variations
  • 1986 – 14 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 1987 – 8 Games
    • 3 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 1988 – 12 Games
    • 1 Primary Kit Variation
    • 2 Secondary Kit Variations
  • 1989 – 11 Games
    • 3 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variations

Well, that is the 1980s completed, 116 games in total, different kit looks and changes, four official primary and secondary kits used and even the introduction of 3rd Kits! I will return with a look back at the 90s soon!

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

England Football Online

Historical Football Kits

True Colours – Volume 2 and International Kits

Harry Kane: 100 Caps

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On Tuesday 10th September 2024, Harry Kane reached the milestone of 100 Caps for England in the UEFA Nations League game against Finland.

I have previously looked back at the Kits worn by Harry Kane as he approached the England Men’s Team National Scoring record – here, I thought now was a good time to revist the kits worn by current England Captain in his 100 National Appearences.

The Debut… Harry Kane made his debut on 27th March 2015 against Lithuania and marked his debut by scoring within 80 seconds of coming on as a second half substitute. The Kit England where wearing that evening was the All White Kit first introduced for the 2014 World Cup.

2015, also saw Kane in the Secondary Kit of this set, an All Red Look at San Marino.

Nike Vapour Template years, 2016 to 2017… regular followers of mine will know that I regard this template as one of the best in recent years and one that really liked England in (however I am aware this is not the common opionion). Kane wore five different variations of the kit, 2 Primary, 2 Secondary and 3rd choice look, scoring in each of these looks.

World Cup 2018, Kane was now Captain of the National Team and a succesful World Cup campaign not only resulted in England unexpectedly reaching the Semi-Finals but also ended with the Golden Boot for Kane, with 6 Goals in the tournament, Kane wore 3 different kit looks in this tournament.

2019 to 2022… The Covid years, which included the delayed Euro 2020 which England reached the final and Kane’s scoring 31 goals in his 40 appearances from 2019 until the start of the World Cup in 2022! There were three Kit Cycles in this time, the main one being the Euro 2020 Kit, which the Primary shirt was only used through the tournament in 2 variations (Navy shorts and White Shorts), the all white look used in the final defeat against Italy.

Kane also had a decent scoring record in the wonderful Blue Secondary Kit in this set, scoring a total 7 Goals in just 5 appearences in this kit, including a Hat-Trick against Albania in November.

2021 was the year that Kane made the most appearances for England with 16 in total, with 16 goals!

World Cup 2022, Kane’s 3rd Tournament as Captain of the Team and another tournament with just the Primary Kit used and like Euro 2020 with 2 variations, one with default navy shorts and one with white shorts.

These kits were used from September 2022 and through-out 2023, a year which he broke the England goal scoring record with a penalty against Italy. The Secondary kit of this set was only used twice and Kane scored just the one goal in it’s first appearance against Germany in The Nations League.

Euro 2024, another tournament for Kane and England, Kane’s 5th in total, 4th as Captain another record which he holds for English National team. The tournament ended in another Final defeat and was also the 3rd Tournament in row England did not wear a change kit, using alternative shorts to provide contrast to the their opponents.

Kane has also scored in current Secondary Kit in it’s only appearance so far against Bosnia & Herzegovina in March 2024 after coming on as a second half substitute, scoring in these 3 kit looks means that he has now scored in 20 different kits total in his England career… (so far)!!

Kit Breakdown – Kane’s Kit usage for England in his 100 Caps.

Goals by Kits – The Kits worn for each of Kane’s 68 England Goals.

  • Primary Kit Goals – 48 Goals in 11 Different Kit Looks
  • Seconadry Kit Goals – 16 Goals in 7 Different Kit Looks
  • 3rd Kit Goals – 2 Goals in 1 Kit Look

Congratuations to Harry Kane on his 100th Cap for England, let me know your favourite Kits in Kane’s England Carrer or any other comments at @Kit_Geek

Euro 2024: Kit Overview

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Euro 2024, Hosted by Germany Kicks off on Friday 14th June with the Hosts taking on Scotland in the opening fixture. The 17th Euros Tournament since they started in 1960 and will be contested by 24 Teams across 6 Groups with 4 Teams in each group, the 3rd Tournament to take this format.

I wanted to document the Kits used in the tournament here as a reference piece for those that want a quick reference Kit Guide.

There will be follow up post of the Kit Usage as we move through the tournament but lets kick off with a Kit Overview…

The Groups

Group A: Germany / Scotland / Hungary / Switzerland

Adidas are prominent in Group A, suppling 3 of the four teams with Puma suppling Switzerland.

Group B: Spain / Croatia / Italy / Albania

Adidas leading the group here, with two teams, Nike and one of the two Teams supplied by Macron (Albania) in this group. Albania also one three teams with a registered 3rd kit, they did manage to wear three different kits in their three group games in EURO 2016

Group C: Slovenia / Denmark / Serbia / England

Nike taking the lead in Group C, with two teams, Puma and the only Hummel kit of the tournament making up the rest of the group.

Group D: The Netherlands / France / Poland / Austria

Nike again leading a group, this time with 3 Teams, Puma making up the group with Austria.

Group E: Ukraine / Slovakia / Belgium / Romania

Joma are supplying two teams in the competition, they are both in Group E (Ukraine / Romania). Adidas and Nike being the two other manufacturers. Romania are one of the three teams that will have three kit options available to them.

Group F: Portugal / Czechia / Georgia / Turkey

Another group with 2 Nike Teams, Puma and the second Macron Nation in this group, interestingly both Countries (Georgia here) supplied by Macron have three different kits (Primary, Secondary, 3rd).

Kit Manufacturers Breakdown

There are just 6 Kit Manufacturers supplying Nations in Euro 2024, with Nike having the most Teams with 9 (37.5%) of teams. Hummel, the only team to provide just one Nation… of course, Denmark.

There will be regular updates across my Social Media Channels of the kits used over the tournament, with my regular deep dive looks after the Group Stages and then a Final Look at the end of the Competition.

There we have it, a reference piece to get you set for the Euros, let me know your thoughts and comments at @Kit_Geek and I hope you enjoy the tournament.

For more European Championship Content…

England & The Euros Kit History

England & The Euros: Kit History

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Euro 2024 is about to start, this is the 17th Euros Finals since they started in 1960 and will be hosted by Germany between 14th June and 14th July 2024.

The European Championship Finals have gone through several different formats since its inception, from just 4 teams for the initial tournaments up to 24 teams since 2016

  • 1960 – 1976, 4 Teams
  • 1980 – 1992, 8 Teams
  • 1996 – 2012, 16 Teams
  • 2016 – Onwards, 24 Teams

Here we have a look at the history of England’s Kits through out the competitions in preparation of this year’s tournament, I did something similar for World Cups originally in 2018 on this site – here and in more detail in Volume 5 of Kit Magazine for the 2022 World Cup.

England have qualifed for 10 out of 17 tournments and played a total of 38 games through their finals appearences.

Kit Overview of Euros

4 Team Tournament: 1968

8 Team Tournaments: 1980, 1988, 1992

16 Team Tournament: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012

24 Team Tournament: 2016, 2021

Tournaments in Detail

1968 – This was only tournament where there was four teams that England Qualified for and was hosted in Italy, as then World Cup Holders, the tournament consisted of two semi-finals and then 3rd/4th Playoff game and Final.. England losing in their Semi-Final against Yugoslavia and then beating The Soviet Union in the 3rd/4th Place game. The kit worn in both games was the same as the kit worn in 1966, the classic England look of that time!

1980 – The next time England qualifed for the Euros was in 1980 again held in Italy, and this was the first tournament that saw of an expansion of teams qualifed doubling to 8 Teams, with group stages added for the first time. England were in Group B, played all their group games in their classic Admiral Primary Kit most famously used in World Cup 82. With a win, draw and loss in the group it meant that England did not go past the group stage, so it was just the three appearences of the Primary Kit, it is also worth noting that the kit did not contain any Admiral Branding as it was not permitted in tournaments at this time.

1988 – England followed a positive World Cup Campaign in 1986 by qualifying for 1988 Tournament in West Germany and England now in Umbro and will be in the Euros until 2016. It was not the most memorable competition on the pitch with three defeats in the three group games meaning they were rock bottom of their group, this probably reflects on the memories of the kit worn, they used their Primarty Kit in all three games and was one of the best Umbro Kits for The Three Lions and had Change and 3rd Kits in the same template.

1992 – The final 8 Team Tournament was also the first time that England qualifed for The Euros in consecutive tournaments, hosted by Sweden it was another campaign that England failed to go past the group stage however the team did manage to draw two games only losing against hosts Sweden which prevented their progression from the Group. It was another tournament that the Primary Kit was the only kit used, and was the same kit that was seen in World Cup ’90, this was the last time an England Kit was used in two major tournaments.

1996 – Euro 96 was the first of the next expansion of the tournament, with 16 Teams qualifying with 4 Groups of 4 teams and the introduction of Quarter-Finals for the first time. England were the Host Nation and coming off the back of failing to qualify for World Cup ’94 there was high expectation of the team to succeed on home soil.

England finished top of their Group and qualifed for the knock out stages for the first time in the Euros. The Primary Kit from Umbro was one that introduced a turquoise blue accent to the kit for the first time and was worn in each of the group games and the penalty win against Spain in the Quarter-Finals.

The Semi-Final was the first time that England used a change kit in Euros History and the first time a change had been used by the team in any major tournament since World Cup ’82. It was one of the most well known kits in England Football History, the Indigo / Grey change kit was one has always drawn a lot of attention and been written about so much over the years… however this was its only tournament appearance.

2000 – Euro 2000 was the first Euros to be Co-Hosted, with Belgium and The Netherlands welcoming 14 other countries to their shores. England took to the new millennium in a classic look that called back to the 60’s in it’s design and remains one of the most under-rated kits worn by The Three Lions. The Primary Kit was worn in their opening group game against Portugal and their final group game against Romania, both ending in 3-2 defeats, which meant they did not progress to the knock out rounds.

Their change was also used against Germany, who were also in their change kit for the game, this was the first time that England played in their traditional Red change colour in Euros Finals. The shirt itself is an interesting design being made of an almost wollen material, one that seems a world away for the structure of shirts made today.

2004 – The following Euros was held in Portugal and was in the middle of the “Golden Generation” of England team, with high expectations of the team and their Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. In the Group they wore their Primary Kit twice and Change Kit once, qualifying from their group for the 2nd time they also wore their Primary Kit in their Penalty defeat against Hosts Portugal.

The Umbro Kit contained a lot more red then seen before, with red shoulder / sleeve taping on the shirt, this was the first England Kit that added a “Star” for their World Cup Victory in 1966, however it was placed on the sleeve of the shirt, not above the crest as normally place. It was also marketed as a reversable shirt, with the reverse being a leisure shirt alternative.

The Change Kit worn against Croatia was again the traditional red shirt but was paired with silver shorts and silver detailing, it also contained “playful” takes on the St.George’s Cross on the shoulders, with a design with paid tribute to the fans with flags drapped on their shoulders.

2012 – England failed to qualify for the 2008 tournament, so their next appearence was in 2012 in the competition hosted by Poland and Ukraine. This was also the final tournament that the team would be wearing Umbro as their Kit manufacturer and it was a new take on their Primary Kit for this tournament.

The kit being all white for the first time in it’s default look, in fact with the National Crest, logo and nameset all in red, there was no navy in the kit at all, also paired with a complementary goalkeeper kit in all red! This Kit was worn in the opening and closing group fixtures as well as the penalty defeat against Italy in the Quarter-Finals.

The Change kit worn against Sweden was another move away from the traditional red, with an All Navy Kit as part of the Tailored by Umbro range, although the default look was with Sky Blue Shorts it was the all navy when it came to an alternative look needed, this was the first time that England wore an alternative look in Euros Finals in their 24th game.

2016 – It was time for change again in Euro 2016, the teams qualifying increased to 24 with 6 Groups of 4 teams and the introduction of Last 16 Knock-out round, meaning teams getting to the final would play a total of 7 games, the same as World Cups. it was also change on the Kit front for England, with Nike now being the kit supplier for their 2nd Major Tournament after the World Cup 2014.

The Primary kit being one of the more controversial kits of The Three Lions’ Kit History, the Nike Vapor Template was a kit look that was paired with contrasting socks, in England’s case it was red socks… with Sky Blue sleeves, this was big change that not all fans were happy with!

For me, I love this kit, I love this template, it’s adventurous and challenges the standard designs!

The Primary Kit was worn in two of the group games and the shock defeat in the Last 16 game against Iceland, their Change Kit was worn against Slovakia which is the same template as the Primary in red and blue.

2020 – Due to the Covid Pandemic the 2020 tournament was postponed one year, so took place in 2021 and was held across Europe with 11 Countries / Cities hosting games, celebrating 60 years of the Tournament. England hosting games across the Group Stages and Knock-out rounds including both Semi-Finals and Final all at Wembley Stadium.

England, again with Nike went for a more classic look for their Kit, with Navy Blue shorts paired with a classic looking shirt and rounded collar, also a return of a central Crest for the first time since 2004.

England however did use alternative white shorts in all of their Group Games and contunied the All White look into their Knock-Out Last 16 game against Germany, it was not until the Quarter-Final match against Ukraine that they wore Navy Shorts, which would be for the first time in the Euros Since their Quarter-Final defeat against France in 2004, 17 years earlier. The same look was used in their Semi-Final victory against Denmark.

In the Final against Italy, it was a return to All White again, meaning they wore their Primary Kit through-out the tournament’s 7 Games, the first time a change kit was not worn by England in The Euros Finals since 1992.

Again, a final look at all the Kits worn in the 10 Tournaments and 38 Games of England at The Euros over the past 56 Years

  • Primary Kits: 33 (28 Default, 5 Variations) – 87% Kit Usage
  • Change Kits: 5 (4 Default, 1 Variation) – 13% Kit Usage

There we have it, let me know your thoughts and comments about England at the Euros over at @Kit_Geek

The Heat Press: England Kits 2024/25

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It is that time again for The Heat Press to fire up, as we take a more detailed look at the new England Kits for 2024/25 released by Nike on Monday 18th March 2024.

Nike have been Kit Manufacturer for The Three Lions since 2013 and these kits are sixth set of kits produced by the US Giants in this time with both the Home (Primary) and Away (Secondary) kits released at the same time which is now the standard for International Kit Launches, as well as being in a Major Tournament Year.

Home (Primary)

Tradition remains with the Home Kit, white shirt, navy blue shorts and white socks. The shorts and detailing within the appears to be a little darker than its predecessor.

The shirt is one for the traditionalists, with its blue collar which appears to be interesting in design, almost a hybrid between a “flappy” and fixed collar, not sure it will be one of those players and fans that like the “popped” collar look in their shirts.

I do like the detailing on the cuffs, the use of both red and a lighter royal blue works well (along with some purple) and give me some 1982 Admiral vibes, a subtle but nice detail that I am all for in this case.

Some nice detail on the back of the collar, with a St George’s Cross design using some of the collar palette of the full kit range here, using the the same colours as the cuff bands from what I can see.

The blue side panel is another element within the design of the shirt, it appears to be an evolution of the “lightening” style side panel from 2021/22 Home Shirt and a design feature often seen within shirts in recent years from several kit designers.

Taking a closer look at the rest of the kit. With the shorts there is a nice trim, which replicates the cuffs on the shirt with red and royal blue, with this being placed at the bottom of the short also provides a different look and something not really seen in England Kits since the Mid 90s. Finally we see the use of red / royal bands in the sock cuffs, so this element runs through out the whole kit, something I am very much in favour of.

Away (Secondary)

This is where we see a change from the norm. In terms of tradition, I am not one of the those that believes England’s Secondary Kit should always be Red, I am more than happy with alternative colours being explored and my favourite Kit of all time is the 1988 England 3rd Kit, which is Sky Blue!

The 2024/25 Kit is one that brings a new colour to the England Kit Palette, offically labelled as “Dark Raisin”, it is a shade of purple, almost dark indigo (1996 Vibes anyone??) and I think it works really well and the overall design of the kit appears to be quite a classic look, with a simple but really nice wrap around collar and with the cuffs match the colour of the shirt to give a different feel from Primary Kit.

Where the design moves away from the traditional feel, is in the side panel… an interesting array of colours and patterns but given its placement within the shirt does not take away from the overall look of the shirt (and shorts). In the published blurb from Nike regarding the Kit they describe these panels as the following:

“Graphic side panels on the Away kit pay homage to forward-thinking fashionistas“

Now, I am not sure about that but the important thing to me is how it looks, and I think it works well, bravo to those forward thinking fashionistas!

I want spend a moment to appreciate the National Crest in this Kit, this is beautiful and might well be my favourite England Crest seen on Kit ever… it is beautiful, the colour choices work so well, the deep red of the roses, the gold lions just perfect…!

One design element that would like to have seen is with the Star above the National Crest, which signifies England’s soliatry World Cup Win, being in the same colour as Crest / Logo (Navy in Primary and Gold in Secondary) would have been my preference, rather than the same shade as the shirt

This has been the case for a few years now so I do wonder if its a choice by the FA rather than Nike as it has blended into the shirt in all but the first Nike shirts from back in 2013.

In Summary….

The more I look at the kits the more I like what I see, of course final judgement will be given when the kits are seen in action which will be in the fixtures against Brazil (Saturday 23rd March) where it is reported the Secondary Kit will worn and Belgium (Tuesday 26th March) where we will see the Primary Kit.

There are some elements of the kits that I really do like, in the Primary Kit, the Red / Blue bands in cuffs of the shirt, shorts and socks is something I think works well in bringing the whole kit together and in particular the shorts are really nice.

The Secondary Kit is a brave design desicion in terms of colour, which I applaud, the crest is wonderful and really works with the colour of the kit and although I not 100% sure on the reasons behind the side panels, I do really like the design of them and the colours used, so a big thumbs up from on that Kit!

Regular followers will know I track all kinds of kits in my very unique way, here is my illistration of the two kits all set for Euro 2024 Kit Log.

The Kit is exclusive to the England Store from Thursday 21st March 2024 for one week before it goes on general sale at other sites and can be purchased from here

What are your thoughts about the new England Kits, like or dislike?? Let me know at @Kit_Geek or in the comments below

Kit History: Crystal Palace

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UPDATED TO INCLUDED 2024/25 SEASON

This is the first in what I hope is a new feature on the Kit Geek Site, where we take a deeper look into the Kit History of one club, the manufacturers, the kits, the highs and lows over the years. Most of these reviews with start from 1970’s where Kit Manufacturer details become more prevalent in kit design and for the moment will only look at the club’s Home Kits (maybe change kits will come in the future).

The first club I want to take a look at is Crystal Palace, the reason for this is that over the years The Eagles have adorned kits from almost every major (and some minor) kit makers out there so the perfect club to kick start this series!

Kit History Overview

  • Umbro – 1975 to 1977
  • Admiral – 1977 to 1980
  • Adidas – 1980 to 1984
  • Hummel – 1984 to 1987
  • Admiral – 1987 to 1988
  • Bukta – 1988 to 1992
  • Ribero – 1992 to 1994
  • Nutmeg – 1994 to 1996
  • Adidas – 1996 to 1999
  • TFG Sports – 1999 to 2001
  • Le Coq Sportif – 2001 to 2003
  • Admiral – 2003 to 2004
  • Diadora – 2004 to 2007
  • Errea – 2007 to 2009
  • Nike – 2009 to 2012
  • Avec – 2012 to 2014
  • Macron – 2014 to 2018
  • Puma – 2018 to 2022
  • Macron – 2022 to current season

That is a staggering 19 changes in Kit Manufacturer, with 15 different Kit Makers over a near 50 year period, so you can see why Crystal Palace was the best place to start for a look at a club’s Kit History.

Umbro – 1975 to 1977

The first brand to be visible on the shirts was Umbro, in the two seasons that Classic English Manufacturer provided Kits we saw the two classic looks that The Eagles are most famous for, the red / blue stripes and the wonderful white sash kit, introduced for the first time by Manager Malcolm Allison in the 1975/76 season. Something to note would be the placement of the crest and logo on the Sash Shirt, being reversed from it’s traditional placement.

Admiral – 1977 to 1980

The next Kit Manufacturer was Admiral, this would be the first of three times they would provide Kits for Crystal Palace over the years. In this period there was very little change to the look of the Kit over the three seasons, again it was the Sash Kit to be used as the Home Kit which this time included the classic Admiral Taping on the sleeves, there were some variants of shirts with different locations of the Brand Logo.

Adidas – 1980 to 1984

For the start of the 1980/81 season it was Adidas who became the Kit provider, one of three manufacturers to have more than one stint for the club. They provided kits for four seasons in total, with the first three following the sash look, meaning this kit look was used for seven seasons in a row before a return to red and blue stripes in 1983/84, the final season for this Adidas run!

Hummel – 1984 to 1987

It was now Danish (well German / Danish) company Hummel to take the reins from 1984 and it was return to sash kit as the Home Kit, with the classic Hummel Chevrons on the sleeves. Through-out the three seasons, there was no change to actual kit, however there was a change of sponsorship during this time, which each of the three seasons having three slightly different looks, 84/85 had no sponsorship… however it is the 86/87 version that I am drawn to the most, with an interesting and unique sponsor placement on the shirt.

Admiral – 1987 to 1988

The return of Admiral for their second time in supplying kits also brought a return to Red / Blue Stripes as the Home Kit look, a change from their previous incarnations of this look though was in the shorts and socks, with Red being the first choice colour for these elements of the kits. Although Admiral only returned for a single season, there appears to be two sponsors used in this season, with the second of these being a classic Crystal Palace Sponsor, Virgin Airlines with their tagline “Fly Virgin”.

Bukta – 1988 to 1992

Bukta became the fifth Kit Manufacturer for The Eagles, and this provided a couple of kits over the four years… with a slight change in the kits between 1988 and 1990, with the Bukta Brand Logo being updated between these two seasons, the second kit seen gave us a change in the order of the stripes, with Blue being the central stripe from 1990/91 season, the first time since the Mid 70s.

Ribero – 1992 to 1994

A rare occurrence happened in December 1992, when Ribero took over from Bukta in supplying the kits mid-season. However the first kit, there was minimal chanage to the previous 92/93 shirt, with some change to design of the shorts / socks. The following season, saw what was the only Ribero designed kit produced for the club, with a return of red being the central stripe!

Nutmeg – 1994 to 1996

Another 90s Brand was used for two seasons, from 1994… in their first season Nutmeg changed very little from the previous kit incarnation but their second kit from 95/96 season was a shift in look and design, firstly introducing white trim to the central red stripe but also had the blue strips fade into the overall red look of the shirt, there was also an interesting placement of the manufacturer logo, which being below the sponsor also meant is was on the navel of the players!

Adidas – 1996 to 1999

The return of Adidas for Crystal Palace, provided two very distinctive and two very different looks not seen yet in the club’s history.

The first kit was used for two seasons between 1996 / 1998 and saw a return to slimmer more standarised red and blue stripes, although not new for The Eagles, this kit was paired with white shorts and socks in its look (The shirt being the same one one worn by Adidas Giants Bayern Munich in 96/97 season).

The second kit, worn in 1998/99 season saw a predominantly red kit, with just blue side panels and white Adidas stripes heavily featuring in the kit.

TFG Sports – 1999 to 2001

TFG Sportswear, a South Africian sportswear manufacturer were the kit makers through the turn of the century for Palace. They provided kits for two season, but it was just the one home kit used through that time and was a return to a more classic red / blue striped shirt paired with red shorts and socks, this was the last time a kit was used for more than one season by the club.

Le Coq Sportif – 2001 to 2003

The Classic French Manufacturer was next to provide kits, again for a two year period, however this time we did see two different kits in these two seasons.

The 2001/02 shirt had red sleeves being used along with red shorts and red socks containing a large blue band and cuffs, to provide a balanced look.

The 2002/03 version was a very different look, with navy blue being added to the colour palette. There were blue sleeves on this shirt but shorts and socks were navy blue with red / blue details.

Admiral – 2003 to 2004

The return of Admiral for their third and final stint as Kit Provider, however as in their previous return it was for the single season but this gave us one of the most interesting in overall design for a Home Kit in the Club’s History.

Mantaining the use of Navy Blue in the kit from the previous season, the red and blue striped shirt added navy in the shirt’s side panels but also introduced red and blue stripes in the shirt’s sleves and into the shorts trim, add some white pipping and there is a lot going on here, but I will be honest one of my favourite kit looks for The Eagles!

Diadora – 2004 to 2007

The Tenth Kit Manufacturer on our list, is Diadora with the Italian company providing kits over three season, with a new look for each season!

Navy being ditched (well apart from the collar) in the 2004/05 Kit, for a return for a more classic Crystal Palace look.

In 2005/06 the predominance of blue was the choice of design with thicker central red stripe and red side panels, the final Diadora Kit was a return to red shorts and socks, but the thicker stripes remained with blue being the central stripe here.

It is also worth mentioning that Diadora also produced a fourth Home Kit design, this one was the Centenary Celebration Kit worn a handful of times in 2005, which was inspired by the colours first use by the club (claret and blue) with another classic all white look used by The Eagles.

Errea – 2007 to 2009

Another Italian maker was next to be provide Kits for Palace. Errea was used for two seasons, the first providing a unique take on the red and blue stripes, with the stripes being of different lengths to give the illusion of inverted triangle within the shirt’s design.

For the 2008/09 it was a return to the Sash Kit as the first choice Home Kit the first time since 1986/87 season 21 years earlier, with nice use of red / blue trim in the shorts and socks. Although appearing several times as a change kits design option, this is the last time the look has been used as the Home Kit.

Nike – 2009 to 2012

It was Nike’s turn to provide the Kits in 2009. Over the three seasons they supplied Crystal Palace, it was very much Teamwear kits on show.

The 2009/10 version was paired with blue shorts and socks, in the shirt there was no central stripe this time something not seen before from what I can tell, the white collar did also add something slightly different to look here.

In 2010/11 season red short and socks returned, along with the central stripe on the shirt, this was the last time that red shorts and socks have been used as first choice.

The 2011/12 Kit bounced the blue shorts and socks back, the shirt also returned thicker stripes with a jagged pattern to them.

Avec – 2012 to 2014

The Kits between 2012 and 2014 were interesting, although produced by Avec they did not carry the manufacturers logo on the shirts, only on shorts and socks.

The 2012/13 version had “Founded 1905” in place of the logo, and provided a design that containted two thick red stripes, with red sleeves and introduced yellow as a trim colour through-out the kit, the stripes in this shirt are influenced from the shirts from the earlier 70’s which used the same style of thick stripes.

The second kit produced provided a first in the club’s history with a halved red and blue shirt whilst maintaining the yellow collar, with adding yellow cuffs for the first time.

Macron – 2014 to 2018

Another Italian Kit Manufacturer in Macron became provider in Summer of 2014 and would supply kits for the next four seasons, with new kits in each of these.

2014/15 continued the recent trend with yellow detailing / trim but returned to a more classic red and blue striped kit.

2015/16, again saw the removal of a central stripe to give an appearence of almost a halved shirt with alternate red and blue sleeves.

2016/17 was another change in look, this time it was almost an Ajax style kit in it’s design, with blue making the body of the shirt flanked with red side and sleeves,

The final Macron Kit in this run in 2017/18 went back to classic stripes, with a blue central stipe, all four kits being paired with blue shorts and socks.

Puma – 2018 to 2022

Crystal Palace completed being supplied by the “Big Three” Kit Manufacturers when Puma supplied their kits, another four year deal with four Home Kits over the four seasons but four very different looks used.

2018/19, an interesting design with the red stripes fading into the blue to blend into the blue shorts, yellow remained as the trim colour within collar and cuffs.

2019/20, another new element introduced into the kit, with a white pinstripe added to the blue stripes to give a classy look to the shirt, a nice pair socks also added to the overall kit look, working with the overall kit balance.

2020/21, white was removed from the kit (aside from logos), and the red central stripe returned for the first time in 10 years but this time the stipes were used to create a central point, with blue sleeves and chest panel… using the stripes in another way that worked well.

2021/22, the most radical of the Puma designs, with a diagonal take to the stipes paired with red sleeves.

Macron – 2022 to current season

Marcon, the third manufacturer to have more than one stint as kit makers for Crystal Palace returned in 2022.

2022/23 Kit provided another interesting take on stripes, with “scribbled” effect working well and giving us something new in it’s design.

That finally brings us to this season’s kit, and a return to a halved shirt after ten years since its first appearence in their Home kit design, this shirt contains some fantastic detailing of the design of the Original Crystal Palace building and one of my favourite Home Kits in the Club’s history.

2024/25 – Macron have delivered some interesting designs in their second spell with the club and the 24/25 Kit is the most “out there” effort, combining the traditional red and blue stripes with a repeating pattern of the Club’s Eagle crest, the pattern also is used in the shorts and the overall design gives a feather effect into the kit, a brave choice but one that I think works well, it stands out and is something a little different, whilst maintaining the club colours.

There we have it, 49 years, 41 kits, 15 manufacturers… what are you favourite Crystal Palace Kits from over the years and what clubs would you like to see feature in future Kit History Deep Dives, let me know at @Kit_Geek or in the comments below.

As part of my research of this article I used the following for sourcing information:

Kit Manufacturers Breakdown: 2023/24

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I created a graphic this week that showed a breakdown of the Kit Manufacturers of the current 92 English League Clubs from Premier League and EFL for this current season.

So thought I would create something with a little more detail for those Kit Nerds and Geeks out there, a form of reference guide for Kits and Clubs for the 2023/24 Season.

2024/25 Season can be found here

Overview of Kit Manufacturers

Breakdown per Manufacturer (In good old fashioned League Ladders Style)!

Puma – 16 Teams

Macron – 15 Teams

Umbro – 13 Teams

Adidas – 9 Teams

Castore – 7 Teams

Nike – 7 Teams

Errea – 6 Teams

Hummel – 4 Teams

Joma – 3 Teams

New Balance – 2 Teams

O’Neills – 2 Teams

Oxen – 2 Teams

That Leaves six teams, each being the only club that their manufacturer supplies.

FBT – Crewe Alexandra (League Two)

Kappa – Hull City (Championship)

Kelme – Watford (Championship)

Mills – Tranmere Rovers (League Two)

Tag – Burton Albion (League One)

VX3 – Newport County (League Two)

So there we have it, 92 Team, 18 manufacturers and all the details you may need.

Any surprises there, any thoughts and comments please let me know?

2024/25 Season can be found here

England v Scotland, not looking like England v Scotland

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On Tuesday 12th September Scotland will host England at Hampden Park in the 150th Anniversary Heritage Match to mark the first meeting between the two sides in 1872. This is part of the year of events from the Scottish FA to celebrate the history of the association.

The original match is recognised by FIFA as football’s first-ever international match, at The West of Scotland Cricket Club in Glasgow, in front of a crowd of 4000 People.

The kits of the first match set the tone of majority of the 115 meetings between the two nations with Scotland in dark blue shirts. (however, not the origin of the blue Scotland shirt) and England wore white shirts. England wore caps, while the Scots wore red cowls.

When you think of England v Scotland in terms of kits the traditional look is often considered as the following…

Scotland – Navy Blue Shirts / White Shorts / Red Socks (occasionly Navy Socks with red turnovers)

England – White Shirts / Navy Blue Shorts / White Socks

However….

As part of the qualification of the 2018 World Cup, Scotland and England were drawn together in Group F and the Kit Designs of that time from Nike (England) and Adidas (Scotland) were the following…

Scotland’s Primary Kit was paired with white sleeves and navy socks, with England’s Primary Kit having “Sky Blue” sleeves and Red socks… and created what was considered to be a sleeve clash between the two kits

So when the two teams met in their group games, secondary kits were used by the Away Country to give a new look for both games of this most historic of International fixtures…

On 11th November 2016, the match at Wembley (3-0 to England) gave us Scotland in their Pink Secondary Kit, with Black Shorts and Socks…

The return fixture at Hampden Park on June 10th 2017 (finishing 2-2), saw England in their secondary kit paired with Red Home socks to give an all red look for The Three Lions.

Both fixtures proved controversial in terms of kits, traditionalists on both sides expressed their disappointment on the choice of kits of the countries, however given the kit guidelines of the time there was no option for the primary kits to be used in this campaign.

An “honourable” mention to when the two countries met in Group D of Euro 2020 at Wembley on 18th June 2021, in the goal-less draw the teams wore just a single colour each, with England in All White and Scotland in All Navy, this due to the default Scotland look being all Navy at this Tournament, but those complaining at what happened in 2016/17 should take comfort in the fact that both nations wear in their Primary Shirt Colours.

For the match on Tuesday 12th September 2023, Scotland will wear their special 150th Anniversary Kit which was first worn in the Euro 2024 qualifying match against Cyprus on 25th March 2023, this will be the second and final appearence of this quite wonderful kit.

England, although wearing their current default Primary Kit from Nike for the actual match, they will be wear a one-off Pre-Match Shirt containing the National Crest worn in 1872…. many fans commenting that should this kit be worn in the actual game… I will let you decide your opionion on that one!

There we have it, England v Scotland, not looking like England v Scotland, let me know your thoughts in the comments below and of course all shares of this post are appreciated.

World Cup ’22 Kit Log – Group Stage Round 1

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The World Cup is well and truly underway, we have now seen each of the 32 Nations take to the field, so time to have a look at the kits worn so far by each of the teams.

I am still not 100% sure whether the “Home” and “Away” kit labels are completely correct when it comes to International Tournaments, I will refer to them as “Primary” and “Secondary” choice kits.

Groups A and B

A few stats….

For the total of 32 kit appearances, we have seen “Primary” Kits (and variations) used 87.5% and “Secondary” kits (and variations) used 12.5% of the time, with only four Nations in their secondary kit!

Primary – 22

Primary variations – 6 (Ecuador, USA, Wales, Argentina, Spain, Cameroon)

Secondary – 3

Secondary variations – 1 (Saudi Arabia) 

Groups C and D

A part from the Day 1 and Day 2 (which totalled 4 games), we are seeing 4 games a day, so the tournament is motoring along now and it is great to see the kits finally on display.

Adidas wearing coming into the tournament with some of the best kits on show and they have not disappointed in action, with Japan being a particular highlight. One downside from the Adidas Kit point of view was seeing Spain in all red, rather than the default navy shorts and socks, from what I understand this was driven by FIFA and both Spainish Federation and Adidas preferring to use navy in this game.

One thing that seems to have reduced from recent World Cups, is single colour kits… so far there has been only 5 games which we have seen both teams in a single colour for their full kit (I am including Senegal in this who do have a multi-coloured chest chevron), I hope this is something that continues through the rest of the tournament.

Groups E and F

Canada appearing in their first World Cup since 1986 have been dealt a bit a raw deal with their Kit Situation, based on the contract they currently have with Nike means they are the only team at this World Cup that are not in a “New” Kit but one they have had in place since 2021. I am sure this will change in the next Tournament where the Canadians are Co-Hosts.

Groups G and H

Switzerland v Cameroon gave us the unusual site of red v green, often not allowed due to impacts of colourblind supporters / viewers, the contrast in this particular match up was given by just yellow Cameroon socks, normally its the shorts that are changed to give the contrast between the kits.

Overall kit highlights for me…

Argentina v Saudi Arabia Kit Match up, the best so far for me.. Argentina in alternative black socks, Saudi Arabia in Away shirt / Home shorts and socks mash up, what’s not to like here!

The subtle detail in the Wales Shirt… yes it is a template shirt but that does not make it bad thing, the detail works really well and give the shirt a lttle more depth!

Japan’s Primary Kit, a favourite amougst the Kit Community and it’s clear to see why.. the detail in the shirt works well and the use of red trim and yellow numbers also gives the kit a different feel…. could the pattern also be on the back of the shirt, maybe… but we can’t have it all!

Nike have received some critisim for the kits they have produced for the World Cup but the France Primary Kit is one of the best on their roster. I tweeted about how nice it would have been for the boots to be gold here as well, creating a fully complementary kit look with the gold details.

Well, why not… what an image to capture the moment and the kit…!!

Round 1 of games is now complete, what are your favourite kits on show and will we see more variations of kits through out round 2 of games? Let me know in the comments below of over at @Kit_Geek on Twitter

England x Nike – 2022

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After months of speculation, rumour and DH Gate Knock offs, we have now seen the release of the Nike Kits for England for 2022/23, in effect the World Cup 2022 Kits.

I have thoughts…. I will always save final judgement of a kit when it is seen in action for the first time, however I did want to take some time and have look at the Kits as they have been presented to us so far!

Home

The home kit at first glance takes a lot of influence from the Umbro Home Kit worn between 1995-96, famously known as the kit worn at Euro 96, this is mainly due to the introduction of a light (almost turquoise) blue as one of the key detail of the kit.

The biggest element of change and controversy to the shirt, is with the shoulders and the introduction of blue in this part of the shirt, here is where for me the shirt takes more influence from 1980-83 Admiral shirt, worn at the 1982 World Cup… interesting one of the most loved shirts in England kit history but this one has initially not gone down as well! It’s an interesting design choice and something different in an England kit, these are always positive elements in my eyes, so I am falling on the side “Love It” of what is going to a “Marmite” shirt for many people.

The shorts are a lighter shade of blue that we have seen with previous kits, although still on the darker shade of the blue spectrum there is a significant change.  Matched with the light blue trim, again giving us those Euro 96 vibes.

Away

Immediately, thoughts go to 1990 and the away kit of the time… in fact that was the registered away shirt between 1990 and 1993, however was not used at Italia 90 and was not worn in 1993… but back to the present…

The shirt is clearly an adaptation of that Umbro shirt, with changes in the colour elements and for me this is what makes the kit a lot more interesting, the way that the light blue element seen in the home kit is also used in the away, the National Crest being blue really works for me the trim in the navy blue collar and the Nike “Tick” all taking this blue and creating something new in England’s Kit History.

Red shorts, returning with the red shirt means a return to all red as the default away look, which will be the first time this is the case since 1994-95 Away kit, yes we have seen all red many times of the years but this has always been alternative shorts used.

My final thoughts, these are interesting kits whether you like them or not one new in design with more subtle nods to the past, the other is a more traditional looking shirt and possible playing to “crowd” as an almost direct copy of kit it is paying tribute too, in my opinion treating these kits as a set Nike have given us a balance to their offering for their latest offering to England National Team and I look forward to seeing them in action.

One last thing… if you do not like them, their lifecycle will be fairly short… there will new kits in 18 months’ time!

Let me know your thoughts over at @Kit_Geek or in the comments below.