Tag: sport

England Kit History: 2000-2009

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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, you can find the following, with this piece being the penultimate deep dive into a single decade.

It’s the 21st Century and England played 117 Games between 2000 and 2009, is the most games played by England Men’s Team in a decade, which The Three Lions wore their Primary (Home) Kit 87 times and Secondary Kits 30 times, no 3rd kit this time! However, it was the most time change kits have been worn with 25.5%, just over a quarter of the total games played.

The 2000s was a decade where England’s kits were solely supplied by Umbro but as we will see the frequency of changing was becoming an annual event for at least one kit.

2000 – 2001

England entered the 21st Century with kits they ended the 20th Century in, this is only year in this decade that we do not see a new kit in, as theme to rotate new Primary and Secondary Kits each year is in full swing in the 00’s!

2000 Started with England playing three games in a row in their secondary kit, in fact this year England played four games at home this year and wore this secondary kit in all of these games against Argentina, Brazil, Ukraine and Germany in the final game at the Old Wembley Stadium.

At the Euro 2000, England failed to make it past the group stages and wore their Home Kit in the defeats to Portugal and Romania, however their solitary victory in the tournament against Germany gave us the rare sight of these countries both playing in their Secondary Kits!

The final game of the year, against Italy was the final run out of then Primary Kit, one of the most under-rated kits in their Kit History was only used for 19 months and just 12 games.

2001 kicked off with England’s first Foreign Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson in charge and also started with a new Primary Kit and it was the re-introduction of red into the kit, with a thin stripe now included that went through the crest on both shirt and shorts!

The following game against Finland was the only (and final) appearance of Secondary Kit, having worn this kit seven times between 1999 and 2001, six of these appearances were in Home Games, the other as mentioned above in Euro 2000!

We did see a variation of the Primary Kit with white shorts, the all white look was used in two games and famously worn then David Beckham scored an injury time free kick to send England to 2002 World Cup!

2002 – 2003

2002, a tournament year and time for a new Secondary Kit, this one was a first… the version for sale was a reversible shirt, with the red football shirt containing a navy leisure shirt on it’s reverse! It made its first on pitch use against Italy in March but was most well known for being worn at 2002 World Cup against Argentina and was worn five time that year!

2003, started with the only appearance of a Secondary Kit that year and the final use of the reversible Secondary Kit, in a game against Australia which Wayne Rooney made his debut for England in one of 11 half time substitutes!

This year’s new kit was a Primary Kit and it was an evolution of previous kit, with more red being introduced into the kit, with sleeve trim being solid red and like the secondary kit it was also reversible with an alternative leisure shirt for the versions that were sold to fans!

One of the most important aspects of this shirt was the introduction of the “Star”, a single star was added to an England Shirt for the first time to signify their World Cup win in 1966. Although not it was not place above the crest, which returned to a central position as seen in the 90s, the star was located on left sleeve of the shirt!

All white was starting to become a regular alternative for England in these years, this look was worn three times in 2003.

2004 – 2005

There was a new Secondary Kit launched in 2004, and another red shirt and the current theme of the St.George’s cross influenced a secondary kit for the first time, with small crosses placed on the shoulders which was to represent fans having scarfs wrapped around their shoulders!

A big difference with this kit was the introduction of silver, the details, including nameset was silver and the shorts were also silver in colour, there was also a small piece of gold, with the star now located above the Crest for the first time in England Kit History.

This kit was worn 7 times in 14 games of 2004, the most we have seen in a single year and half of the total games, however it was only worn once in Euro 2004 tournament!

Another Primary Kit was introduced, and that St.George’s cross theme continued once again, with a single cross on the right shoulder, the World Cup winning start was placed above the crest on a Primary shirt for first time!

This kit was worn once in all white this year, when England played in USA against Colombia, there is something about this all white look that did not work for me and a little jarring compared with the all white looks used in the previous two kits!

2006 – 2007

2006 kicked off a run of 3 years in a row where new kits were worn in the opening games of the year, this time is was another Secondary kit and you guessed it, the St.George’s cross was the theme again with a cross detail on the right shoulder, however silver detailing was upgraded to gold…

A larger crest gave this shirt a more classic feel and was influenced by the kit worn 40 years earlier when England lifted the World Cup!

The Primary Kit was worn 10 times out of the 14 games this year and for the second major tournament in a row England wore their Secondary Kit just once in the group stages! The only one variation was used when the all white with this kit returned for it’s 2nd and final outing against Croatia!

2007 started with a new Primary Kit and there was a lot going on with this shirt, lots of detail, asymmetric patterns, a couple of Umbro Logos and some shoulder tapping!

England returned to a rebuilt Wembley Stadium in this kit, wearing in their first game under the Wembley Arch against Brazil having played across the Country since September 2000!!

This kit was in 11 times of 12 games in 2007, with alternative white shorts being used 3 times (two of these games at home)!

The only appearance of the secondary kit was the game against Estonia in June, which was the final appearance of the 2006 Secondary Kit, being just used 5 times in total!

2008 – 2009

England failed to qualify for Euro 2008, so the year start with another new kit (Secondary this time) and England’s second foreign manager with Fabio Capello taking charge of The Three Lions!

The new Secondary Kit was one of those forgotten kits, possbily due the fact that England failed to reach a major tournament so it was not seen on this stage!

It seem to be Umbro’s take on classic Admiral look of 1982, with blue (navy in this case) and white panels across the crest, a little more subtle than the Admiral version but an interesting look for the time!

This was another year which gave us half the games England played in a Secondary Kit, wearing it 5 times in total out of 10 games that year! England ending 2008 with 3 different kit looks in 3 games, wearing the current Primary Kit in it’s default look for the final time against Belarus in October!

The year ended with England wearing their briefly used Secondary Kit for the last time, this would also be the last time we see England in Secondary colours this decade.

England started 2009 in an all white look against Spain, using this Primary Kit for its final use and the busy design that had been used since 2007 was replaced with a Kit that in it’s visual concept was at the other end of the spectrum of what we had previously seen!

This was the “Tailored by Umbro” era and its first kit was what is considered by many kit lovers and England fans to be one of the finest kits in Three Lions Kit History!

Simple in it’s design, give us a wonderfully classic look and also moved away from blue shorts as default choice being all white and details within the shorts also being white to add to the clean look of the kit!

This kit was worn for the next 7 games, the longest “Kit-Streak” of a single kit look being used this decade and was worn 10 out of the 11 games that year!

The only game where all white was not used was against Ukraine which gave us navy shorts as an alternative look for the first time!

This made 2009 the first year since 1980 in which England did not wear a change kit in a calendar year!

Breakdown per year – 117 Games in Total

  • 2000 – 11 Games
    • 1 Primary Kit Variation
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 2001 – 10 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 2002 – 13 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 2003 – 11 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 2004 – 14 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 2005 – 11 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 2006 – 14 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 2007 – 12 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 2008 – 10 Games
    • 2 Primary Kit Variations
    • 1 Secondary Kit Variation
  • 2009 – 11 Games
    • 3 Primary Kit Variations

Well, that is the 2000’s completed, 117 games in total, little in kit variations with only Primary Kit used in All White as an different Kit Look but there were six official primary and five secondary kits used.

I will return with a look back at the 2010’s for the final installment in these deep dive looks (well until the end of 2029!).

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

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:

League Two – 100 Kits!

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League Two Clubs are the gift that keeps on giving for us Kit Geeks, on Saturday 10th February we saw the 100th Kit Variation used by the 24 clubs in League Two in 362 Games, for comparison in whole of the 2022/23 season there were a total 94 Kits used, this number was surpassed just under half way through the season with Newport County wearing a kit mash up that contained Away Shirt / Home Shorts / 3rd Socks on at Wrexham on 23rd December 2023.

So where have the 100 kits come from?

The way that I define it is a discintive look, so taking all the elements of the kit (Shirt / Shorts / Socks) and then reviewing how that look is made up and the differences in the kit looks, so a club’s default home kit would be one look and then if the home shirt is worn with default shorts but away kit socks, that becomes a new kit variation.

Overview:

  • 24 – Home Kits
  • 15 – Home Kit Variations
  • 24 – Away Kits
  • 11 – Away Kit Variations
  • 20 – 3rd Kits
  • 5 – 3rd Kit Variations
  • 1 – 4th / Special Kit

Looking at the Clubs in more detail, these kits are in order of their appearence this season and the number of times each kit has been used underneath it, this information is correct up to Saturday 10th February.

Accrington Stanley – 4 Kit used, with the Home, Away and 3rd Kits joined by a Home Kit with alternative white socks!

AFC Wimbledon – One of the ten teams to use just Home, Away and 3rd Kits

Barrow AFC – Another team with Home, Away and 3rd Kits

Bradford City – Home, Away and 3rd Kits for The Bantams

Colchester United – Three Kit variations for Colchester, however just Home and Away, with an Away variation with alternative white socks!

Crawley Town – The most variations of the 100 Kits is from Crawley Town with 8 Kits, with different elements of each of the three kits being used to create three different Home Kit looks, three Away Kits and two 3rd Kit variations. The final variation used was the 100th Kit of the Season, their Default 3rd Kit (White / Black / White) used at Crewe Alexandra.

Crewe Alexandra – 5 Kits used by Crewe, with Home and Away variations combined with the three default kits.

Doncaster Rovers – 4 Kits used, with Home Kit with away shorts being used as a variation, we are still to see their default Away Kit this season!

Forest Green Rovers – Just Home, Away and 3rd Kits used (in that order as well).

Gillingham – Our 5th Team with just Home, Away and 3rd Kits

Grimsby Town – 5 Kits for Grimsby, with mash ups of socks between Home and Away Kits

Harrogate Town – Another team to use socks to create mash up looks, Home and 3rd Kits in Harrogate’s case

Mansfield Town – Home, Away and 3rd Kits

Milton Keynes Dons – Another team with just Home, Away and 3rd Kits

Morecambe – Although just having Home and Away Kits this season, Morecambe have used alternative white socks and mash ups to create 5 Kit Variations in total

Newport County – One of two teams to use 7 Kit Variations, however the only team in League Two (and EFL / Premier League) to use a 4th Kit this season, also using two different Home Looks, three Away and 3rd Kit!

Notts County – Another team to use just Home and Away Kits, with alternative white shorts and socks being used to create a second Home Kit look

Salford City - The 2nd Team with 7 Kit Variations, again another team using element of the kits to create different looks, Salford’s however have only used Black Shorts / Socks and White Shorts / Socks to create the look with their three different shirts.

Stockport County – The 8th Team Home, Away and 3rd Kits

Sutton United – Home, Away and 3rd Kits

Swindon Town – 4 Kits, with Home combined with 3rd Socks to create an alternative look

Tranmere Rovers – The Final team with just Home, Away and 3rd Kits, also Tranmere’s Home kit at this moment is the most used kit in League Two with 23 appearences in their 31 games so far (correct as of 12th February)

Walsall – The only that has used 6 Kit Variations this season so far, Walsall are one of my favourite teams for kit usage, often creating different looks with their kit elements, this season has seen two Home Kits, three Away and just the default 3rd Kit used.

Wrexham – 4 Kits looks, with the alternative variation of Away and Home socks being 4 times so far this season!

As mentioned above the 100th Kit used was Crawley Town’s use of their default 3rd Kit against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday 10th February 2024.

Kit Grid – Up to 12th February, this shows what the fixtures were for this season so far!

One Final look, at when the Kits were worn… this view shows you at which match the new kit look / variation was first used, for example… AFC Wimbledon wore their Home Kit in their first game, 3rd Kit in their 3rd game and Away Kit in their 4th game..!

There we have it 100 Kits of League Two, let me know your thoughts and comments below or over at @Kit_Geek

Kit Variations – English Leagues

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I am always looking for new ways to visualise what I do, as regular followers will know I like to look into the details of the Kits worn across various football competitions, so this is a post to consolidate some of that data and it will be one that will be flexible and be updated as we move through the rest of the 2023/24 Season!

One of those things that I look at are the variations of the kits used, but what does that actually mean…

I break the Kits down into their three main elements – Shirts / Shorts / Socks, then I look at the variations of these elements worn with the shirt which is the consistent part of the kit!

Definitions of Terms used

  • Default Kit – This is the regisitered Kit of Each Team, so Home, Away and Third Kits (Could Also be termed as Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Kits)
  • Kit Variation – One of the Shorts and Socks is change with either the Home, Away and Third Kits
  • Mash Up – The use of elements of different kits being used together, for example Away Shirt worn with Home Shorts and Third Socks (as coined on The Football Kit Podcast)
  • Alternative Shorts / Socks – A bespoke alternative pair of shorts and socks, created for a specific kit

Some examples…

Default Kits – The way the kits are designed to worn, Stockport County showing their three kits at the start of the 2023/24 Season.

Kit Variation – Manchester United are an excellent example of this, Home Shirt was been worn in six different variations this season in Premier League.

Mash up – Luton Town are my go to choice here, having worn the ultimate Mash Up already this season by wearing their Third Shirt with Away Shorts and Home Socks.

Alternative Shorts / Socks – A good example here is Everton this season, who have worn their Away kit with “Default” Navy shorts and socks and also “Alternative” Salmon / Coral shorts and socks

Kit Variations – 2023/24 – Last update, 2nd February 2024

So here we are this season and here is a snapshot that shows all the kits used in the Premier League and EFL so far this season.

Premier League – 94 Kits in Total

  • 37 Home Kits (20 Default / 17 Variations)
  • 35 Away Kits (20 Default / 15 Variations)
  • 22 Third Kits (13 Default / 9 Varitions)
  • Manchester United have worn 10 Kit Variations this season
  • 3 Teams in 6 Kit Variations
  • 6 Teams in 5 Kit Variations
  • 6 Teams in 4 Kit Variations
  • 4 Teams in 3 Kit Variations

Championship – 81 Kits in Total

  • 31 Home Kits (24 Default / 7 Variations)
  • 27 Away Kits (24 Default / 3 Variations)
  • 23 Third Kits (All Default)
  • Queen’s Park Rangers have worn 5 Kit Variations
  • 7 Teams in 4 Kit Variations
  • 16 Teams in 3 Kit Variations

League One – 76 Kits in Total

  • 29 Home Kits (24 Default / 5 Variations)
  • 26 Away Kits (24 Default / 2 Variations)
  • 21 Third Kits (18 Default / 3 Varitions)
  • 7 Teams in 4 Kit Variations
  • 14 Teams in 3 Kit Variations
  • 3 Teams in 2 Kit Variations

League Two – 98 Kit Variations

  • 39 Home Kits (24 Default / 15 Variations)
  • 34 Away Kits (24 Default / 10 Variations)
  • 24 Third Kits (19 Default / 5 Varitions)
  • 1 Fourth Kit
  • 3 Teams in 7 Kit Variations
  • 1 Team in 6 Kit Variations
  • 3 Teams in 5 Kit Variations
  • 5 Teams in 4 Kit Variations
  • 12 Teams in 3 Kit Variations

The only Fourth Kit used so far this season is from Newport County, worn at Home against Stockport Country on 25th November 2023, this was a Charity Kit for their former winger Jason Bowen and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

There we have it, I hope this gives you a little bit insight into how I look at kits and how I record their usage, I will continue to update this as we move through the final months of the season.

Any thoughts or comments, please let me know!