Tag: umbro

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

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

Premier League: Matchweek 30 Kit Review

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Premier League Returns after The Internationl Break with Matchweek 30, there was 8 games on 30th March the joint most games in one single day so far this season. This round of fixtures being the reverse games of Matchweek 8 back in October.

As always you can find last week Matchweek’s review – here

The current Kit Overview for Premier League is below, we now have all 60 shirts released… still waiting for confirmation of the shorts that will be used with Luton Town’s 3rd.

Matchweek 30 Fixtures

Total Kits Used

  • Kits Worn in Total – 103 (+3 from Matchweek 29)
  • Goalkeeper Kits – 58 (No change from Matchweek 29)

New Kits this Matchweek

Even as we reach Matchweek 30 we are seeing new Kit Looks used by teams, this week there were three new kit variations used…

West Ham United used alternative sky blue shorts with their Home for the first time this season to give us a classic Hammers look, these are also the same shorts that we have seen used with the Away Kit as an alternative this season, this is the 5th kit variation used this season by West Ham.

Fulham used their 3rd Kit with alternative pink shorts and socks to give us a nice looking kit against Sheffield United, the 5th kit look used by them this season.

Luton Town used their 8th Kit Variation of the season, another “mash up” on show, using the 3rd shirt with Home shorts and socks for a nice Navy / Navy / Orange look!

Kit Highlights

Although I do not include this as a variation of kit, as the actual kit remains the same Tottenham Hotspur used a charity sponsor in their game against Luton Town, the shirt sponsorship was in support for Philippines-based breast cancer charity “I Can Serve” and supported by regular sponsor AIA.

Everton made it four kits in four games when they used their 3rd Kit at AFC Bournemouth, it is also 5 Kits in 6 games which are all the of the Kit Variations The Toffees have used this season so far!

My favourite Kit Match Up of this weekend was the game between Newcastle United and West Ham United, the balance between the two kits works well, classic looking and timeless in their appearence, this really worked well for me!

Kit Stats

Overall we have seen 14 Home Kits, 3 Away Kits and 3 3rd Kits in action for these games.

There was there was four Kit Variations on show… three we were new kit looks above.

  • West Ham United, Home with alternative Sky Blue Shorts
  • Fulham, 3rd with alternative pink shorts and socks
  • Luton Town, 3rd with Home Shorts and socks
  • Manchester United in Away with alternative white shorts and socks, 2nd time used

Kit Grid – Up to 30th March 2024

Kit News

The big Premier League Kit News during the International Break was that Castore have purchased the Umbro Brand in the UK, now what does that mean? This is the statement regarding the purchase…

We are thrilled to announce that today, we have completed a deal with Umbro licensee, GL Dameck to sign an exclusive Umbro Professional Team Sports sub-license. This sub-licence allows us to market the Umbro brand in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, and Denmark.

Following a £145 million investment round in November 2023, we will continue to innovate in the elite sports market with this Umbro Pro Team licence marking its emergence as a multi-brand business.

As a brand with a rich history at the heart of sport and a deep and storied life in elite football, having created some of the most iconic strips of all time, Umbro has an exceptional legacy. Our digital expertise and highly agile global supply chain provides a model that has allowed us to disrupt the traditional dominance of Nike and adidas. The ability to now market and supply the Umbro brand for team sports will elevate both Umbro and Castore to new levels.

The agreement also signifies our first step towards a brand segmentation strategy, enabling us to take a significant position in the UK & European elite sports markets. 

Since our inception, we have rapidly grown to partner with over 50 leading sports teams worldwide through its digital first business model. We will now apply this digital expertise to the marketing of Umbro’s exceptional brand heritage and authenticity and further expand the Umbro partnership portfolio, with fans remaining at the core of its strategy.

From the start of the 2024/25 season we will have the exclusive right to seek to work with Umbro’s existing English Premier League team partnerships, including: AFC Bournemouth, Brentford, Luton Town and West Ham, as well as English Football League Clubs Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town and Forest Green Rovers.

We will also supply, under the Umbro brand, to Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premiership, where Castore is already the global kit partner for Glasgow Rangers FC, and England Rugby men’s and women’s teams at a time of heightened interest in the sport during the Guinness Six Nations.

To me, this appears that the Umbro Brand will still exist but be produced by Castore, does that mean Castore will stop as a Kit Manufacturer, we will have to wait and see!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or at @Kit_Geek and the Premier League Kit Review will quite quickly with a midweek round of fixtures this Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday.

Premier League – Matchweek 25

Premier League – Matchweek 26

Premier League – Matchweek 27

Premier League – Matchweek 28

Premier League – Matchweek 29

Premier League – 100 Kits

Something new for 2024 is my Facebook Page, which you can find here so please give have a look and give me a follow / like.

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

Premier League One Kit Wonders – 2019/20

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As we approach the final round of fixtures of the 2019/20 Premier League season, its always to time to take stock and look back the season and reminisce over the good and bad of the latest season.

There will be plenty of looking back at the season from me over the coming weeks but I wanted to kick this off by looking back at those kits that were only worn once this season.

So far we have seen 107 different kits worn in the Premier League and in this post I want to call out the 24 Kits that have been worn just once, our “One Kit Wonders”.

Arsenal

Southampton v Arsenal, 25th June 2020

Arsenal’s popular away kit, that pays homage to the classic “Brusied Banana” kit, was worn in their 2-0 victory at Southampton with yellow shorts, giving an all yellow look which was also used with the “Bruised Banana” kit against Southampton back in 1991.

AFC Bournemouth

Watford v AFC Bournemouth, 26th October 2019

Bournemouth’s draw at Watford saw the south coast team pair their home shirt with white shorts and socks, giving them a classic AC Milan look.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v AFC Bournemouth, 24th June 2019

One of the (minor) impacts of “Project Restart” was that some clubs had sponsorship deals ending, which in turn saw new kits launched with a significant number of games still to play. Bournemouth was one of these teams, who wore their 2020/21 Home kit from Umbro (with holding sponsor Vitality). This was worn with white shorts and socks in the 1-0 defeat at Wolves in June.

Manchester United v AFC Bournemouth, 4th July 2020

The visit to Manchester United saw Bournemouth use their 2020/21 away kit from Umbro, with a graphic of the famous Bouremouth Pier sublimated onto the aqua shirts, similar to the Manchester United umbro shirt from 1994/96 which had Old Trafford on their shirts. It did not prove a lucky shirt with The Cherries losing 5-3 in this kit’s only appearence.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Newcastle United v Brighton and Hove Albion, 21st September 2019

With Brighton’s away kit being all black it meant that The Seagulls reached into the back of the Kitman’s cupboard at The Amex to pull out 2018/19 away kit to be used as this season’s third kit. In this drawn game it was worn for the only time this season with white shorts.

Aston Villa v Brighton and Hove Albion, 19th October 2019

Brighton’s second “One Kit Wonder” was their home kit worn with blue socks in a defeat at Aston Villa.

Burnley FC

West Ham United v Burnley FC, 8th July 2020

When Burnley visited a fellow Claret/Blue wearing West Ham, it was deemed that their away kit (All Sky Blue) and 3rd Kit (Green/Black) were not enough of a contrast to hosts home kit, Umbro created a one off white shirt to be worn with white shorts and socks to make a “4th Kit”, one of three 4th Kits seen this season and has a 100% win ratio in its use.

Chelsea

Crystal Palace v Chelsea, 7th July 2020

Chelsea’s new sponsorship deal with “3” started on the 1st July, this meant the 2020/21 kits were brought into action at the end of this season. The pale blue away kit saw it first and only appearence of this season in the 3-2 victory at Crystal Palace.

Everton

Crystal Palace v Everton, 10th August 2019

Looking way back to first round of fixtures of the 2019/20 season, Everton were asked by the Premier League to use their third kit from 2018/19 as the “coral” away and navy 3rd kits supplied by Umbro were seen to be too much of a clash to their visit to Crystal Palace, the game ended in a draw and is the one of the three “4th” kits seen used this season.

Manchester United v Everton, 15th December 2019

Everton’s second “One Kit Wonder” was the variation of their home kit, worn with blue shorts that The Toffees wore in their drawn game at Manchester United.

Leicester City

West Ham United v Leicester City, 28th December 2019

Leicester City often use variations of their home kit to avoid unnecessary use of their change kits, their 2-1 win at West Ham saw using their home kit with white socks, a combination only used once this season.

Manchester United

Southampton v Manchester United, 31st August 2019

Manchester United have worn their 3rd kit three times in the Premier League this season, in three different variations, the first worn with white shorts (bespoke to this kit, not the home shorts which have red Adidas stripes) at the drawn game at Southampton.

Sheffield United v Manchester United, 24th November 2019

The second use of the 3rd kit was at Sheffield United with bespoke white shorts and socks, the game ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Arsenal v Manchester United, 1st January 2020

The final appearence of the Manchester United 3rd kit was its only use in its first choice all black variation, the game at Arsenal ended in defeat which means they did not win a single game using their 3rd Kit in the League this season.

Sheffield United

Chelsea v Sheffield United, 31st August 2019

Sheffield United’s versitle white away kit has been used in four different combination this season, the use of white shorts and red (home kit) socks was only used the once, to give us a nice looking kit, the red socks work really well with red Adidas stripes on side panels and shorts, the red flowing through out the kit. The game ended in a draw in what has been an inspresive return to the Top Flight for The Blades.

Newcastle United v Sheffied United, 21st June 2020

Sheffield United’s second “One Kit Wonder” was a variation of their home kit, combined with away shorts and socks to give us an overall “white” feel to their home kit. The kit did not prove a lucky one with the game ending in a 0-3 defeat.

Southampton FC

Newcastle United v Southampton, 8th December 2019

Southampton’s use of their 2018/19 3rd Kit at Newcastle United was called for due to the three kits registered for 2019/20 all clashing with Newcastle’s home kit, this is third and final 4th Kit used this season and the only one that was used by the losing team, the kit was combined with home shorts and socks.

Tottenham Hotspur

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur, 15th December 2019

Tottenham’s visit to Wolves in December saw them use their home socks with their away kit, to give us a Navy/Navy/White variation, tying in nicely with Nike’s Vapor Template’s use of contrasting socks. The game ended in victory for Spurs with an injury time winning goal.

Watford

Newcastle United v Watford, 31st August 2019

Watford are another team that used their away kit from 2018/19 as a 3rd kit for 2019/20, the only appearence of this kit was their visit to Newcastle United back in August. This is the least used 3rd in the League and its only use ended in a draw.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Watford, 28th September 2019

The second “One Kit Wonder” from Watford was a variation of their away kit used with white socks which was seen in their defeat at Wolves.

West Ham United

Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Ham United, 4th December 2019

West Ham’s home kit from Umbro was a popular one with fans, when worn against Wolves it was paired with sky blue shorts and socks for a variation that still gives a strong West Ham feel, this did not prove sucessful on the pitch, with the game ending in defeat.

Newcastle United v West Ham United, 5th July 2020

This is the 3rd variation of West Ham’s home kit, this time combined with sky blue socks was used in the drawn game at Newcastle United.

Manchester United v West Ham United, 22nd July 2020

In the final away game of the season at Manchester United, West Ham used their away kit with change Sky Blue shorts, to give us again an alternative but classic West Ham look. The game ended in a draw.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

AFC Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers, 23rd November 2019

Wolves’ home kit in 2019/20 was paired with black shorts and socks, surprisingly an alternative of the kit was only used once this season with “old gold” socks in the victory at Bournemouth.

The 24 games in which our “One Kit Wonders” were worn, saw 6 wins, 10 draws and 8 defeats.

There are still the final ten games of the season to be played, so there may be some changes to this final list, Brighton in particular I can see using their home kit with blue socks in their game at Burnley, Sheffield United may use a different variation of their 3rd kit in their game at Southampton and at the moment Manchester City have only used their 2020/21 Home kit once in their victory at Watford but with their final game being at home at likely to wear this kit again in this game which is why I have not included in them in this overview.

Let me know what your favourite “One Kit Wonder” of the 2019/20 Premier League Season at https://twitter.com/kit_geek

UPDATED – MATCH DAY 38

On the final round of fixtures of season, we saw six teams launch their new home kits…. increasing our “One Kit Wonders” to 30…. All fixtures took place on 26th July.

Arsenal

Arsenal v Watford

Arsenal’s victory at relegated Watford give us the first view of the new Adidas 2020/21 Home kit, a darker shade of red than 19/20 version with the use of red socks as first choice!

Brighton & Hove Albion

Burnley v Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton’s new home kit is a really interesting change from their traditional look, one the club has used in the past as points but something new and fresh for their 2020/21 Premier League campaign, its debut was victorious one with a 2-1 win at Burnley.

Leicester City

Leicester City v Manchester United

Leicester City revert to all blue for 20/21 season with this Adidas Convido 20 Template! Their 2-0 defeat cost the team and this kit a place in the Champions League next season.

Newcastle United

Newcastle United v Liverpool

Newcastle’s 2020/21 Kit sees the magpies use thinner stripes than 19/20, but the red numbers remain (something I love to see in a Newcastle Kit) and check out them socks…!!! Its first outing ended in 3-1 defeat to Champions Liverpool.

Southampton

Southampton v Sheffield United

Southampton are ditchng the stripes in 2020/21 in favour of a sash…. I love a sash, so this looks great in my eyes, Southampton ended the season in style beating high flying Sheffield United 3-1.

West Ham United

West Ham United v Aston Villa

West Ham are our final team introducing their new kit in 2019/20 season, a return to white shorts and socks paired with a more traditional looking shirt, the drawn game with Aston Villa saw the visitors stay up on the last day of the season.

So there we have it, the 30 “One Kit Wonders”, our final record sees 9 wins, 11 draws and 10 defeats!

Kit News, Edition 2 – West Ham United & Umbro 2019/20

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I would not normally write a post about one kit, however I want to take some time to talk about West Ham United’s Home and Away Kits for 2019/20 season from Umbro.

There were some leaked images hitting the internet earlier on this week and my initial thoughts were please let this be real…. and Finally on Wednesday the official release and the relief to know that those images were indeed what we will see gracing the London Stadium and other Premier League grounds in this upcoming season.

WHU_1920_a

Looking at the launch of kit, the marketing is already talking about “Inspired by the Class of ’80” and then digging into detail behind the design, it is clear that Umbro were looking to create a retro feel for their designs for “The Hammers”.  – Click here to go to West Ham’s page 

Home Kit

WHU_1920_b

The home kit based on the classic admiral kit used between 1977 and 1980 is paired with Claret shorts and socks as first choice, from what I can see and research this is the first time in the club’s history that this colour combination has been used as default home kit.

Away Kit

WHU_1920_c

The away kit is based on the kit worn in the 1980 FA Cup Final win against Arsenal and it a simple all white kit and as it’s 1980 cousin has some “claret and blue” striped trim on collar and sleeve cuffs, there is also some detailing celebrating that Cup win on the back of the neck.

Something else that West Ham United have done right, is to offer fans both home and away kits an option of a “Unsponsored” version of the shirts, however this still includes the club’s sleeve sponsor (it is one of the more aesthetically pleasing). From my initial tweet about this, one that has hit a chord with fans across all clubs – see tweet here

WHU_1920_e

These kits have set a high bar for the 2019/20 kits and I applaud what Umbro and West Ham United have done here…..

Quite simply, this is retro done right!

Please let me know your thoughts about this kit on the comments below or via Twitter – @Kit_Geek

England and some “Sky Blue” thinking….

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When talking about kit perfection, for me there are a few things that spring to mind, Manchester United’s “Newton Heath” 3rd kit from Umbro, 1984 French Adidas kits and England wearing Sky Blue to name a few.  So I thought I would take a little bit of time to look back at those wonderful kits worn by the Three Lions.

England have only ever had five Sky Blue kits, all produced by Umbro and only worn a full sky blue kit only 4 times, with two of these kits not making an appearance with the Senior team.

Kit 1, 1970

England wore three different kits in the 1970 World Cup and their group game against Czechoslovakia saw them in a Sky Blue kit for the first time.

Eng_70

Umbro reproduced this kit in the early 2000’s (yes, I brought and still have one) but the reproduced version included a number 6 on the back but in white, not the red numbering used with the actual kit.

Kit 2, 1986

The second Sky Blue kit was again produced as part of a kit package for a World Cup staged in Mexico, this time in 1986.  However the full kit was never worn but we did get to see the shorts and socks in the Quarter-Final match up against Argentina where arguably the full kit could have been worn.

Eng_86_b

In fact the kit would not have been out of place if used in the last 16 game against the red and white stripes of Paraguay.

Kit 3, 1988

The third kit seen, was the 1988 3rd kit from Umbro.  At this time all three England kits had the same template.  This is my favourite of the all the Sky Blue kits that England have but unfortunately did not see action with the Senior Team, it did make an appearance for the U21’s though.

Eng_88_b

However the Senior Team did pose for this wonderful team photo…. which I also use as my cover picture on my twitter account (@kit_geek)

Eng_88

Kit 4, 1990

One of the most famous Sky Blue England kits and only the 2nd time that England wore a full Sky Blue kit in a Senior game, this kit made its one and only appearance in the 1991 in the Euro 92 qualifier against Turkey.

Eng_90_a

This kit was also part of the Italia 90 World Cup kit line up and was famously worn in the video of “World in Motion” by New Order front man Bernard Sumner.

The shirts design and pattern also formed part of the England training kits at the time and was often seen here with just a large central Umbro logo within the shirt.

Kit 5, 1992

Arguably the most famous of the Sky Blue England kits and I would say in many people’s eyes one of the most popular of all England kits not just the blue ones.

eng_92a.jpgThis kit also is the only Sky Blue kit to be worn more than once, making two appearances in 1992 against Czechoslovakia and Spain.  The shirt, including it’s “Three Lions” is what  makes this such an iconic kit.

Eng_92b

Although Sky Blue has featured on several other home and away kits over the past years, I hope that the colour will be revisited as main kit colour in future, unlikely I know given that the “rules” state that second (or third) choice kits should be a contrast to the first choice kit and not sure that Sky Blue and White fit that model however as a simple kit geek I can hope…..!!

Sites I used to research this article:

Historical Football Kits

England Football Online

Kit Log – World Cup, Italia 90

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Italia 90… the birth of modern football and Adidas Designs start breaking the mould….

The World Cup parade returned to Europe in 1990 with Italy hosting for second time after the 1934 tournament.  The 14th World Cup was held between 8th June and 8th July within 12 host cities. the format was the same as previous World Cup in Mexico, see my Kit Log for that edition here – Mexico 1986

So we see 24 teams, taking part in six groups of four teams, followed by knock out rounds giving us again a total of 52 games to look at.

In terms of kits, the 90’s hit us in a big way at this World Cup and in particular Adidas who introduced some very views on the traditional international kits that we seen in previous tournaments, we also saw 19 teams wear both their first and second choice kits through the tournament.

At this point although not in a World Cup I do feel I have to make special mention to Euro 88 and those kits worn by The Netherlands and USSR, take a quick moment to reflect on those shirts…….. and now back into Italia 90!

italia90_1

Adidas, who supplied 15 of 24 teams kits really caught the eye with some outstanding kits and several different templates and styles gracing the pitch.  Some more classic templates, think Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium and then some real “modern” designs for USSR, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Colombia, not forgetting of course the eventual Winners West Germany who wore a kit that was then unique and instantly iconic, a kit that often comes into contention when discussing greatest kits of all time.

italia90_2

Another iconic shirt from the tournament was England, who only wore their home kit through out the tournament but thanks to efforts of Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne taking the team to Semi-Finals made this kit a real fans favourite.  Umbro reproduced the shirt in 2010 including Gazza’s No.19 on the back (and yes, I do have this version of the shirt).

In that Semi-Final West Germany wore their away kit for only time in the tournament and again it was a classic kit, similar in design to previously mentioned Euro 88 shirts of The Netherlands and USSR and something if reports are to believed will be the basis of the German away kit at Russia 2018.

For me special mentions need to be made to Scotland, with a stunning pair of kits from Umbro, that away kit….. and also the Colombia kits from Adidas, again as mentioned with Germany, these kits are basis of the shirt that will be worn this summer in Russia.