08-09 Kits
Posted by John Devlin
Click on the thumbnails below to view each image at full size.
Arsenal 08-09 home kit, away kit, third kit
Aston Villa 08-09 home kit, away kit, third kit
Birmingham City 08-09 home kit, away kit
Blackburn Rovers 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Bolton Wanderers 08-09, home kit, away kit
Charlton Athletic 08-09, home kit, away kit
Chelsea 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Coventry City 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Crystal Palace 08-09, home kit, away kit
Derby County 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Everton 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Fulham 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Ipswich Town 08-09, home kit, away kit
Leeds United 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Leicester City 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Liverpool 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Manchester City 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Manchester United 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Middlesbrough 08-09, home kit, away kit
Newcastle United 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Norwich City 08-09, home kit, away kit, commemorative kit
Nottingham Forest 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Portsmouth 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Reading 08-09, home kit, away kit
Sheffield United 08-09, home kit, away kit
Stoke City 08-09, home kit, away kit
Southampton 08-09, home kit, away kit
Sunderland 08-09, home kit, away kit
Tottenham Hotspur 08-09, home kit, away kit, third kit
Watford 08-09, home kit, away kit
West Bromwich Albion 08-09, home kit, away kit
West Ham United 08-09, home kit, away kit
Wigan Athletic 08-09, home kit, away kit
Wolverhampton Wanderers 08-09, home kit, away kit
All illustrations are (C) 2008 John Devlin and must not be reproduced without express permission.
Brazil’s 2010 home shirt in detail
Posted by John Devlin
Most replica shirts are naturally bought by diehard fans who want to show their support for the team. But if I were to choose one shirt that seems to transcend affiliation more than any other and is snapped up in soccer shops worldwide it would have to be the iconic yellow and green of Brazil. It seems you don’t have to be Brazilian to wear the jersey, such is the legendary status of the country’s teams over the years and the standards of excellence and flair that they represent. By donning the jersey you show the world that you love good football and out of all the World Cup apparel available the Brazilian shirt is always a big seller.
Nike introduced a new Brazil World Cup Jersey prior to the tournament’s kick off and its a superb looking minimalist and elegant shirt with the only trim of note being green stripes down each sleeve and round neck design, making it slightly reminiscent of the country’s 1998-2000 strip. The stripes are actually made of a rubber-like material with lots of tiny holes and on the left sleeve the stripe incorporates five stars – symbolising the country’s five World Cup triumphs.
The Dri-FIT fabric used is part of Nike’s ecologically sound ethos and is comprised of up to eight recycled plastic bottles taken from Japanese and Taiwanese landfill sites and then melted down. All in all Nike have prevented 13 million bottles from going into landfill sites with the creation of their new range of shirts.
Apart from being incredibly comfortable to wear there are lots of little details that make the shirt interesting. Inside the neck there is a tiny Brazilian flag with the legend ‘Nascido Para Jogar Futebol’ or ‘Born to Play Football’ and on the back of the neck there is a green panel with ‘Brasil’ text. A mesh fabric runs down each side of the jersey for ventilation.
Turn the shirt inside out though for a real surprise as on the reverse of the badge (placed over the heart of course) is the message ‘Pride and Love’ beautifully rendered in a font designed by a Brazilian artist. Its a great, subtle touch and an similar graphic relevant to each country is included in most if not all of Nike’s national shirts in their soccer apparel range this year.
Without being burdened by unnecessary design elements the shirt is simple and classic with impressive environmental qualifications and the added bonus of an inspirational message over the heart!
World Cup 2010 Kits
Posted by John Devlin
With just under a week to go, here is a complete set of home and away kits for every country competing in this year’s South African World Cup. I’ve not included third kits but will feature the superb African Unity shirt in a Kit Cupboard special soon.
There’s still question marks over the DPR Korea (North Korea) kits, seems we won’t know what they will be wearing for sure until they take the field in it but the others should be accurate.
I’d be really interested in not only your favourite kit(s) but also which company you think have made the best strips this year. For me, I love most of the adidas and the Puma African kits – especially the away styles. Nike has been a bit of a disappointment I think although I do like the Holland and Portugal strips.
And while you’re preparing for the World Cup don’t forget, you can download EPL Talk’s special e-book ‘What the World Cup means to me’ that I was asked to contribute to here.
Finally, check out Andrew Rockall’s World Cup blog here. If its anything like his contributions to this site it should be a good read.
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- DPR Korea A
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- DPR Korea H
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- Korea Republic H
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- Algeria H
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- Algeria A
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- Argentina H
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- Argentina A
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- Australia H
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- Australia A
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- Brazil H
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- Brazil A
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- Cameroon H
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- Cameroon A
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- Chile H
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- Chile A
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- Denmark H
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- Denmark A
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- DPR Korea H
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- DPR Korea A
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- England H
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- England A
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- France H
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- France A
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- Germany H
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- Germany A
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- Ghana H
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- Ghana A
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- Greece H
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- Greece A
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- Holland H
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- Holland A
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- Honduras H
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- Honduras A
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- Italy H
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- Italy A
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- Ivory Coast H
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- Ivory Coast A
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- Japan H
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- Japan A
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- Korea Republic H
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- Korea Republic A
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- Mexico H
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- Mexico A
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- New Zealand H
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- New Zealand A
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- Nigeria H
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- Nigeria A
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- Paraguay H
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- Paraguay A
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- Portugal H
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- Portugal A
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- Serbia H
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- Serbia A
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- Slovakia H
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- Slovakia A
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- Slovenia H
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- Slovenia A
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- South Africa H
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- South Africa A
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- Spain H
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- Spain A
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- Switzerland H
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- Switzerland A
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- Uruguay H
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- Uruguay A
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- USA H
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- USA A
All illustrations are (C) 2010 John Devlin and must not be reproduced online or in print without permission.
Scotland 10-11 Home Kit Review
Posted by John Devlin
One of the most eagerly awaited kits of the season (well, in my house anyway) was the new Scotland home outfit – the first to be made for the team since adidas replaced Diadora last year. Of course the massive marketing and promotional juggernaut behind the Umbro England kits has dominated the kit news in recent months but the importance of Scotland’s new strip cannot be underestimated given the lacklustre response amongst the Tartan Army towards the last few Diadora efforts and the power and status adidas have in world football.
Expectations were high and in my view, thankfully, adidas have delivered with a superb strip devoid of their usual complex trim and coloured panels and featuring instead a relatively straight forward, stylish and restrained effort. Phew.
Everyone now knows this Scotland kit is a ‘type 2 adidas design’ (although honestly, had anyone heard of a ‘type 2 adidas design’ before it was announced in connection with this strip!?) It basically means thats its a generic adidas template, badged up for Scotland. I can’t actually recall who else has worn this design to be frank and to me it doesn’t matter.
The strip combines the heritage and pride behind the Scotland strip and the gravitas and sportswear expertise of adidas. The jersey features a simple crew-style neck, the classic three-stripe trim and subtly curved piping running down the front. The shorts continue the piping theme in navy and the good old red socks are present with ‘Alba’ (Gaelic for Scotland, not the low-budget hi-fi firm) on the front.
As as a Scotland fan I am delighted with the kit and mightily relieved the adidas branding didn’t overtake the identity of the country. My only gripe, and I am not alone in this view, is that the large Scottish crest watermark on the front of the shirt just doesn’t seem to work. In principle the idea is sound, although a little early-90s, but I think its just the application of the crest looks, dare I say, cheap. Its only a small moan to be honest, and I have a suspicion it will look a lot better in the flesh which I hope to discover when I purchase my replica when they are released in the Summer.
It’s a great start to adidas’ relationship with Scotland and thanks to a 1–0 win over the Czech Republic in the kit’s only outing so far, a great start to new boss Craig Levein’s managerial career with the national side.
England Away Kit Review
Posted by John Devlin
The new England away kit has a lot to live up to. Since the home design was rebooted by Umbro in 2009 questions were asked about how the red (lets face it, its not going to be anything but red these days!) away strip would match up.
Umbro whetted the appetite of the England faithful and football kit fans in general with a launch campaign heavily web-orientated with an unveiling date set for the 3rd March friendly with Egypt. I was fortunate enough to be invited up for a sneak preview of the kit with a presentation by Aitor Throup (the conceptual brain behind the design) and David Branch – the leading designers behind England apparel. Aitor explained at length the thinking behind the design before removing black veils from mannequins to reveal the outfits.
The kit is loosely based on the Aztec jersey – a version of which England wore in ‘66 – but Aitor and David are keen to point out, this is NOT a lazy re-hash of the kit worn in England’s finest hour.
Essentially the designers wanted to take a ‘body and movement’ approach to the kit and looked at the most common action stance a player would take during a match (generally arms bent, leaning forward) and constructed the shirt around this position before examining the results. The designers discovered that traditional seams/panels wouldn’t necessarily provide the optimum comfort/performance level required for the shirt’s use on the pitch. Therefore an angular, slightly abstract set of panels were formed that wrapped around from the back of the shirt on to the side and pulled over onto the shoulders. Unorthodox perhaps but specifically designed for the shirt in action. This curious construction is most noticeable on the long sleeved version (can’t help but think Umbro ARE leaning towards the long sleeved jerseys being the definitive version of this strip – a move that more than echoes ‘66!) where the innovative panels are clearly marked across the elbows giving a ‘base layer’ feel. These panels are in three slightly different shades of red, giving a subtle but interesting effect. The neck is to all intents and purposes a crew design, but with a lower front and higher back – again designed for comfort on the pitch. Similarly the cuffs follow suite with the backs extending a good inch or so lower than the cut at the front.
Ah yes, the cuffs. The stylistic element that has caused most debate amongst football fans and I have to confess they jarred with me at first. But then, the more I looked at and examined the shirt the more sense they made. They’re different, stylish and eye-catching and now I believe that the use of this simple contrasting feature gives the design an extra unique quality.
Umbro aren’t shouting about technology in this design. The varying fabrics aren’t radically contrasting colours that scream “look, hi-tech breathable fabric!” and have led to scores of recent kits adorned with unnecessary white panels that spoil the overall integrity of a kit’s colour scheme. Of course the technology is there but this kit is all about the fit. Tailored to be comfortable and effective on the pitch.
Suprisingly, given the home kits switch to white shorts, the away’s shorts are also white. Although now the England badge and Umbro logo are rendered in red (so as not to spoil the simplicity of the red and white design) and simple vertical stripes are added to each leg. Like the cuffs the front of the shorts on the thigh is considerably higher than the back. The socks, which like the home are minus visible Umbro branding) seem to aesthetically borrow from the recent trend of taping the bottom of the socks around the ankle. It is not yet known what change shorts will be worn with the kit – very possibly the navy change pair from the home outfit.
My belief was that the shirt would be a grower and that a lukewarm initial response would increase in approval once replicas were bought and people realised what a stunning piece of clever design it really is. However, after the surprise launch of the shirt by Kasabian at a Paris gig the overall opinion of England fans has been incredibly positive. I have to agree and the more I see the shirt the more I love it. When you compare it to the previous England away you realise how dated that design now looks and illustrates how far Umbro have come with their modern tailoring approach to their kits.
After the incredible experience of having the outfit presented to me by the designers themselves (a real privilege) and analysing it in detail I can’t help but think that its an absolute classic and a perfect companion outfit for the home strip, ensuring that whether or not Capello’s squad bring home the World Cup trophy this summer, they will definitely be one of the best dressed teams in the tournament.
Visit to Umbro
Posted by John Devlin
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere on the site I was extremely honoured to be invited by Umbro up to their studios in Manchester for an exclusive presentation of the new England away kit. I can’t reveal any details about the strip until it is officially unveiled by Umbro but I can tell you about the rest of the day and some of the fascinating conversation I had with David Blanch and Aitor Throup about Umbro kits.
Umbro’s design studio is situated in the old textile industry part of Manchester city centre with an entrance fronted by the very old classic Umbro logotype. On entering I was greeted by Tom and Aaron who run Umbro’s blog site and shown into a room festooned with choice items from the Umbro shirt archive – bliss! Other attendees included football kit experts from footballshirtculture.com, football-shirts.co.uk and others along with matchworn shirt expert and all round decent fellow Simon ‘Shakey’ Shakeshaft.
Surrounded by history and some classic old shirts, with plenty from the early 70s, I delved in to see what I could uncover.
Items included a matchworn Sunderland shirt (complete with ripped collar) from the 1973 FA Cup final, early 70s Coventry, Palace and Derby kits, Arsenal’s late 70s shirts when they seemed to have a residency at Wembley for the FA Cup and assorted Birmingham, Cardiff and Manchester City jerseys – many in pristine condition. What amazed me was the variety of fabrics, not all just the itchy, heavy cotton we associate with historic shirts, but a range of softer, brushed cotton, airtex and sandpaper-like polyester that Umbro seemed to favour in the early 80s. I think I was so engrossed in the archive I stupidly didn’t have the prescence of mind to take more than a handful of photos!
Highlights for me was the big display of England kits and a healthy selection of Scotland shirts including an Alex McLeish matchworn jersey from the 1986 Mexico World Cup finals and what I can only imagine was a prototype of Scotland’s 1978 Argentina World Cup shirt that featured a different collar and ‘double diamond’ Umbro taping on each sleeve rather than the ‘filled-in’ version that was worn.
I was then introduced to David Blanch (pictured below), the chief kit designer at Umbro who spoke at length about kits to me. It was great to talk to him and he was very open and frank about the designs Umbro are producing. Aside of his obvious knowledge of kit history, what did strike me though was his immense passion for the subject. It is clear that he and all of the Umbro design team put a HUGE amount of effort and work into these designs, they are not things that are just slung together! David was keen to stress that he doesn’t just design for the pitch, he doesn’t just design for replicas, he designs for football.
Of course, first topic of conversation was the England strips.
The main design philosophy behind the current white England home kit was one of fine tailoring being used to help bring confidence to the team. David used the analogy of wearing a suit compared to casual clothes and how different that can make you feel. The principle is the same on the football pitch. With a precise, tailored approach with each kit designed to fit specifically for each player (no more problems for Peter Crouch whose shorts often used to have to extra material added on afterwards to lengthen them) so that each one looks his best and hopefully plays his best. The tailored fit of the outfits is designed to intimidate the opposition as well. Fitting in with this philosophy is the idea of simple classic designs. No more ever intricate flimsy, minimal necklines, David is a fan of collars, crew necks and V-necks – the staple diet of football shirts. All unnecessary elements have been removed so that just simple colourways are left. I explained my dislike of the large white flashes and panels that have been used on nearly every kit over the past few years and unbalance teams’ colour schemes. It seems these were used primarily to highlight where different, hi-tech, breathable fabric has been used. Umbro’s thinking now is that we all know hi-tech, wicking fabric is used in kits, there’s just no need to keep highlighting it. They are returning to simple, solid colour with minimum distraction. Self-assured confidence in a good design.
The white shorts that form part of the current England outfit were also introduced to give the players height and again, confidence. The reason for the tonal badges and Umbro logo on the shorts was purely to bring all attention up the badge and Umbro logo – that is where the focus is.
David is clearly (and rightly) very proud of the England home shirt as it has effectively ‘re-booted’ kit design, scrubbing out all the complex, fiddly kits that preceeded it and almost started again with a fresh approach to football apparel. It’s ultra modern with all the contemporary technology you would expect and yet at the same time it is true to the heritage and history of the side wearing it. Surely this approach is the kit ideal of all football fans?
We also discussed the subtle differences that differentiate a player’s shirts from replicas that have been introduced to thwart matchworn bootleggers. David can tell an genuine player’s shirt at a glance due to the tiny elements he has secreted away in the design. Another giveaway is the fact that the player’s shirts are generally much smaller than the average replica version. He also explained how the position of the badge is slightly different on player’s shirts to allow for the match details scroll to be included beneath it and still balance with the Umbro logo.
I asked David if he thought England would ever have a third kit again and he revealed that a navy blue England third shirt has been designed for some time and sits under closely guarded lock and key! It could be called on at a moments notice should the need arise but if it ever did see action it is unlikely that replicas would be produced. “I presume you’ll be showing us the third shirt today” I enquired slightly cheekily and already knowing the answer! David just shook his head!!
I asked about the various shorts clashes that have been occuring in the Premier League this season and that have caused such debate on the site. As we all now know it seems now shorts clashes just aren’t important. Its shirts and socks that count and these are the only kit elements officials are interested in. With this in mind David explained that that the reason Man City and Blackburn for example haven’t been donning change shorts is simply to maintain the integrity of the kit. If Man City’s kit is blue shirt, white shorts and blue socks Umbro don’t want this overall design compromised by changing to blue shorts if a ‘clash’ occurs.
Talking of Man City, David revealed that the 09-10 third shirt is one of the current favourites in the Umbro team, partly due to the unique positioning and sizing of the sponsor’s logo in order to blend in perfectly and not disrupt the design. Obviously the kit is based on City’s mid 70s away kit but the sash was switched to the other direction so as not to interfere with the club badge which, in David’s eyes, HAS to sit over the heart.
David also sits on a kit advisory panel for FIFA. He explained some of the regulations they have such as restrictions on the number and size of flags that can appear on a kit. This rule lead to problems with England’s 05-07 home kit where Umbro had to convince them that the red flashes on the shoulder were not in fact the St George’s cross but primarily just a design element.
As you can imagine it was fascinating conversation. I later also spoke with Aitor Throup, design consultant, about England’s kits. He is immensely driven with some superb ideas and initiatives and it is clear the influence he has had on the Tailored by Umbro kits. Find out more about Aitor’s involvement with Umbro by visiting the Umbro blog. Both he and David were such nice chaps and so friendly and open in their discussions about kits. I also spoke briefly to James, another member of Umbro’s design team who told me that they regularly used both volumes of True Colours in the studio when researching ideas etc. I can’t tell you how made up I was to hear this! It rounded off a simply superb evening in the company of without doubt one of the most innovative kit design companies around.
Thanks to Tom, Aaron, David, Aitor and James for taking the time to talk kits with us and making us all very welcome.
New Zealand Football Championship Kits
Posted by John Devlin
My interest in New Zealand football has been documented elsewhere on the site but I’ve also recently finished a set of home kit illustrations for all eight teams who play in the domestic New Zealand Football Championship.
Its odd that some of the templates used are a good few years old (Youngheart Manawatu and Hawkes Bay United) and yet some (Waitekere United) are back up to date. There’s also a fair mix of manufacturers: Umbro (2), Nike, Lotto (4) and a brand I’m not familiar with, Suno. The shirts and shorts feature multi sponsorship and the NZFL sleeve patch. Many of the shirts also feature the logos of various trust organisations that in accordance with NZ government legislation help fund sport in the country.
France Home Kit 1980-82
Posted by John Devlin
For me, this is one of the classic kits of all time. Adidas were certainly enjoying a golden age in the early 80s – especially on the continent – with designs that just don’t seem to have aged. This French home kit had so many really nice features; the non-contrasting collar (adorned with pinstripes), the plunging 70s white inset neck, the dainty adidas logo (minus text) and the low-slung FFF badge. Add to that the standard French tricolore three-stripe trim and you’ve got a real gem of a shirt. The design was worn up until the 1982 World Cup finals when the inset neck was then removed (presumably to keep the players cooler in the Spanish heat), but sadly the overall panache of the design lost something with this change. The only mystery for me looking back is why the socks only had two stripes instead of three?
Worn in: The successful 1982 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Worn by: Michel Platini, Dominique Rocheteau, Jean-Francois Larios.
Leeds United Third Kit 1970-71
Posted by John Devlin
Everyone associates Leeds United today with the colour palette of white, yellow and blue. But back in the 60s and early 70 the club employed a fairly loose mix and match arrangement of kits and colours including a frequently worn (whisper it) red away kit and this all-orange ensemble that made just one outing in the 70-71 season. The one and only appearance of this orange kit saw Leeds well beaten, ensuring that their regular red away outfit was the only change strip preferred from then on that season.
Worn in: A 3-0 defeat to Stoke City at The Victoria Ground in September 1970 – and this was after Leeds had only conceded two goals in the previous seven games.
Worn by: Eddie Gray, Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter.
Thanks to Neil Jeffries who provided the following scanned photo.
Toon Kit Curiosities – by Philip Marriott
Posted by John Devlin
Regular contributor to the site Philip Marriott, a diehard Newcastle United fan and kit obsessive has sent in this wonderful article on the Toon’s strange use of away kits over the years. A fascinating read from a fan’s point of view. Cheers Philip!
They play in black and white….or most other colours!
The situation with Newcastle’s away kits has always been a curious one. The Magpies have traditionally opted against change colours in the past or even changing the shorts and socks on the home kit. Indeed, the Toon wore white home shorts for the first time at Chelsea in 1980. Since then, white shorts and socks have been worn on the home kit many times, even at the expense of seldom worn change kits. Third kits have been irregular for Newcastle pre 2003, with the Green asics design of the 90’s and plain red or blue being worn very occasionally in the late 60’s/early 70’s. This is peculiar considering that away designs have often been unhelpful, sometimes in white or silver. The latter was worn on a regular basis in the 80’s causing regular clashes as Spurs and Luton among others.
The concept of a new away/3rd colour every year is a clear way to lead Toon fans to part with their hard earned, but also provides great anticipation as the colours often change yearly. In 03/4 there was a black away and silver third whilst in 04/5 there was a two tone blue effort and a great yellow third kit. The change kits were traditionally seldom worn up until 03/4 when each kit was worn several times regardless of clashes, exceptions being the 07/8 Argentina style kit and the 08/9 silver strip.
The addition of new kits has often proved popular, with a surge in the club shop for the 08/9 purple kit and 98/9 shiny blue away shirt. The only problem with some of these kits has been the inconsistency of their use. In 98/9, the home kit was sported at Spurs whilst the shiny blue design remained in the kit bag, likewise at the Southampton and Leeds matches that season.
The two designs of focus on are the away kits for 95/6 and 97/8, possibly the best and the worst Toon kits ever.
Worn with ecru shorts and maroon socks, the maroon and blue hooped kit in 1995, created by adidas in their first season and resembling the old kit worn by Newcastle West End was an instant hit yet saw only 5 competitive matches, the last of which was in October 1995! Strangely, it was not worn at Blackburn or Leeds later in the season. This great kit was worn during happy times, made even more iconic by stars such as David Ginola and Les Ferdinand. The shirt is a great reminder of traditional values and modern materials being merged into a classic design which reflected the wishes of the fans and the rigours of Premiership football.
Now contrast this with the outrageous 97/8 design, worn only three times competitively. This kit was neglected for the matches at Derby, Spurs, Bolton, Sheffield United, PSV and more. It was used in three defeats, 4-1 at Leeds and then 2-1 at both Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton. Crazily, it was worn with three pairs of shorts and three pairs of socks, using similar colours! The standard kit at Leeds, customised white shorts and socks at Hillsborough and then the white HOME shorts and UNMARKED purple socks at the Dell. The curiosity here is the inconsistency of use and the number of shorts and socks worn. The rationale for kit choices by kit managers can be no more baffling than on these occasions, where the kit should probably have been worn regardless of its unpopularity. Nevertheless, the shirt sold well, as this was 1997 when replica shirt sales were soaring in this country. But surely the fans deserved more for forty pounds than 3 matches that season? Surely the clashes at Bolton, Spurs etc should have been avoided?
Whilst teams like Milan, and in most cases Manchester United, have a set away colour, Newcastle never have. White prevailed from the 1920’s until the late 60’s but this is highly unpractical and was before kit replicas became a fact of life. Should teams have a set away colour? A yellow and green design similar to the 70’s would sell well, but are Newcastle, by luck rather than design, at a commercial advantage to most teams? If yellow and green was worn every year, sales would surely decline but if there is anew colour each time, fashion conscious fans are faced with two forty pound change kits a year, and a good income for the club. Quite what has happened with the away kits over the years or why, only the kit manager of the time can answer. But like the strange two blue kits scenario at Portsmouth in 03/4, it remains one of the Premier Leagues’ kit mysteries. What is indisputable though is that the shirts will sell, money will be made and we can expect new designs each year. Enjoy.
