An Apology and a Blast from the 70s
Posted by John Devlin
I thought I owed you all an apology for the relative lack of updates on the site lately. As some of you will be aware the responsibilities of my 9 to 5 design job increased massively at Christmas meaning a huge amount of increased stress and pressure, not to mention not much spare time in which to indulge my kit obsession!
I’m hoping that things are beginning to settle down a bit and I will be able to crack on with the hundreds of kit-related updates and projects that I have planned. Please bear with me, there’s plenty coming soon!
In the meantime, I discovered this little gem at the weekend in the Topical Times Book of Football 1979. Its a very rare glimpse into the football kit production world of the 1970s – enjoy!
Backpass Magazine
Posted by John Devlin
For anyone interested in football from the 60s, 70s and 80s then Backpass magazine really is essential reading!
Reminiscent of the classic late 70s era of football writing from the likes of Shoot etc the magazine is filled with proper articles offering insights, memories and new perspectives on classic matches and events that have shaped our national game.
Its packed with colour and loads of articles, interviews and photos of the teams and players from past eras, primarily from the UK but also from the worldwide arena.
There’s plenty there for anyone with an interest in kits as well as I contribute a True Colours feature every issue looking at a selection of 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s kits from a specific team. Focusing on 6 outfits, I illustrate the kit and explain a bit more about the design and its history. Past teams include Southampton, Sunderland, Rangers, Hull City, Manchester City, QPR and Millwall. I’ve included some sample spreads below.
The latest issue (no.22) is out now and includes my feature on Aberdeen kits.
I can’t recommend Backpass highly enough – in a day when we’re just surrounded by jokey football magazines and ones aimed at children its great to have this superb retro publication around. Its available from WH Smiths, although be quick as copies go fast, and via mail order (back issues are available too) – for more info visit: www.backpassmagazine.co.uk
True Colours – Shirt of Hurt Challenge – I did it!
Posted by John Devlin
Well after some deep soul searching I finally plucked up courage to don the Shirt of Hurt for Sport Relief! When I realised I’d hit my sponsorship target of £100 I realised I had to go through with it!
Many many thanks to all the people who so generously sponsored me (I was particularly pleased to notice the patronage of one of the team behind the shirt’s design as well!) Its much appreciated.
But don’t forget, its still not too late to sponsor me – please head over to http://my.sportrelief.com/sponsor/truecoloursshirtofhurt to do so, its quick and easy and all for a good cause.
Here is the photographic proof of the occasion (by the way no Photoshop was used on any of these photos, especially not the 4th and 5th ones).
Never again…
England 2012 Home Kit Review
Posted by John Devlin
Very few kits create as much interest among the football fashion fraternity as a new England strip. The 2012 home kit from Umbro, launched a couple of weeks ago and worn for the first time against Holland in a friendly, has again generated some fierce debate alongside a fair bit of controversy (mainly by Daily Mail readers who complained that the previous shirt had only been worn 8 times. But thats just the sort of thing Daily Mail readers like to do).
Well, now the dust has settled I thought it was time to give my views on the shirt.
I was fortunate enough to be invited by Umbro up to Manchester City’s London office near Hyde Park for a sneak preview of the kit before the launch and a chat about the design. My first impression on its unveiling was that it looked superb – FAR better than the grubby leaked shots that had appeared on line a few days earlier (these leaks really take the sting out of new kits don’t they?) The absence of the familiar blue and dominance of red trim brought to mind a conversation I’d had with Umbro a couple of years ago when I was asked what my views were on red’s place on the England kit. So thats what they were on about!!
Another initial thought was that the white was actually a very pale cream, which when combined with the red trim gave it an inherently English/old school cricket team vibe. Although this wasn’t the case – the cream ‘cast’ was simply caused by the ambient lighting and the tone of the mannequin showing through the shirt – I do think that would have been a nice idea. Maybe next time.
Umbro reinvented kit design with the production of the 2009 England home kit and since then their ethos of proper, classic tailoring without the “bells and whistles” favoured by other companies has shone through with every outfit they produce. Its no different with this kit. Examining the shirt in detail reveals the neat button up collar that is designed to be worn in one of three ways: 1) Buttoned up with collar down 2) Unbuttoned with collar down and 3) Collar up revealing Umbro’s latest design motif consisting of a sequence of stylish bands in a variety of red shades. Expect to see similar throughout Umbro’s kit roster for the forthcoming season(s) – the rationale comes from wanting to create an additional Umbro branding device such as adidas’ three stripes.
Back to the collar though, I prefer seeing the collar up with the stripes showing and think this would have made a strong design in its own right. Comparing colllar up vs collar down, there’s quite a big difference in appearance. Almost like comparing a non-contrasting collar to a contrasting one. My only fear with this potential for variation though is that players on the field could vary the way they wear their jerseys creating slight visual anomalies. What with base layers, gloves, coloured boots, sock tape and, God help us, snoods, do we really need another way for players to disrupt the visual integrity of the team kit?
Examining the shirt in more detail reveals two considerably different fabrics, a cotton feel for the body and a more synthetic appearing material for the sleeves. Another great design element is the slight split in the sleeve cuffs that creates a real old school tailored jersey feel. This is the best part of the kit for me to be honest and in my view gives the long sleeved shirt the edge over the short sleeved version where the split is less pronounced.
The lack of blue in the kit was clearly a big step for Umbro and a brave move by the FA in rubber stamping it. When the current blue away shirt was launched England fans were up in arms saying that there is only white and red in the English flag and that therefore there should only be white and red in the kit. Well, you got your wish. There’s only white and red in this one. As Umbro explained, inspiration for the design comes from the flag of St George.
Although I prefer to see England’s white shirt combined with a dark navy and just a splash of red, I have to say I think the white and red colourway works a treat and really brings a fresh look to the kit. The only problem I do have is with the badge.
Yes, the famous three lions are now rendered in all-red (possibly as a result of the highly successful tonal ranges introduced by Umbro in recent years) and have lost the new shade of blue introduced a couple of years ago when the badge was redrawn. I was surprised that the staunchly traditional FA gave this the go ahead. Early versions of the kit did feature the standard badge but this direction was abandoned and the decision made to go solely with a red and white colour scheme. For me though the badge shouldn’t have been tampered with. Maybe its the graphic designer in me but I feel the team’s visual identity has been lost a bit with the move away from the badge’s regular colour scheme. I think it was unnecessary and a distraction from what is otherwise a very fine kit.
The team have switched back to white shorts as well, primarily in line with UEFA’s obsession with single colour kits (although other countries don’t toe the line). Expect to see the white shorts abandoned though when England aren’t playing in a major tournament. The new red tonal stripes adorn the shorts by way of small triangles on each leg and also feature on the sock turnovers. There are a pair of red change shorts as well, although these are a slightly different shade to the red worn as part of the goalkeeper’s all-red kit.
Ah yes, the goalie kit. I won’t go into too much detail about that here, except to say that expect a patriotic display when Joe Hart stands between two outfield players should the side be sporting the red change shorts in a match.
Summing up, I think the new home design is a great kit – not a classic though, and not a patch on the 2009 home shirt but a definite improvement on the slightly too clever for its own good 2010 home jersey.
Its solid, classy and not afraid to stand up for itself amongst the intricate flashes and coloured panels that form part of so many other international kits. Its been designed with the thought and care you would expect from Umbro and as such is a brave design. I just can’t get over the all-red badge issue though. The white and red together certainly scream ‘England’ but do they scream ‘English football’?
As a way of a PS, I should remind you that myself, a loyal Scotland fan, will be donning the new England shirt as part of Sport Relief’s ‘Shirt of Hurt’ challenge. I would really appreciate it if you could sponsor me please as I prepare to wear an England shirt for the very first time!!! Full details are here. Please sponsor whatever you can afford. It’s all for a good cause….thank you!
True Colours – Shirt of Hurt Challenge
Posted by John Devlin
As many of you will know, when it comes to international football my loyalties lie with Scotland. Always have, always will. Inevitable really as it was my Scottish Dad who first got me interested in football back in the 1970s. This has caused some friction living down south as you might imagine, not least with my English mum! As a result of my support of the Scotland side I have owned and worn countless Scottish replica shirts over the years but not surprisingly never any England ones and in fact have never put an England shirt on my back….until now.
Listening to the fantastic Danny Baker show on BBC Five Live last Saturday gave me an idea. On the show Danny took the “Shirt of Hurt” challenge for Sport Relief by swapping jerseys with actor Ray Winstone. If you’re not aware of the concept, “Shirt of Hurt” requires you to pull on the shirt of your most bitterest rivals in aid of Sport Relief. Danny, an ardent Millwall fan, donned Ray’s West Ham shirt and Ray, a Hammer through and through, wore Danny’s Millwall jersey. Years of support, belief and passion for your team rocked by simply wearing the colours of your fierce enemies!
So in aid of Sport Relief, I too will be taking the “Shirt of Hurt” challenge by pulling on a shirt, for the first time ever, of Scotland’s greatest rivals and bitterest enemies: England!
Thanks to my friends at Umbro I have a brand new, still in its wrapper and rather splendid 2012 England home shirt just waiting to be worn. All I need you to do, is to please please sponsor me!
Photographic proof will be posted on the site and will no doubt haunt me for the rest of my life! But its all for a great cause – so please donate whatever you can afford to see me in my England “Shirt of Hurt”!
Click here to visit my official Sport Relief page where you can sponsor me
Thank you very much.
The Mysterious Case of the Birmingham City Away Kit
Posted by John Devlin
Aside from the one-season cycle, I think the biggest threat to the current state of play when it comes to football kits is the increase in poorly conceived away/third kits. Newcastle’s rather superfluous current black third kit has come in for some criticism and is a typical example of a change kit crafted from a colour (or at least a shade of a colour) that features prominently on the home and subsequently provides very little colour clash options. Another example in the Premier League is WBA’s pale blue away kit (supposedly as a viable change option to their navy and white striped home design) which I’ve been informed has only been worn once, with their red third kit being preferred.
But the most prominent example I’ve encountered is in the Championship with Birmingham City. Pre-season the club launched a new all-blue home Xtep kit (and very nice it is too) with an away strip of dark grey and teal/blue stripes. My initial thought was that although it was a smart design, did it really give the club a suitable away option against teams playing in blue? Clearly I wasn’t alone in this thought as checking through the club’s fixtures this season it appears this away kit has NEVER been worn in a competitive fixture. Instead Birmingham have opted for their much more sensible yellow third kit every time a clash occured (eight times so far this season at the time of writing). Ironically, this third kit is officially entitled the ‘Europa League Kit’ (which also highlights another piece of nonsense, re-naming third kits for purely marketing purposes, but that’s a post for another day) yet its seen plenty of action in the league.
Checking on the Birmingham online store, the black/blue striped shirt is still being sold as the away kit with the third, oh sorry, Europa League, kit nowhere to be seen. Its madness!
What’s happened? Have the club abandoned the away kit realising that its design will never work against a blue-clad opposition? Or are refs vetoing at every game? Or is their another reason the kits not been worn? There is a rumour that supply issues have thwarted its on the field appearances but I have a feeling, given that a number of supporters have bought replicas, that this may be a smokescreen.
If the reason is due to its lack of ample colour differentiation, it proves that this away kit is simply not fit for purpose and is therefore, pointless. You have to ask how the design ever got rubber stamped.
Also, a quick search online reveals two versions of the away kit; one with stripes on the sleeve and one without. Which is the official, final design? Difficult to tell seeing as its never been worn.
As an aside, I’ve also noticed that Birmingham wear an all-blue ensemble at home, but away from home in the league opt for white shorts if possible. This curious move indicates that they are clearly “kit aware” when it comes to away fixtures so why make such a mistake with their choice of official away kit.
So whats the answer? There’s no denying that the three examples I’ve mentioned above are all fine looking kits – but are they really viable change options? Wouldn’t they be better of being marketed as leisure shirts? The problem is clubs are losing sight of what the purpose of an away/third kit is – namely to provide an effective alternative colour option should there be a colour clash. Its that simple. If clubs persist in releasing these unnecessary outfits (with ever increasing price tags) I fear a backlash amongst supporters may occur.
Replica World/Umbro Kits Ad 1988-89
Posted by John Devlin
Firstly, I must apologise for the lack of posts since the new year. Some of you may be aware that my role in my 9-5 job has increased dramatically since Christmas and with the extra responsibility comes extra work. January has been particularly busy (which is a great thing!) but its meant I couldn’t focus on True Colours as much as I would have liked.
Rest assured, balance is being restored and theres lots of exciting things coming up this year. I’ve also been working on designing some teamwear kits for a sportswear firm in Scotland – more about this project in due course!!
In the meantime, whilst thumbing through old Match/Shoot magazines in the loft I came across this series of Replica World kit ads including some really interesting Umbro items – they don’t make ads like this anymore…
Sorry if the quality of the scan is not great – its also pretty large.
Crystal Palace Home Kit 1977-80: True Colours Hall of Fame
Posted by John Devlin
It may not have been the first appearance of Crystal Palace’s iconic sashed kit design but this Admiral incarnation, fondly remembered by the Palace faithful, is arguably the greatest. The sash first appeared in The Eagles’ kit cupboard in the 1975-76 season with flamboyant and kit-savvy boss Malcolm Allison the instigator. It became first choice home kit the following year (replacing the club’s Barca-like red and blue stripes) and when Admiral took over kit duties in 1977 they updated the design with bold red taping featuring, of course, multiple Admiral logos, and an elegantly trimmed V-neck and cuffs. It was a strong and confident design – perfectly suited for Terry Venables’ up and coming young Palace side.
Worn by: Gerry Francis, Mike Flanaghan, George Graham.
Worn in: The glorious 2-0 win over Burnley in the last game of the 1978-79 season that clinched the Division 2 crown and sealed promotion to the First Division for “The Team of the Eighties”.
The Recipe for an Ideal Away Kit – by Denis Hurley
Posted by John Devlin
Just posted a great new article by journalist Denis Hurley on the nature of away kits.
It can be viewed here: http://www.truecoloursfootballkits.com/articles/the-recipe-for-an-ideal-away-kit
Many thanks Denis!
The Making of a Football Shirt
Posted by John Devlin
Found this interesting little piece that I’d kept from a few old editions of Match magazine. Its a single page feature detailing some of the processes involved in designing and manufacturing the Scotland national team’s Fila shirt from 2000. Amazing, given the interest in football kits these days that not more of this type of article turns up in the football press.
Click on the pic to enlarge and read.
