Historical Football Kits

30 September 2013-14 Updates: Tottenham Hotspur (3rd), Derby County (3rd), Millwall (3rd), Peterborough United (3rd), Chesterfield (3rd), Newport County (3rd), Colchester United (A sponsor corrected), Coventry City (H updated).

24 September: The Welsh Premier League and the NIFL Premiership sections have been updated.

18 September: The Championship, League One and League Two season galleries are at last complete.

10 September: The 2013-14 Premier League section has been updated.

8 September: I have now completed the 2013-14 Scottish Professional Football League update. My thanks go to everyone who has sent in material.

I will be working on a similar, complete update for the English Leagues over the rest of this week.

3 September: Thanks to everyone for your patience. HFK is now installed in the old post office in Blaengarw and, if you've been following us on Twitter, the tree that prevented us from getting a broadband connection has been reduced to firewood. I'm pleased to be able to resume updates tonight although these will be limited while renovation work continues. I'll prioritise 2013-14 kits but do stay tuned as I have a sack load of fascinating historical material in the mail silo and will publish this soon.

2013-14 updates: Accrington Stanley (H), Dagenham & Redbridge (H), Nottigham Forest (sponsor added), Everton (A), Fulham (A).

4 August 2013-14 updates: Carlisle United (A), Hartlepool United (A), Port Vale (H), Newport County (H, A), Fleetwood Town (H), Bury (H), Exeter City (H*), York City (H*), Dagenham & Redbridge (A*).

I have added competition badges to the SkyBet Football League clubs. It took all day. No, I'm fine. Just need to lie down...

If time allows, I will try to do some Scottish updates this week.

2 August 2013-14 updates: Millwall (H, A), Cardiff City (alternate kits), Peterborough United (A), Oldham Athletic (3rd), Coventry City (H kits), Leicester City (A), Sheffield Wednesday (H), Newcastle United (H), Huddersfield Town (3rd), Cheltenham Town (A), Swindon Town (A socks confirmed), Torquay United (H, A).

While browsing on the interweb I found this fine postcard on oldukphotos of The Strand, in Blaengarw taken in the early 1900s. HFK will be moving into the second house in the terrace (the one with the shop front) a week from today.

30 July 2013-14 Updates: Stockport County (left, wearing Umbro), Sheffield United (H, A), Manchester United (A), Chelsea (3rd), Oxford United (A), Barnsley (A), AFC Bournemouth (new crest), Burton Albion (A shorts detailing corrected), Wycombe Wanderers (A detailing added), Luton Town (shorts detailing added),

(Photo provided by Phil Brennan from Stockport County FC)

29 July: In ten days time HFK Towers will be relocating to a secret location in the depths of the South Wales Valleys. As I write, our crack team of unpaid, under-age interns are carefully dismantling the site ready to be reassembled in our new, underground HQ. Meanwhile our small but dedicated band of domestic servants are packing up the ancestral impedimenta. What this means is that over the next four weeks or so, there will be limited updates to the site while I get myself sorted out but please do keep the material coming in.

I had a very nice mail today from Chris Dolan, Head of PR & Communications at Umbro. He tells me that the company is on track to rebuild its relationship with top flight clubs and players and that we can expect some "significant announcements." In the mean time, HFK urges everyone who is tired of seeing the same templates provided by the big three sportswear providers to lobby their clubs to ensure that Umbro's brand once again graces the top levels of UK football.

2013-14 updates: Birmingham City (A), Portsmouth (A updated), Leeds United (A), Portsmouth (A updated), Southend United (H updated), Luton Town (H), Manchester City (A), Burton Albion (H, A*), Charlton Athletic (A), Notts County (H, A).

21 July 2013-14 updates: The Football League has announced a three-year sponsorship deal with Sky Bet. Oxford United (sponsor added), Portsmouth (A), Wycombe Wanderers (A), Oldham Athletic (A), Colchester United (A), Cheltenham Town (H*).

Welsh Premier League: Prestatyn Town (H, A, 3rd), The New Saints (H), Bala Town (Europa League kits).

SFPL: Greenock Morton (3rd shorts/socks confirmed), Dunfermline Athletic (H).

19 July 2013-14 updates: Norwich City (A), Derby County (A), Blackburn Rovers (A), Bolton Wanderers (A), Walsall (3rd), Watford (A), Rochdale (sponsor updated), St Johnstone (3rd), Stirling Albion (H, A), Dumbarton (H, A)*, Alloa Athletic.

18 July: In the course of their continuing research into the history of Arsenal, Mark Andrews and Andy Kelly have come up with two more remarkable discoveries. The first is an interview with Fred Beardsley, a founder of the club, published in 1933 by the Daily Mirror. In it he describes the team's earliest colours as red shirts, white "three-quarter master pants," black stockings and caps. There are few reliable written sources for the colour of the Gunners' socks until the Football League started to record these in their annual handbooks in the mid 1930s so we have had to rely on interpreting photographs. Other cuttings now uncovered suggest that the team continued to wear mainly black socks right up until Herbert Chapman introduced their iconic new look in March 1933.

Which brings us to Andrews' and Kelly's second discovery, supported by several contemporary newspaper reports. These describe the new Arsenal kit as being made up of a white cricket shirt (used as a change strip at the time) worn with a red sleeveless pullover made specially to Chapman's specifications by Hollins & Company in Nottingham. The idea for the new look was prompted by a conversation between Chapman and a famous cartoonist, Tom Webster. The new outfits were difficult to wash so conventional, flannel shirts were introduced a little later. For more on this extraordinary story, visit The History of Arsenal.

2013-14 updates: West Ham United (H), Carlisle United (H), Bradford City (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Shrewsbury Town (H), Wigan Athletic (H socks confirmed), Southend United (A), West Bromwich Albion (H).

12 July 2013-14 Updates: Montrose (H), Clyde (H, A), Peterhead (H), Queen of the South (sponsor updated), St Johnstone (detailing updated), Hibernian (A), Burnley (A), Arsenal (A socks confirmed), Huddersfield Town (A), Peterborough United (H), Leyton Orient (H), Preston North End (H, A), Bristol Rovers (H, A). More to follow.

8 July 2013-14 Updates: Fulham (H), Oxford United (H), Birmingham City (H), Brentford (A), Oxford United (H), Southend United (H), Scunthorpe United (H), Stoke City (H), Leicester City (H), Chesterfield (H, A), Wrexham (H), Blackburn Rovers (sponsors added), Arsenal (A), Tottenham Hotspur (H, A), Portadown (H, A).

4 July 2013-14 Updates: Hull City (H), Liverpool (3rd).

3 July 2013-14 Updates: Glentoran (H, A), Stevenage (H, A), Swindon Town (H, A), Sunderland (H).

2 July 2013-14 Updates: Ards (H, A), Linfield (H), Blackburn Rovers (H), Colchester United (A*), Sheffield Wednesday (A), Morecambe (H, A).

We have had a good response to the question about the West Ham change shirt on the left. According to Knees Up Mother Brown it appeared in 1958 (although crew necks were very rare at that time so I am not convinced) while Simon Monks has found this newspaper cutting of a friendly at Peterborough United in February 1960.

The Newport County 2004 Goldie Lookin Chain crest has been updated and Wrexham's revised badge added.

28 June: The 2013-14 Welsh Premier League section is now open.

2013-14 Updates: Swansea City (sponsor added), Southampton (H, A), AFC Wimbledon (3rd updated), St Johnstone (H).

The 2013-14 NIFL Premiership section (formerly IFA Premiership) is now open for business.

As always, we are grateful to everyone who submits information in the annual drive to record next season's kits. Now that we are on Twitter the rate at which material comes in has accelerated and we will do our best to keep up while not neglecting interesting, historical material. A few points to bear in mind:

- We do not work from leaks.

- We cannot create graphics from just shirt images.

- Credits go to the first contributor to hit our inbox but every contribution is acknowledged.

Over 90% of the material published on HFK comes from contributors. Your submissions are what makes this website the most detailed and authoritative kit history there is.

27 June: Stockport County have announced that they will now wear Umbro strips and, furthermore, the new replica shirts will be available for £34.99, a reduction of £5 compared to the Nike shirts worn last season. Umbro are based in nearby Cheadle and it is good to see their local club supporting them. I fear it will take more than a deal with a Conference club to rebuild but we wish everyone at Umbro all the best.

2013-14 Updates: Rangers (H, A, 3rd), Greenock Morton (A, 3rd), Livingston (H, A), Reading (H, A, 3rd), Everton (H), West Bromwich Albion (A), Colchester United (H), Swansea City (H corrected, A added), Hartlepool United (H).

21 June: It is now clear that the Umbro brand, a sporting institution, is set to disappear from England and Scotland although we believe that several Irish teams will continue to wear Umbro kit. Nike bought Umbro in 2008 for £377m at a time when the Cheshire-based company's designs were hopelessly out of touch with modern trends. Nike's involvement led to a complete rethink of Umbro's design approach that led to the excellent "Tailored" range. Umbro's £20m a year deal with the FA was the jewel in their crown but disappointing performances by the national team led to a decline in replica shirt sales and the deal no was no longer profitable.

Last year Nike sold Umbro to the Iconix Group, a "virtual brand" that owns the rights to Madonna's Material Girl brand as well as that of Jay-Z's Rocawear, for just £140m, writing off their £237m loss against tax. With global profits of £1.76bn in 2013, this is small change. Before the sale, Nike ensured they captured Umbro's most valuable contracts with the FA and Manchester City while allowing the rest of their deals with English clubs to go to the competition. Essentially Nike stripped the brand of value in order to maximise their tax write-off.

HFK deplores these developments and fervently hopes that the management team at Umbro can find a way forward for this historic brand that retains its integrity as part of our football heritage and not another debased brand adorning street fashion as has happened with Bukta.

We have one more question about West Ham's kits from the early 1960s. Long-time contributor, Tony Sealey, would like to know when this white change shirt was used. If you can help Contact Me.

2013-14 Updates: Celtic (H), Partick Thistle (H, A), Crewe Alexandra (A), Charlton Athletic (H), West Ham United (H), Burnley (H).

20 June: Yesterday's item on West Ham's alternate socks produced an immediate response from no fewer than seven HFK contributors. We know know that from around 1967, the Hammers wore claret and blue socks when their white socks clashed with those of opponents. From 1970-71 the plain light blue socks from their change kit were used and both variants occasionally appeared in home matches. We believe this is the first example of alternate socks being worn in Football League matches, a practice that became commonplace in the Seventies. My thanks go to Will Pike for raising the issue.

Although Bristol Rovers generally wore white shorts with the quartered shirts adopted in 1931, the latest evidence shows that black shorts were worn in 1949-50 and 1953-54 (shown right).

Crawley Town (1998-99, 1999-2000 added): Bradford Park Avenue (1919-20, 1945-46, 1951-52 added): Brentford (1949-50 details amended): Bristol Rovers (1949-50, 1953-54, 1954-55 cold weather kit, August 1962, 1965-66, Aug 1966 added).

19 June MLS Update: LA Galaxy (3rd) added; Montreal Impact (3rd details confirmed).

Today I am going to focus on historical material starting with this image from the cover of Shoot magazine of 16 August 1969. As far as I know West Ham always wore white socks with this strip but perhaps these socks were used because of a colour clash. If you can shed any light on this please Contact Me.

Graham Brack has found a couple of interesting variant kits worn by Sunderland in the mid-1950s which have been added.

I was very pleased to hear from Bob Bickerton recently: Bob is the Godfather of football kit historians and his book, Club Colours (Hamlyn 1998) was the inspiration behind HFK. Bob has supplied details for several missing Crewe Alexandra kits (1898-1965) and clarified a number of dates.

18 June: We now have the answer to mystery of the Umbro/Adidas shirts worn by Australia in the 1974 World Cup, thanks to Shakey. At the time Umbro, who supplied Australia's playing kit, had a distribution deal with Adidas, who supplied boots and balls but now had branched out into textiles. The German company had signed a sponsorship deal with FIFA to underwrite the costs of the 1974 World Cup and would use the exposure to launch their new range of playing kit with the now iconic three-stripe trim. Because of the close relationship between the two companies, Australia's kit was provided by Adidas and carried Umbro branding.

Franc Forjan has pointed out that the Yugoslav team also wore Adidas-made shirts but with branding inside the collar by Kopa, a sportswear company founded by Raymond Kopa of Reims, Real Madrid and France.

In the 1978 World Cup the twins, Rene and Willy van der Kerkhof refused to wear the three-stripe Adidas kit worn by Holland, insisting that they be provided with two-stripe versions as worn by Johan Cruyff in 1974.

This short-lived Dundee strip from 1952, discovered recently by the club's historian, Kenny Ross, while researching his new book, Dundee's Hampden Heroes, has an interesting story attached to it.

2013-14 Updates: Sunderland (A), MK Dons (H, A), Mansfield Town (H, A), Leyton Orient (A), Dundee (H, A), Cowdenbeath (H), Inverness Caledonian Thistle (H*).

13 June 2013-14 Update: Aston Villa (H, A).

12 June 2013-14 Updates: Barnsley (H), Hull City (A), Walsall (H, A).

Historical updates: Rochdale (1990-91, 1991-92 shorts detailing corrected):

10 June 2013-14 updates: Scotland (kit worn in Croatia added), Republic of Ireland (H) added. Swansea City (H), Rochdale (H, A), Watford (H), Derby County (H), Dundee United (H, A, 3rd), Inverness Caledonian Thistle (A).

7 June 2013-14 Updates: Bolton Wanderers & Everton (new crests added), Queen of the South (H, A), St Johnstone (A), Heart of Midlothian (H), Airdrieonians (A), St Mirren (A, 3rd), Greenock Morton (H*), Hibernian (H), Chelsea (A), Crawley Town (H, A), Bolton Wanderers (H), Plymouth Argyle (H, A), AFC Bournemouth (H, A, 3rd), Bristol City (H, A).

It's always good to put a face to a name so I'd like to introduce you to Pavel Shalaev of St Petersburg from where he runs the Liverpool Shirt website. Pavel has made many important contributions to HFK and has just sent us this photograph in which he models a replica of Liverpool's original 1892 blue/white shirt provided by yours truly.

Here is a real puzzle from the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Like many teams in that tournament Australia wore the new Adidas three-stripe trim. Franc Forjan has now provided photographic evidence that their kits carried the Umbro trademark rather than the Adidas trefoil trademark. Quite how this came about is a mystery but we do know the Socceroos wore Umbro in the qualifiers so perhaps their contract obliged them to have Umbro branding on their kit in the tournament proper.

There's a complimentary signed copy of the Worst Football kits of All Time to the contributor who submits the most convincing or entertaining answer: deadline 15 June. Contact Me.

6 June 2013-14 Updates: It has been an entertaining week: after an outcry from supporters, the Cardiff City management belatedly consulted season ticket holders over the colour of the shorts on their new home kit and the results have now been posted. The new Liverpool away kit, designed by Warrior Sports, has attracted a huge amount of comment, all of it negative.

Other updates for the new season: Manchester United (H), Brighton & Hove Albion (H socks updated; A added), Wycombe Wanderers (H), Middlesbrough (H, A), Leeds United (A*), Gillingham (H), Rotherham United (A).

29 May: The new Nike England strips have now been posted.

2013-14 additions: Cardiff City (H).

28 May 2013-14 additions: Arsenal (H*), Stoke City (A), AFC Wimbledon (3rd), Oldham Athletic (H), Heart of Midlothian (A), St Mirren (H).

*Unchanged.

MLS: Sporting Kansas City (3rd) added. WSL: Doncaster Rovers Belles (A) added.

27 May: The 2013-14 Scottish Season Galleries are now open: as usual we invite contributors to let us know when new kits are released so we can post them. Please note, we need details of the full kit, not just the shirts, and we do not work from leaks.

The English sections have now been posted.

2013-14 additions: Portsmouth, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Brighton.

26 May: You can now follow us on Twitter @HistoricalKits or use the button above.

Last night's Champions' League final kits have been posted.

2013-14 additions: Ipswich Town, Doncaster Rovers, Aberdeen.

24 May: I shall try to clear some of the historical material in the HFK mail dungeon before we launch the new season galleries.

Ross County (1996-97 added): Cardiff City (1969 crest added): Rangers (1973-74 change added; 1969-72 striped shirts now identified as third choice): York City (1987-88 detaileing corrected): Bristol City (1971-72 removed - now confirmed this strip was only worn in pre-season photoshoo): 2002 World Cup (Nigeria kit v Argentina updated).

23 May 2013-14 additions: Falkirk, Ross County, Raith Rovers, MK Dons, Norwich City, Bradford City, Blackpool, Newcastle United (A), Queen's Park Rangers, Manchester City, Brentford, Yeovil Town.

15 May: Following on from yesterday's Garibaldi Red story, I've been in touch again with Mark Andrews and I think we have now nailed the story that Arsenal originally wore dark red shirts as being untrue. One of Arsenal's founders, Fred Beardsley also played for Nottingham Forest and is reported to have proposed that Arsenal adopt the same colours. Early Football League records consistently describe Arsenal's colours as "red and white" (teams like Stoke who did wear dark red were registered as "claret and white.") Furthermore, painted images, such as this attractive silk, are consistent in showing bright red tops.

13 May: I have been, quite rightly, taken to task for failing to mention in my little homily to the success of our Welsh teams, that Swansea City won the League Cup and Wrexham won the FA Trophy this season. Mae'n ddrwg gen i!

Our FA Cup section has been updated after Saturday's final.

Darrin Foss has sent us some fascinating press cuttings from the 1880s and 1890s, which consistently describe Nottingham Forest's shirts as "bright red." We know the original colours chosen by the club were inspired by the Camicie Rosse worn by the Italian patriot army led by Giusseppe Garibaldi (shown here in a very early Forest strip - I may have got that wrong).

Photographs suggest Forest's early shirts were a very dark shade. This new evidence convinces me that the photos are misleading, due to the limitations of the emulsions used at the time and documented by HFK late last year.

The cutting from the Nottingham Guardian (Nov 5 1880) is worth quoting from:

When the teams were at work the sight was a most pleasing one, the bright red jerseys of the Foresters, and light blue colours of their opponents (Glasgow Rangers) looking exceedingly pretty, surrounded...by a sombre looking cordon of spectators in which was a fair sprinking of ladies. During the first half...the English rules were strictly adhered to....but in the second half the allowance for "off-side" was waived, and the game accordingly proceeded more merrily...

Darren's material includes Nottingham Forest (1868-1930 graphics revised): Walsall Swifts (1884-90 added): Middlesbrough (white shirts confirmed to 1891): Middlesbrough Ironopolis (Jan 1891-1894 colours now confirmed): Scotland (1873, 1875): Wales (1877 crest now confirmed) and the fact that in 1875 the England players wore their club strips in the match with Scotland.

10 May: HFK is very pleased that league football is returning to Newport 25 years after the original club went into liquidation. A new section (Newport County [2]) is now available. As usual, we welcome all contributions that fill in the gaps in our records and add detailing where we have not been able to confirm the design of shorts and socks.

Let's not forget also that Cardiff City will be playing in the Premier League next season and our fine rugby team won the Six Nations.

Just thought I'd mention it.

(Photo courtesy of Newport County official website.)

7 May: Burton Albion (2012-13 play-offs strips added.)

2013-14 home kit additions: Tranmere Rovers, Liverpool.