Historical Football Kits

21 December

The question of Chelsea's change shirts in the inter war years (see 4 December) has moved on thanks to an email from Greger Lindberg who found a reference in the Daily Herald (25 February 1931) that states that their first reserve colours were maroon. The jury is still out on the period 1933-1958 because the photographic evidence is ambiguous. This match against Everton in 1938 is a good example: it's an FA Cup tie so both teams have changed but are Chelsea in red or maroon shirts?

If you have access to programmes from this period featuring Chelsea playing away to a team in blue I would love to hear from you.

18 December - 2018-19 Update

Tranmere Rovers kit worn at Oxford City added, Doncaster Rovers (charity kit), Oldham Athletic (3rd), Grimsby Town (3rd shorts corrected), Dundee (3rd kit), Wales (kit worn against Albania last month added).

QPR Back in Hoops

In 1949-50 Queen's Park Rangers were unable to obtain their traditional blue and white hooped shirts so, thanks to ration points donated by supporters, they bought a set of blue shirts with white sleeves instead. Simon Ståål recently spotted this interesting piece by Steve Russell on the Independent R's website about the novel way the club consulted their supporters about reverting to hoops at the end of the season. It seems possible that the uncomfortably tight sample shirts mentioned in Steve's article were worn in this match from September 1949 against Preston North End as photographs taken later in the season show shirts with wider stripes and a looser fit.

Photograph courtesy of Queen's Park Rangers Images of Sport (Tony Williamson 2000)

17 December - New Section

I'm very pleased to announce that a new section, covering the UEFA Nations League has been added. Naturally this will be updated when the finals are played next June.

The First Penalty

It appear that the various accounts of the first penalty kick being taken in 1891 are incorrect and that the record books need to be revised (see 5 December). Our contributor Brian Webb has uncovered several press cuttings, including this one from the Sunderland Gazette (4 June 1890) reporting on the annual meeting of the International Football Board (the body responsible for the rules of football) which demonstates that the penalty kick was introduced a year earlier. For full details visit The Straw Plaiters website.

While we're on the topic of revising history, Laurence Wright has directed me to some additional information about Thistle FC which I've now incorporated.

5 December - Scottish Miscellany

On 6 June 1891 James McLuggage of Royal Albert scored the first ever penalty. For the full story visit Scottish Sport History. My thanks to Liz Jennings for finding this. Peterhead (1960-61, 1970-75 added.)

4 December - Classic Football Shirts Link

I'm happy to report that our Buy From links to the Classic Football Shirts website are working once again. My apologies for the interruption.

The Spurs Shirt

Last Friday saw the launch of the much anticipated The Spurs Shirt book at an exclusive event for season ticket holders at the The Tottenham Experience and I was delighted to receive my review copy over the weekend. Written by Daren Burney, Neville Evans (both long term Spurs supporters and football shirt collectors) with our old friend, Simon "Shakey" Shakeshaft, this is the definitive history of the London Lilywhites' famous shirt. Published in large 26x26 cm (10"x10"), glossy format, it is luxuriously illustrated with full colour plates of practically every Spurs top since the early 1960s including some priceless rarities. The oldest surviving shirt, dating back to the late 1940s also appears, along with goalkeepers' tops and an unmatched collection of modern shirts, match-worn by all the club's star players.

Alongside the wonderful colour plates, the detailed and highly informative text follows the evolution of the Spurs' shirt from the motley colours of the late-Victorian era, through the adoption of plain white tops in 1898, the cashmere jerseys of the early 1930s and on into the modern era. The text is authoritative, deeply researched and includes plenty of interesting and amusing anecdotes.

I recommend this book not only to fans of the club but to everyone with an interest in the history of football shirts. Priced at £30, The Spurs Shirt is available exclusively from The Spurs Shop.

Chelsea Update

After the recent overhaul of the Chelsea sections, we have a few more tweaks and one-off kits. White shirts were worn in FA Cup ties against Southend (1913) and Everton (1915) and against Birmingham in 1921-22 and 1922-23. An unrecorded change strip has been added for 1932-33 and the hooped shirts worn against Millwall in the FA Cup 1937 has been restored.

I still can't be certain if the change shirts worn in the inter war years were red or maroon

In the modern era the 1982-83 change has been added, !986-87 sponsorship details updated, 1971-73 alternate kits added, 1987-89 sponsorship updated and the 1997-99 socks corrected.

The unique tops worn at The Den in 1937 were almost certainly borrowed for their FA Cup tie. As can be seen in this YouTube clip, found by Rodney George, the home team are wearing their red/white change shirts.

16 November - Chelsea Update

I've been working for the past couple of days on a substantial submission from Nik Yeomans (supplemented with some information from Tony Sealey) that has resulted in a substantial revision of the Chelsea sections. In particular, Nik has established that the team's earliest change colours were maroon and white. The 1911-12 team photograph (left) shows both the royal blue (pale) and maroon (dark) tops worn by the first team and the reserves. Red became the alternative of choice after the First World War and featured prominently until 1994 when, probably due to its association with Arsenal, it was banished from the kit hamper.

Other fascinating snippets include confirmation that the striped shirts worn in two FA Cup game in the early 30s were blue and white and that the team borrowed a set of Fulham shirts (complete with crest) for the two games with Chesterfield in 1950.

Classic Football Shirts Link

Due to some technical problems (leaves on the line, the wrong kind of snow or possibly the intervention of a hostile foreign power) the Buy From links to the Classic Football Shirts online store are currently not working. We are working to fix the problem and hope these will be available once more very shortly.

13 November

Although Torquay United have been associated with yellow and blue since 1954 there was a period between 1974 and 1982 when they wore predominantly white strips. This was the first of the series, dating from 1974-74.

(Photograph courtesy of English Football Retro TV.)

I was delighted to hear from Peter Clifford recently who provided some information on the gentleman in the bowler hat and fancy watch chains featured in this photograph of the newly re-formed Rotherham FC from 1900-01. He is Bob Leather, a former player with Northwich Victoria and Rotherham Town. He was known as the Northwich Flyer and was brought to the club by George Gummer, a prominent Liberal and Alderman of the town who was elected mayor on three occasions. Gummer was the chairman of the original Rotherham Town when they played in the Football League and the owner of Gummers' Brass Works, where Leather was employed. Peter is Bob Leather's grandson and was born in 1935, the same year that Leather died.

This intriguing photograph shows the captains of Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham before the kick-off in 1925-26. The Blues are wearing the familiiar chevron of the period with dark knickers. These appear to be a tad lighter than Spurs' dark blue and I assume they were originally black and had become badly faded.

(Photographs courtesy of English Football Retro TV, Rotherham United FC Images of Sport, @pics_blues.)

Leeds United (2018-19 3rd added).

7 November

I have finally got round to completing the 2018-19 NIFL Premiership section. My apologies to HFK's followers in Northern Ireland for the delay.

5 November

Blackpool (1968-69 original kit corrected and a second version that appeared in March 1969 added). Halifax Town (1980-82, 1982-83, 1983-84 detailing altered), Mansfield Town (1945-47 graphic now has correct short sleeves), Llanelli Town (2018-19 change added).

2 November

Brian Webb has sent in some press cuttings from 1889 that shed new light on Watford's earliest colours. Plymouth Argyle (1987-89, 1989-90 shirt texture and shorts trim added), Aberystwyth Town (2013-14 change added), strip worn by Scotland in Norway 1980 added.

1 November

2018-19 Update: Oxford United (special kit details confirmed), Norwich City (charity kit added), Peterhead (socks corrected).

31 October

Paul Nagel (unitedkits.com) has once again generously shared his latest reseach into Manchester United kits. We now have confirmation that United wore royal blue shirts in 1929-30 when they changed. Rather more remarkable is a press account of a reserve game on a foggy December afternoon at Burnley in 1937. Visibility was so poor that the home side changed into white shirts for the second half. "The United, who wore grey and black hooped shirts with black knickers, were like shadows moving about, while the ball was frequently lost to view." (Emphasis added.) In all likelihood, the team were wearing old kit discarded by the first team that was badly worn and faded to give the players their ghost-like appearance.

Newcastle United (1960-61 change added), Huddersfield Town (1916-17 added, 1989-90 & 1990-91 now in correct order), Wolverhampton Wanderers (March-May 1974 added), Crystal Palace (1950-54 added). The crest worn by Grimsby Town in their 1935-36 FA Cup campaign has been updated after Dave Wherry sent in a photograph of the original.

24 October - International Updates

1958 World Cup - When Argentina borrowed a set of yellow shirts for their game against West Germany they wore plain black socks.

1978 World Cup - Peru shirt trim corrected.

1982 World Cup - We now have an explanation for the variations in the red change shirts worn by England in this tournament.

1986 World Cup - Italy cuffs corrected.

2006 World Cup - Italy detailing corrected, Cote d'Ivoire's socks worn against Serbia & Montenegro now correct.

Scotland - 1963 change added, 2018-19 jacquard print added to shirt.

23 October - 2009-10 Scottish Club Updates

Ian McConnel has submitted some more information that allows me to update the detailing on the following kit graphics from the 2009-10 season: Rangers, Peterhead, Heart of Midlothian, Kilmarnock, Queen of the South, St Johnstone, Dundee, Dundee United, Aberdeen, Falkirk, Hibernian and St Mirren.

22 October - 2018-19 Update

Republic of Ireland (1st), Coventry City (3rd), Oxford United (special).

As Leyton Orient are currently playing in the National League I have nowhere to record their latest commemorative strip so I thought I would feature it here. Launched to mark the centenary of the armistice that ended World War One, it recreates the iconic white tops with red chevron worn when they were known as Clapton Orient and will be worn without sponsorship against Bromley on 17 November. In 1914 no fewer than 41 players and officials enlisted en masse with the 17th Middlesex Regiment in what became known as The Footballers' Battalion. They served with distinction at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 when three players were killed and many others wounded. Four years ago the club wore a special commemorative badge in place of the usual sponsorship to remember them.

(Photographs (c) Leyton Orient FC/Twitter).

10 October - Scottish Clubs 2010-11

I've made minor tweaks and amended some detailing for Hamilton Academical, Clyde, Hibernian, Kilmarnock, Elgin City, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, St Mirren, St Johnstone, Ayr United. Material submitted by Ian McConnel.

Other Updates

Detailing updated for Norwich City, MK Dons and Swindon Town's all-red strip added (2017-18). Walsall (1992-93 updated).

Barnsley FC

While this may not be the most exciting photograph we've ever published, it does neatly fill a gap in Barnsley's record for 1913-14 and was found on eBay by Pavel Shalaev. The trophy is the West Riding Senior Cup.

Liverpool Change Kits

In January 1956 Liverpool met Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup and under the rules of the competition, both team had to change because of a colour clash. This photograph from Pavel's History of the Liverpool Shirt website indicates that Stanley wore their white/black change strip while Liverpool adopted an unfamiliar, pale shirt. While I distrust colourised photographs, it is self evident that they would not wear any shade of blue so it seems logical to assume these tops were gold or yellow and this may be the first time that the team this colour.

Yellow appeared again in 1966 when Liverpool met Ajax in Amsterdam in the European Cup (left) and the same strip appeared again in August 1967 against Arsenal. (Photograph provided by Tony Sealey.)

Chetan Murarji has sent in this photograph (right) of Liverpool posing with Genoa before their friendly match in June 1922. Liverpool have changed, presumably to avoid a clash with the hosts red and blue shirts and we can see that their tops have white lace up necks rather than the red ones seen in previous seasons.

9 October

2018-19 Update: Liverpool (charity kit), Yeovil Town (2nd details confirmed), Airdrieonians (1st, 2nd confirmed).

This quaint cartoon, submitted by Tony Sealey, celebrates Portsmouth changing to a new all-blue strip trimmed with red, white and blue in 1967-68. In the process Tony has also demonstrated that the all-blue kit with white crew necks that I recorded for the previous season was incorrect and this was in fact their all-red change strip. Pompey played in their traditional blue shirts, white shorts and red socks in 1966-67 before adopting this very smart new look.

Gerald Ruck has discovered that Gilingham wore a circular badge in 1937-38 and with a bit of detective work in my own library, I've been able to reconstruct it.

3 October

2018-19 Update: Middlesbrough, Cambridge United, Southend United, Hibernian third kits added.

28 September - Wolves Updated

I've spend the last few days working through "They Wore the Shirt" (Steve Plant 2016), a beautifully presented celebration of 140 years of Wolverhampton Wanderers' iconic shirts. The many excellent photographs in the book have enabled me to track how the club's famous old gold has varied over time with much greater certainty than before.

In the course of this I have looked again at this anomolous picture of the Wolves team which I now know comes from "The Wolves: The First Eighty Years" (Percy Young 1959) and is dated 1891. I have concluded that this may show the (dark) blue and orange colours that were originally going to be worn in 1891-92 and were superceded on the eve of the season by old gold and black diagonaly halved jerseys. Perhaps the unfamilar blue and orange set were given to the reserves.

Among the many delights in Plant's book is the story behind the glowing silk shirts worn in Wolves' pioneering floodlit friendlies against Budapest Honved, Moscow Dynamo, Spartak Moscow and others. This photograph shows Billy Wright leading out the Wolves team with Ferenc Puskas at the head of the Hungarians in 1954. Although I have already described these unusual shirts, I have now been able to redraw them based on the colour photographs in this book.

Two examples of this very special shirt survive. This one was worn by Roy Swinbourne in the match against Honved. Just before They Wore the Shirt went to print, a second shirt came to light which the author was able to attribute to the game with Moscow Dynamo when it was worn by Jimmy Murray.

(Photographs "The Wolves: The First Eighty Years" (Percy Young 1959), Gary Thacker/All Blue Daze, Steve Leath/Daily Mail.)

26 September

Examining team photographs of Nottingham Forest from the period immediately after the Second World War reveals that they wore short sleeved shirts with enormous flappy collars, among the largest I've ever seen. These are shown off well in this team group from 1956-57. They were retired the following season in favour of more modern V neck "Continental" shirts.

This photograph, published on Twitter recently by @MemorabiliaMal, reveals a previously unrecorded Notts County strip from 1956-57. It also illustrates how goalkeepers were considered fair game in those days and judging by the expressions on the County forwards' faces, Leyton Orient's goalkeeper is about to have an unpleasant experience. (A new Notts County kit from 1955-56 has also been added and minor corrections made to graphics between 1949 and 1955.)

I've added a missing stripe down the sides of the shorts worn by Crystal Palace 1949-54.

There was a vogue in the 1950s for shiny rayon and when Torquay United decided to switch from plain white shirts to gold and blue in 1954, they were all the brighter for being made out of this artificial fibre. More conventional cotton was used later but when, in 1959, another change was made, shiny shorts were back with a vengeance.

25 September

Some time ago Glen Isherwood established that players selected to play for England between 1872 and 1879 had to provide their own playing kit, the FA providing only the three lions crest to be sewn onto the shirts. It was not until 1879 that the FA purchased sets of white, flannel shirts for the team (which the players were allowed to keep) but it was still up to those selected to bring their own knickers and socks. As we can see from this line up for the match against Scotland on 1 April 1893, this resulted in a scruffy mixture. It was not until the turn of the century that the FA specified that players wear navy knicks but for the next 30 years they continued to sport their club stockings.

In November 1954 the England team adopted the "Continental" strip, featuring lightweight shirts with V necks and short sleeves, modelled here by Billy Wright. This new look swept through the game but fell out of favour a decade later when the classic crew neck shirts with long sleeves appeared. I was intrigued by this advertisement for Uwin Football Clothing from 1963, which describes the new designs as the "Spanish style." I think we can assume this is because Real Madrid had worn this style in the famous 1960 European Cup final played at Hampden Park, the first to have been televised in the UK while Barcelona and Real wore similar shirts in the following two finals. This sleek, unadorned look was very much in keeping with the emerging aesthetic of the mid-60s.

(Photographs England Football Online, Henry Bush/Daily Mail, Beyond the Last Man.)

24 September - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Manchester City (3rd), Chelsea (3rd), Crystal Palace (3rd).

League One: Rochdale (3rd socks corrected), Scunthorpe United (3rd).

League Two: Mansfield Town (3rd).

Scottish Championship: Dunfermline Athletic (special).

Welsh Premier League: Llandudno Town (2nd*).

3 September

For some strange reason Fulham's new navy change strip has yet to be worn in anger. Against Spurs they wore last season's red strip, updated with new sponsorship and last weekend at Brighton, they wore last season's black Tiro top with their first choice shorts and socks.

Well that's it for now - I'm off to the Outer Hebrides for a holiday so there will be no updates to the site for a couple of weeks. Do keep your contributions coming though.

1 September

2018-19 Updates: I've had confirmation from Sunderland's Supporter Liaison Officer that the team will wear black shorts at The Stadium of Light and red ones when playing in stripes away from home. Bristol Rovers (socks confirmed): Bury (2nd corrected): Celtic (2nd graphic effect added).

Republic of Ireland (new change kit added).

Dundee United (1923 crest revised).

29 August - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Manchester United (2nd).

Championship: Swansea City (3rd), Nottingham Forest (3rd).

Scottish League One: East Fife (new 1st kit now delivered), Airdrieonians (New Balance kits worn in July/August added).

28 August

The 2018-19 Welsh Premier League section is now open.

25 August - 2018-19 Update

With almost a month of the new season gone, Forest Green Rovers are still playing in their hastily organised third kit because Hummel have not delivered their new bespoke strips. As a result FGR have torn up their contract and turned to a UK-based company that previously specialised in customised base layers for athletes, PlayerLayer.

Premier League: Everton (3rd).

Championship: Bolton Wanderers (3rd), Millwall (3rd).

League One: Peterborough United (3rd*).

Former members: Aldershot Town, Barnet, Boston United, Chesterfield, Hartlepool United, Kidderminster Harriers, Stockport County, Torquay United, York City.

20 August - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur (3rd), Brighton & Hove Albion, Cardiff City, Leicester City, Watford, West Ham United.

Championship: Derby County (3rd), Hull City (3rd), Aston Villa (3rd).

League One: Portsmouth (3rd).

18 August - 2018-19 Updates

Premier League: Fulham (sleeve sponsor added, 3rd).

League One: It seems that Sunderland are wearing black shorts with their striped tops when at home after all.

League Two: Carlisle United (2nd socks confirmed).

Scottish League One: Montrose (3rd), Airdrieonians (1st & 2nd kit revised).

11 August - 2018-19 Update

Championship: Leeds United (2nd).

League One: Bristol Rovers (2nd socks confirmed), Burton Albion (2nd updated).

League Two: Cheltenham Town (2nd*).

Scottish Championship: Alloa Athletic (2nd), Inverness Caledonian Thistle (3rd*).

Scottish League Two: Albion Rovers (1st), Elgin City (2nd sponsor confirmed), Stirling Albion (1st, 2nd*).

Former SPFL Member: East Stirlingshire.

*Unchanged.

7 August - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Cardiff City (3rd*), Burnley (2nd).

Championship: Millwall (2nd).

League One: Barnsley (2nd), Charlton Athletic (3rd corrected)..

League Two: Forest Green Rovers (3rd), Bury (1st sponsor confirmed), Exeter City (2nd), Colchester United (3rd).

Scottish Premiership: Heart of Midlothian (2nd detaiing confirmed, 3rd*), Hamilton Academical (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

Scottish Championship: Greenock Morton (2nd*), Alloa Athletic (1st, 2nd*), Dunfermline Athletic (1st, 2nd).

Scottish League One: Airdrieonians (1st, 2nd), Forfar Athletic (1st, 2nd*), East Fife (1st*, 2nd*, 3rd), Montrose (1st*, 2nd*).

Scottish League Two: Albion Rovers (2nd), Annan Athletic (1st, 2nd), Cowdenbeath (2nd), Peterhead (1st,* 2nd*), Queen's Park (1st, 2nd).

3 August - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Southampton (3rd), Leicester City (3rd).

Championship: Norwich City (3rd), Nottingham Forest (2nd), Blackburn Rovers (2nd), West Bromwich Albion (2nd, 3rd).

League One: Blackpool (1st, 2nd), Oxford United (2nd), Gillingham (2nd), Barnsley (1st).

League Two: Grimsby Town (1st, 2nd, 3rd), Forest Green Rovers (1st corrected, 2nd added), Cheltenham Town (1st), Colchester United (socks confirmed).

1 August - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Burnley (3rd), West Ham United (3rd), Manchester City (2nd), AFC Bournemouth (3rd), Liverpool (3rd), Arsenal (3rd).

Championship: Reading (1st, 2nd).

League One: Gillingham (1st, 3rd), Sunderland (3rd*), Walsall (3rd), Charlton Athletic (3rd).

League Two: Macclesfield Town (1st, 2nd), Lincoln City (2nd), Northampton Town (1st), Swindon Town (2nd), Exeter City (3rd), Carlisle United (1st, 2nd).

Scottish Premiership: Celtic (3rd), Rangers (4th).

Scottish League Two: Elgin City (1st, 2nd).

Bedale AFC are at it again with another sausage-themed strip. I particularly like the odd socks that pick up the ketchup and mustard element on the shirts and shorts.

25 July - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Everton (2nd).

Championship: Bolton Wanderers (2nd), Hull City (2nd), Leeds United (1st).

League One: Charlton Athletic (1st), Southend United (1st, 2nd).

League Two: Notts County (sponsors added).

Scottish League One: Raith Rovers (1st*, 2nd).

23 July - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Newcastle United (3rd), Brighton & Hove Albion (1st, 2nd), Brighton & Hove Albion (3rd*).

Championship: Nottingham Forest (1st), Blackburn Rovers (1st).

League One: Peterborough United (1st), Rochdale (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

League Two: Forest Green Rovers (1st), Exeter City (1st)..

Scottish Premiership: Kilmarnock (2nd*).

Scottish League One: Dumbarton (1st, 2nd), Stenhousemuir (1st*, 2nd*).

*Unchanged

21 July - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Huddersfield Town (3rd).

Championship: Sheffield United (2nd), Norwich City (2nd).

League One: Portsmouth (2nd), Burton Albion (sponsor added), Charlton Athletic (2nd), Sunderland (shorts & socks corrected), Bradford City (2nd, 3rd).

League Two: Cambridge United (2nd), Yeovil Town (1st), Morecambe (1st, 2nd).

Scottish Premiership: Dundee (2nd), Livingston (1st, 2nd).

Scottish Championship: Queen of the South (sponsorship added).

Scottish League One: Stranraer (2nd), Brechin City (1st, 2nd).

Scottish League Two: Albion Rovers (2nd), Edinburgh City (2nd, 3rd), Berwick Rangers (2nd).

Brechin City had a difficult time in the Scottish Championship last season,finishing bottom and without a win. They do, however, have the biggest shorts in the country.

19 July - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Fulham (1st, 2nd), Tottenham Hotspur (1st, Euro, 2nd).

Championship: Aston Villa (1st, 2nd), Wigan Athletic (1st, 2nd), Birmingham City (2nd).

League One: Oxford United (1st), Fleetwood Town (1st, 2nd).

Scottish Premiership: St Johnstone (1st, 2nd), Motherwell (1st, 2nd).

Scottish Championship: Falkirk (1st, 2nd), Partick Thistle (1st, 2nd).

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Stripes - Footnote

Graham Brack has pointed out an unintended consequence of Adidas' decision to make their striped shirts plain on the back. "It's wierd watching a game where there appear to be three or four teams on the pitch depending on which way players are facing!"

17 July - 2018 World Cup Update

The World Cup section is now complete.

2018-19 Update

Premier League: Newcastle United (2nd), Manchester United (1st).

Championship: West Bromwich Albion (1st), Millwall (1st), Brentford (1st), Sheffield Wednesday (2nd).

League One: Sunderland (1st, 2nd), Wycombe Wanderers (1st, 2nd*).

League Two: Crewe Alexandra (1st, 2nd), Colchester United (1st, 2nd).

It's good to see that Wycombe Wanderers have once again gone for subtle and understated goalkeepers' kits.

12 July - The Mysterious Case of the Missing Stripes

Supporters of teams who play in striped tops and are supplied by Adidas are wondering why the back of their new shirts are plain and several have asked if this is a new EFL rule. In fact it is the result of a policy decision by Adidas whose spokesperson made this statement after the launch of the new Sheffield United kit had attracted negative comments on social media.

"Our current design direction for the upcoming season sees us providing a plain reverse shirt treatment for Sheffield United, and our other partner clubs, who have stripes within their identity. In combination with more tailored and bespoke detailing throughout the kit we believe this will allow us to create more standout designs for our clubs in the UK and we're looking forward to seeing the shirts on pitch in 2018/19."

So you see the stripes are not "missing" but undergoing "plain reverse shirt treatment" as a result of "design direction," so that's all good.

2018-19 Update

Premier League: Leicester City (2nd).

League One: Scunthorpe United (1st, 2nd).

League Two: Newport County (1st, 2nd, 3rd), Mansfield Town (2nd).

11 July - 2018-19 Update

Championship: Sheffield Wednesday (1st), Norwich City (1st).

League One: Coventry City (1st, 2nd), AFC Wimbledon (1st, 2nd).

League Two: Notts County (1st, 2nd), Tranmere Rovers (2nd, 3rd), Crawley Town (2nd, 3rd).

9 July - 2018-19 SPFL Update

Scottish Premiership: St Mirren (1st, 2nd), Heart of Midlothian (1st, 2nd), Aberdeen (2nd), Rangers (1st, 2nd, 3rd), Celtic (2nd).

Scottish Championship: Queen of the South (3rd).

Scottish League One: Arbroath (1st*, 2nd*), Stranraer (1st).

Scottish League Two: Edinburgh City (1st), Cowdenbeath (1st).

5 July - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers (sleeve sponsor added), AFC Bournemouth (1st), Newcastle United (1st), Burnley (1st).

Championship: Swansea City (1st, 2nd), Sheffield United (1st).

League Two: Northampton Town (2nd).

4 July - 2018-19 Update

Championship: Queen's Park Rangers (1st, 2nd), Birmingham City (1st).

League One: Barnsley (3rd*), Peterborough United (2nd).

League Two: Oldham Athletic (1st, 2nd).

3 July - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers (1st, 2nd), Cardiff City (1st), Huddersfield Town (2nd).

Championship: Derby County (2nd), Bristol City (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

League One: Bradford City (1st), Portsmouth (1st).

League Two: Swindon Town (1st), Lincoln City (1st).

Bristol City have responded positively to a long-running supporters campaign and revived the fondly remembered robin crest that the team wore in the mid 1970s when they played in the top tier. This appears on the new white and black change strip and the familiar coat of arms continues to be worn on the other sets. While I was researching the origins of this badge I came across this photograph of the 1949-50 team who were the first to wear the robin on their shirts. This has enabled me to draw a rather more accurate version for the club's crest history.

(Photograph courtesy of picklick.co.uk)

30 June - 2018 World Cup

I've added all the match team colours for the Round of 16.

29 June - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Southampton (1st, 2nd).

Championship: Brentford (2nd).

League Two: Port Vale (2nd), Cambridge United (1st), Milton Keynes Dons (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

28 June

Updating the 2018 World Cup section has been the priority over the last fortnight but as we move towards the knock-out stages there will be more time for me to post the new 2018-19 club kits, starting today.

Premier League: Liverpool (2nd).

Championship: Middlesbrough (1st, 2nd).

League One: Accrington Stanley (1st*, 2nd), Doncaster Rovers (sponsor changed).

*Unchanged.

25 June - 2018 World Cup

Because everyone has been so well-behaved (especially you young Harry Kane) I've posted all the remaining kit graphics for the group stages.

21 June - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: Huddersfield Town (1st), Watford (1st).

Championship: Bolton Wanderers (1st), Preston North End (1st, 2nd,3rd).

19 June - 2018 World Cup

The match-by-match section is up to date with details of today's kits posted this morning. Check out our Twitter feed for daily details of the kits to be worn in each round.

2018-2019 Update

Premier League: Arsenal (2nd).

Championship: Hull City (1st).

15 June - 2018 World Cup

And we're off! I've added yesterday's match to the World Cup Group A section and over the next four weeks will be populating the match-by-match sections. There's no need to send me details unless you spot an error as I'll be monitoring each game and updating the site frequently.

Today I've been able to add kit graphics for forthcoming matches in Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D and Group F.

Just as I did for the last tournament in 2012, I shall try to publish advance details of the colours to be worn in coming matches on Twitter.

2018-19 Update

Championship: Rotherham United (3rd).

League One: Plymouth Argyle (2nd).

League Two: Port Vale (1st).

14 June - 2018-19 Update

SkyBet have renewed their sponsorship of the English Football League until 2023-24 and as part of the deal, they will fund responsible gambling sessions for first-team players and staff at all EFL clubs starting in the coming season. Counselling and ongoing support will also be made available for any players that require it. Whle this is a welcome initiative and I sincerely hope it helps reduce the risk of problem gambling that has affected some professional footballers in the past, I can't help feeling that it is a drop in the ocean given the mounting evidence of the harm that gambling does in our communities. The UK's relaxed attitude towards the promotion of gambling through elite sport stands in stark contrast to other European countries, including France, Poland, Italy, Sweden etc where it is banned.

Illustrated is the new EFL sleeve patch which carries the message of GambleAware. This first appeared in the promotion play-offs last month.

5 June - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: West Ham United (2nd updated).

League One: Burton Albion (1st, 2nd).

Scottish Premiership: Hibernian (1st, 2nd).

Scottish League Two: Clyde (1st, 2nd).

1 June - 2018-19 Update

Premier League: AFC Bournemouth (2nd), Leicester City (1st).

Championship: Rotherham United (2nd).

League Two: Bury (1st, 2nd), Stevenage (1st, 2nd).

Historical Material

I've been looking again at Port Online, the excellent history of Southport AFC. Among the interesting material posted since my last visit is a grainy photograph of the original club from 1883-84 which I've added to the club page. The photograph shown here is from 1946-47 and shows the team wearing green and white hoops, an outfit donated to the team by one of the directors in 1944. After four seasons this was retired and their pre-war strip of black and white stripes was restored.

31 May - 2018-19 Update

Championship: Stoke City (1st, 2nd), Rotherham United (1st), Derby County (1st).

League One: AFC Wimbledon (3rd*).

Scottish League Two: Berwick Rangers (1st).

*Unchanged.

Scotland wore all navy against Peru yesterday.

30 May

I've added kit graphics for the Champions' League Final as well as the one-off strip worn by Coventry City in the League Two play-off final.

The 2018-19 Premier League/Engish Football League and Scottish Professional Football League sections are now OPEN. As ever I welcome all contributions to help fill in the gaps but please remember I need details of full kits, not just shirts, and leaked images are not accepted. The first to send in detais of each kit gets a credit on the site.

25 May - 2018 World Cup Update

The last missing strips for Iran, Senegal and Morocco have been added and the Tunisia 1st strip has been updated.

I'll be opening the 2018-19 English and Scottish Club Sections next week. In the meantime West Ham United's new strip has been added.

18 May - 2018-19 Additions

Dundee United, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock.

17 May - The Origin of Striped Shirts

I am grateful to Boy of the Terrace who tweeted this cutting yesterday (click the image to view an enlarged version). Taken from a local newspaper published in 1887, the article describes a novel machine invented by the Rothwell Hosiery Company of Bolton that allowed stripes to be knitted into fabric in any direction. Previously looms could only produce stripes that ran across the cloth which explains why the early "striped" jerseys had horizontal bands. It was possible to produce vertical stripes only by cutting this material "against the grain" and sewing the sections together making them more expensive and less elastic.

The introduction of the new loom led directly to an increase in the popularity of vertically striped shirts which, it was thought, exaggerated the height of the players and this style became identified with Association Football. Horizontal stripes ("hoops") continued to be worn in Rugby Football because they seem to make players appear more bulky.

It would be nice to report that this innovation allowed the directors of the company to make a fortune but the story does not have a happy ending. By 1892 the Rothwell Hosiery Company was in serious financial trouble and in August 1895 two of its directors, William Rothwell and William Entwhistle were found guilty of fraud, having published misleading accounts in an attempt to attract new investment. They were sentenced to 18 and 9 months hard labour respectively.

World Cup 2018

I have added the Denmark strips. Iran and Morocco are witholding details of their new strips to reduce the threat of counterfeiters flooding the market with forgeries. I understand that Iran will unveil their new strip this weekend when they play Uzbekistan.

15 May - Crystal Palace in the Early Sixties

Of all the clubs that have played in the top levels of English football, few have a more colourful and varied kit history than Crystal Palace. One of the most confusing periods in their history was between 1962 and 1964 when they had no fewer than five first choice strips in two seasons.

At the start of 1962-63, Palace wore the same strip as they had the previous season, an iconic design (left) first introduced in 1959 (and long overdue for a revival as a change or third strip). This was replaced part way through the season by white shirts with claret/blue V necks, claret shorts and light blue socks. The shirts were a hold over from earlier in the decade (the version shown here is from around 1957) and had first appeared in 1955. This was the first time that anyone had worn claret shorts as far as I know.

This strip was carried over into 1963-64 before royal blue shorts were adopted at some stage. Later they wore all-white and in the final weeks of the season they switched to their "lucky" amber change shirts.

Quite why the club was allowed to play so fast and loose with the Fooball League's regulations on registered playing strips is a mystery but it seemed to do the trick. They are seen here celebrating promotion to Division Two wearing their lucky outfit.

Other Material Added Today

St Johnstone (1969-70 added), Burslem Port Vale (1902-07 updated).

14 May - 2018-19 Additions

Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United (3rd), Plymouth Argyle.

9 May - 2018-19 Additions

Leyton Orient, Ayr United, Dundee, Manchester City.

3 May - 2018-19 Additions

Doncaster Rovers, Greenock Morton.

1 May - 2018-19 Season

Once again it's the time of year that brings the first of the new season's kits peeping shyly though the exhausted topsoil that is the closing weeks of the current season. I'll be opening the 2018-19 Season Galleries once the last promotion/relegation issues have been settled later this month but in the meantime some new arrivals will appear in the club sections. First to show are Celtic, Queen of the South, Luton Town, Tranmere Rovers, Everton, Wrexham , Liverpool.

27 April

Costa Rica's change kit has been added to the 2018 World Cup section.

I have added some new kit graphics to the kit histories of two of the more obscure former members of the Football League, Durham City and Glossop.

23 April

Our good chums at 3Retro.com are offering 10% off everything in their online store until the end of the World Cup. You can use the Buy From links throughout the site to access individual shirts or click on the banner on this page to visit their store. Enter the code 3RETRO10 at the check out to claim your discount.

West Ham United wore their new Adidas shirts for the first three months of the 1983-84 season without sponsorship. The deal with the club's first ever shirt sponsor, AVCO Trust, was launched in November 1983.

19 April

Grimsby Town (1906-08 socks corrected): Shrewsbury Town (1989-90 corrected): Burnley (1993-95, 1995-96 redrawn).

18 April

2017-18 Update: I've added Southampton's one-off strip worn last month at St James' Park, slightly amended Tottenham Hotspur's third kit, added the Cyrille Regis memorial shirt worn by West Bromwich Albion in February and added Port Vale's third strip.

17 April - International Update

Thanks to Aled Williams I've been able to add all the variant strips worn by Wales between 1982 and the present.

Graham Brack has confirmed that Scotland wore navy shirts when they met Italy in May 1931 and France in 1932. I have also established that they wore traditional navy tops in Paris against France in May 1930 (left). This means that Scotland did not need a change kit after Ireland changed from blue to green shirts in 1931 until international football was suspended in 1939. (Updated 18 April.)

(Photograph courtesy of soccernostalgia.blogsport.)

1934 World Cup: Thanks to the persistance of André Conceição e Silva an article has turned up on the Portuguese version of the Vavel International Sports Website about the history of the Netherlands' national team. This includes the following descripton of the Dutch colours for the match against Switzerland in this tournament.

Fato curioso é que, apesar de se consagrar como a Laranja Mecânica em 1974, nesse jogo a Holanda vestia um uniforme primordialmente azul (camisas e calções. 

It is a curious fact that, although (the team) was consecrated (sic) as The Clockwork Orange in 1974, in this game the Netherlands wore a mainly blue uniform (shirts and shorts).

No contemporary source is given and the photographic evidence indicates a contrast between the colour of the shrts and the knickers so I have assumed deep blue shirts and navy shorts. This matter remans open.

1978 World Cup: Italy wore small numbers on their shorts in several slightly different styles.

1986 World Cup: Canada's stockings corrected.

16 April

2018 World Cup Update: Panama (1st, 2nd added) and several other kit graphics updated with additional details and fonts.

11 April

2018 World Cup Update: Egypt (2nd added), Serbia (1st added), Australia (1st, 2nd added), Croatia (2nd corrected).

27 March - International Update

I've added the new Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales change strips.

2018 World Cup additions: Korea Republic (1st, 2nd), Serbia (2nd), Saudi Arabia (1st, 2nd), Switzerland (2nd), Uruguay (2nd), Senegal (1st), Costa Rica (1st), France (1st updated).

This intriguing item was tweeted by @HeartsMuseum recently and at first I thought it might have been an unrecorded Scotland change strip. The jersey belonged to Charlie Thomson of Heart of Midlothian and the crest indicates it is from Scotland's game against Ireland in 1907. However, Scotland wore the pink and yellow colours of Earl Roseberry at this time and there would have been no need for them to change against Ireland, who wore blue. My conclusion is that Thomson removed the crest from his international jersey and had it sewn onto his maroon club top.

I have now established that Scotland needed a change kit just once between 1960 and 1962 (possibly 1965). This was worn against Hungary in June 1960. The uncorroborated white strip I had posted has been removed.

15 March

MLS 2018: Chicago Fire (1st), Houston Dynamo (1st), New York City FC (2nd), Toronto FC (2nd), San Jose Earthquakes (2nd) kits are all now confirmed. Our retail partner has taken delivery of new stock and all the latest MLS replica and authentic shirts are now available through the Buy Now links on our MLS page or by visiting the Kitbag Store.

Albion Rovers (1983-85 detaiing added), Hereford United (1994-96, 1996-98 detailing added), Partick Thistle (1974-75 added), Huddersfield Town (1990-91 added), Wrexham (1893-94 added).

13 March - 2018 World Cup Update

I've added Tunisia and Poland's kits and Japan's change kit to the World Cup 2018 section. The Germany, Spain, Argentina, Mexico second kit graphics have been updated with new details now confirmed.

9 March - World Cup Update

2018: Russia, Peru, Brazil, Sweden, Belgium change kits added.

2010: Argentina wore long sleeves in two matches in the knock out stage.

1994: USA's change kit socks have been corrected.

1986: The font on the front of Canada's shirts is now correct.

1982: The Brazil kit now has the manufacturer's logo correctly placed on the left sleeve.

1974: Sweden wore long sleeved shirts against Yugoslavia.

1938: Azmie Mie (Switch Image Project) has found evidence that the Dutch East Indies wore light blue socks. (Photograph courtesy of pesmitidelcalcio.com).

1934: Shahan Petrossian (Soccer Nostalgia Blogspot) has uncovered contemporary evidence that the Netherlands changed into dark blue shirts against Switzerland.

8 March - MLS Update

MLS kicks off this weekend and the last few remaining jerseys have been released, although some detailing remains to be confirmed for shorts and socks. Houston Dynamo (2nd), Los Angeles FC (1st, 2nd) and Orlando City (2nd) have been added.

I'm very pleased to announce that we have a new retail partner in 3Retro whose range of replica shirts may be familiar to enthusiasts under the Score Draw brand. Their range is now available for visitors by clicking on the small "Buy Now" buttons throughout the site.

19 February

Bristol Rovers (1964-65, 1965-66 stripes adjusted), Carlisle United (1982-84 corrected), Swansea Town (1969-70 added), Aston Villa (in the 1983-84 season the team wore unsponsored shirts until February 1984).

16 February - Current Season Update

MLS 2018 - Atlanta United (2nd confirmed), Colorado Rapids (1st added), Montreal Impact (1st added), San Jose Earthquakes (2nd added).

Liverpool (charity kit added), Scunthorpe United (special kit added), Queen's Park Rangers (special edition added).

9 February - 2018 World Cup Update

Nigeria (1st & 2nd added), Croatia (2nd corrected), Iceland (1st added), Argentina (2nd added).

7 February

The 2018 Major League Soccer section is now open.

31 January

I've spent some more time examining Grandad's Football Blog and discovered that West Bromwich Albion wore two different shirts in the 1964-65 and 1965-66 seasons. On the left is their 1963-64 strip with short, striped sleeves. This made several appearances over the following two seasons, after the iconic long sleeved version, with white sleeves (right), was introduced in 1964-65. The most likely explanation is that the short sleeved tops were worn in warm weather. Between 15 September and 10 November 1965, however, the short sleeved shirt made at least five appearances while the long sleeve version was worn three times, which rather undermines this theory.

This fine Walsall strip was worn in 1965-66 and was replaced the following season with a version featuring a crest on the shirt rather than the lettering. These are now presented in the correct order. The Saddlers' 1958-59, 1961-62 and 1962-63 strips have been added.

In 2008 Robin Hardman reported watching his team, Oldham Athletic, wearing blue shirts with white sleeves back in 1958-59. This is the first photographic evidence I have found of this outfit.

Everton (September 1965 change strip added), Shrewsbury Town (1958-59 added).

29 January

Richard Meier has been in touch with some interesting insights into the Leeds United badge fiasco. He writes, "I believe I was actually one of the 10,000 fans who took part in the "consultation" but the problem is they did not tell people upfront, explicitly, that they were "consulting" for a new badge. Everyone with half a brain cell knows they would be bringing out a new badge for our centenary in 2019 ...but the survey was not about the badge. It asked about what connections people had for the club, what the club colours and shirt meant to them, mentioned the badge in passing, Elland road, our past players and managers, the matchday experience etc etc, all in general terms. Nothing specific about the badge which was sneaky and a mistake.

The results were probably then passed to Siobhan at Perfect Curve* where her staff of airhead Ideation Architects and Viral Concept Designers came up the farcical Gaviscon rebrand.

Richard and many other fans are calling on the club to drop their plans and come up with a shortlist of possible designs for genuine supporters to vote on.

*If you're not familiar with the BBC2 comedy W1A please ignore this sentence.

(Photograph courtesy of the BBC.)

Grandad's Football Blog

I'm spending some time exploring Grandad's Football Blog where Tony Hutton documents scores of matches from 1946 to 1980. Thanks to his records I have been able to add detailing and additional dates to some English club sections. My thanks to Tony Sealey for alerting me to this site.

Aston Villa (1955-56 jersey amended), Newcastle United (1955-56 change shirts were plain white), Walsall (1949-57 socks corrected), Burnley (1951-55 collars corrected), Luton Town (1947-53, 1953-55 socks amended).

On the left is the Burnley team from 1952-53.

25 January

In the history of ill-conceived make-overs, Leeds United's proposed centenary badge is right up there with Consignia and New Coke. The club claims 10,000 people were consulted about the design although it might appear none of them was a Leeds supporter. The design is supposed to represent "The Leeds Salute" but not a few have pointed out a resemblance to a leading antacid product.

The response on social media has been almost entirely hostile although one brave soul tweeted, "I quite like it."

At the time of writing 71,000 people had signed on online petition to stop the club from implementing the design leading officials to announce that there would be a rethink.

I am grateful to Steve Martyniuk for sharing some of the detailed research that went into his latest book on the history of Crystal Palace. Following on from the club's formation in 1905 the club minute book records a resolution that the team's colours would be Cardinal Red and Blue. Steve has established that these were the terms used in all official documents until 1937 and argues convincingly that the team's jerseys were a brighter shade than the claret and blue of Aston Villa, Burnley and others.

Steve has also found that the striped shirts adopted in 1937 were described in match programmes as "red and blue" whereas programmes from previous seasons always used the terms "cardinal and blue."

The first time that true claret and blue shirts appeared was in the 1949-50 season when they replaced the plain white shirts that had been adopted before the war.

To order copies of Steve's book visit, The Origin of Crystal Palace FC Volume 2.

(Photographs courtesy of Crystal Palace FC.)

24 January

Macclesfield Town (1914-15, 1923-25 added): Barnsley (1951-52 socks amended): Newcastle United (1931-58 graphics updated): Nottingham Forest (1950-51 socks corrected).

23 January - Scottish Miscellany

Stewart Murray has discovered that during 1972-73, Celtic changed just four times and on each occasion, they wore a different strip. On the left they are seen in all-yellow against Hibernian while on the right they are playing Dumbarton wearing a green and white strip.

Neil Wilson has confirmed that Kilmarnock switched from hoops to stripes in the 1962-63 season. The red socks previously shown on the site with the striped tops were an alternative worn against teams in white stockings.

Our old friend Alick Milne has provided details of the missing Edinburgh City kits (1986-88, 1988-90, 2000-01). Shown here is the 1987-88 team.

Rangers (August 2001 added).

22 January

The socks worn by England against West Germany in October 1982 are now correct.

Tony Sealey has shared some more of his recent research into Tottenham Hotspur strips (1889-90, 1945-46, 1947-48 warm weather kit, 1960-61 floodlights kit added). Several change strips have also been updated or added (1904-05, 1908, 1909-11, 1911-12, 1931 FA Cup).

Aston Villa (1987-88 change kit added).

17 January

Here's a footnote to yesterday's item about Arsenal sent in by Stephen Kelly. It turns out that the Gunners did modify their "home" kit when they visited Fenerbahce in the 2013-14 Champions' League.

I've updated the Tottenham Hotspur change kit section with help from Tony Sealey. Between 1927 and 1947 the team normally wore broad navy and white hoops with their usual shorts and socks when colours clashed but they also turned out in several alternatives against teams in white tops.

Alasdair Gibbs-Barton has suggested that the painting of a Bolton Wanderers player featured yesterday might be based on the wonderful striped shirts worn in 1885-86 seen here.

On New Year's day 1938 Liverpool wore red and white hooped tops at Anfield against Chelsea. It seems they were trying out a new set of tops that had been bought ahead of an FA Cup tie with Crystal Palace to resolve a colour clash. In the FA Cup at that time both teams had to change when colours clashed but when their change shirts also clashed, at least one side had to buy or borrow another set of tops. (Photograph courtesy of The Unofficial Liverpool Club Museum.)

Airdrieonians (1996-97 added): Chelsea (April 19 1975 kit added).

16 January - 2017-18 Update

Arsenal's decision to wear red shorts and socks for their match at West Bromwich Abion on New Year's Eve caused a lot of comment. Normally I don't record such variants but I've made an exception here as this is the first time in nearly 40 years that the team have altered their classic "home" strip. Odd really - there was no suggestion of a clash in their previous meeting but apparently the Gunners were worried that "in the heat of the moment" their players might not be able to tell the legs of their team mates from those of their opponents.

Ipswich Town (new sponsorship on change shirt), Birmingham City (3rd).

Historical Material

Port Vale (1926-27, 1928, 1944-45 added): Elgin City (1949-54, 1954-57,1957-58, 1958-61 warm weather kit added): Halifax Town (March-April 1973 added):

Tony Sealey spotted this on ITV recently. Dating from around 1880, it is thought to be one of the earliest examples of a collectible football card. It portrays a Bolton Wanderers player but I have no record of the team wearing anything like this and rather suspect the artist was resorting to his imagination. On the other hand, if anyone has a reliable contemporary source that can corroborate the image, I would love to hear from you.