Historical Football Kits

Sky Bet Championship 2013 - 2014

If the Premier League is where the big money is, the Championship has developed a reputation as the most competitive division in top level English football, with important promotion and relegation issues only being settled on the last day of the season. Yeovil Town, who came up into the Football League just ten years ago make their debut in the second tier. Curiously, all the teams that wear hooped shirts are now in the Championship.

This season is the 125th anniversary of the formation of the Football League and to mark the occasion the original members will play each in the opening fixtures where they are in the same division.

You are welcome to Contact Me with corrections and additions.

Contributors are credited in brackets. Opinions expressed on this page are those of HFK and not contributors.

Premier League | Championship | League One | League Two

Barnsley

Designer: Nike

Sponsor: CK Beckett

There are no surprises with Barnsley's latest home kit, which is, as usual a plain affair. The placement of the shirt sponsor on the Striker away shirt is likely to cause severely cricked necks and should be re-considered on health & safety grounds.

(Graham Siddons, Ben Gershaw)

Birmingham City

Designer: Diadora

Sponsor: Nicolites

City's penguin strip has been revived several times since it first appeared in 1971 but this version is without question the best of the lot. The decision to promote electronic cigarettes on the shirt is a controversial one and is replaced by a charity logo on junior replicas.

(Connor Lenehan, Nick Foster)

Blackburn Rovers

Designer: Nike

Sponsor: Regulatory Finance Solutions

For the first time in more than 70 years, the left side of Rovers' shirts are white. Although this creates an unfamiliar appearance, it was the usual style until the Second World War.


(Connor Lenehan, Andrew Mihaleff, Roger Whiteside)

Blackpool

Designer: Errea

Sponsor: Wonga.com

'Pool have signed up with Errea and have chosen two classically-styled strips, which we like very much. Shame about the sponsor.

(Peter Gillatt)

Bolton Wanderers

Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: FibreLec

After loud protests from fans, the club dropped a shirt sponsorship deal with a payday loan company and instead signed a two-year contract with a local sustainable energy company associated with Bolton University. Well done them.

(Bryn Lunt)

AFC Bournemouth

Designer: Fila

Sponsor: Energy Consulting

I suppose we should describe Bournemouth's home strip as having been "refreshed" from the version worn over the last two seasons. This very popular design now has gold piping on the shirt, a nice touch given the team's promotion last season and a theme picked up in the revised crest. The black away strip also has gold detailing while the mainly white third strip features a bold diagonal sash in traditional colours. This is a very classy set of kits indeed.

(Harry Meadows, Martinos Perdikis)

Brighton & Hove Albion

Designer: Errea

Sponsor: American Express

With average attendances of 25,500 and a strong performance in the Championship last time out, Brighton are booming once again. Amex, who own the naming rights on their stadium are now sponsoring their shirts as well.

(Rob Brown, Chris Worrall, Andrew Mihaleff)

Burnley

Designer: Puma

Sponsor: Premier Range

PUMA Cell technology, inspired by nature, influenced by the body, tested with adrenaline, this is PUMA Cell. And that's not all: PUMA Cell products can protect your body from the elements, can regulate your body’s natural systems, and can enhance your body’s actions. Still not convinced? WARM Cell is a thermal insulation system consisting of highly functional and breathable materials that retain heat close to your body to maintain your optimum temperature when it is cold outside.

In other words, this is a decent home kit made of polyester.

The special shirt was commissioned to commemorate the centenary of Burnley's FA Cup win in 1914 and is a fine replica of the jersey worn at the time, complete with the Prince of Wales' crest. It is just a shame that the shirt is disfigured by sponsorship.

(Italicised text verbatim Burnley FC Official Site, Alec Hitchman, Ralph Pomeroy)

Charlton Athletic

Designer: Nike

Sponsor: Andrews Sykes

"New shirt returns to a striking Charlton red" claims the strap line on the club's official launch coverage, which leads me to wonder what sort of red the team wore last season? Slightly red? Very red? Ketchup?

(Andy Keeley, Ramazan Karsak, Ben Gershaw)

Derby County

Designer: Kappa

Sponsor: Buy Mobiles.net

There are fewer oversize logos on Kappa's latest home kit, a welcome development, and the big flappy collar is a nice retro touch. The away strip in all-maroon looks very smart and somehow the contrasting bands on the sleeve work better than on the home version. These are continued across the back of the shirt.

(Alec Hitchman, Andrew Mihaleff, Ben Gershaw)

Doncaster Rovers

Designer: Avec

Sponsor: One Call Insurance

A dramatic win at Brentford in the final match of last season clinched the League One title and promotion back to the second tier at the first time of asking so that's good. Supporters were polled about the new kits, designed by Avec who have replaced Nike. The graphics are based on the CAD images shown at the club's End of Year Awards and I rather hope the real thing will look a bit better. The design draws attention to the shirt sponsor more effectively than the Nike's tops of recent years but at the expense of oddly irregular hoops. Slightly unsettling.

(Andrew Mihaleff)

Huddersfield Town

Designer: Puma

Sponsor: Rekorderlig Cider (H), Radian B (A), Covonia (3rd)

Huddersfield are one of the clubs whose contract with Umbro has been allowed to lapse by Nike and they are now equipped by Puma. The home strip maintains the recent tradition of lightish blue stripes and black socks that are meant to evoke the glorious Herbert Chapman era. HFK is not convinced that the great man's team wore stripes in this colour but that hardly matters because they look good. Red and black is usually a popular choice for the change kit but this version is just a variation on one of Puma's latest designs and a bit disappointing.

(Roger Pashby, Alasdair Gibbs-Barton)

Ipswich Town

Designer: Mitre

Sponsor: Marcus Evans

When, in 1936, the Ipswich board decided to finally embrace professionalism, they changed the team shirts from stripes to plain blue with white sleeves and this is what they wore when they made it into the Football League two years later. These famous shirts were dropped in 1964 and although they were revived briefly twice in the 90s, they have not featured nearly often enough in the last 30 years. So, well done for that. The third strip was worn at Millwall and Burnley.

(Andrew Mihaleff, David Rafelle)

Leeds United

Designer: Macron

Sponsor: Enterprise Insurance

The silly cut-aways are gone but, in our view, there is still just a bit too much fiddly detailing on the latest Macron home strip. The twin stripes on the shirt are distinctive but not all supporters are convinced. Contrary to earlier reports, a new away kit has been introduced in a very odd shade of gold ("milky tea" according to one correspondent) and navy. Once again it is far too busy for our taste.

(Richard Meir, Martin Hart, Max Harlow)

Leicester City

Designer: Puma

Sponsor: King Power

The latest Puma King template is the basis of Leicester's new home strip, with metallic gold trim on the shirt complemented by an all-grey alternative trimmed in yellow. The latter may be a standard issue design but at least the colours are unusual.

(Andrew Mihaleff)

Middlesbrough

Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Ramsdens

Once again 'Boro have chosen kits from the Adidas catalogue that bear a passing comparison to strips from the past. The white yoke on the home shirt is compared to those worn between 1912 and 1936 although the resemblance is only fleeting. The blue and black stripes used for the change kit revive the colours worn in the 1970s under Jack Charlton's management. The shirt sponsor has agreed to drop the green background to their logotype, which many supporters thought clashed with the home shirt. The white strip was ordered for the match at Bournemouth in March.

(Mark Randall, Warren Laroche, Mark Leech)

Millwall

Designer: Macron

Sponsor: Prostate Cancer UK

Millwall is proud of its local working class roots and has joined the small but growing band of clubs to have rejected sponsorship by payday loan companies that target such communities. Instead the space has been donated to a cancer charity. The new strips are a considerable improvement over those worn last season and are adorned with a special badge to mark 20 years at the New Den.

The team borrowed Sheffield Wednesday's old yellow change strip in the first half of their match at Hillsborough on 24 August then switched to their orange third kit for the second half.

(Mark Aiden, Harry Meadows, Ben Gershaw)

Nottingham Forest

Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Fawaz Refrigeration & Air Conditioning

Adidas are associated with the glorious days of Brian Clough and European Cups so their return has been eagerly anticipated in Nottingham. Curiously the club have opted for one of last season's designs. The third kit was worn for the first time at Blackpool in February.

(Richard Williams, Mark Leech)

Queen's Park Rangers

Designer: Lotto

Sponsor: Air Asia

Relegated last season, Rangers have returned to classic broad hoops that should prove popular with fans. The away version in red/black harks back to earlier versions. The stylish third kit is in the colours of the owner's Formula 1 racing team, Caterham F1.

(Andrew Mihaleff)

Reading

Designer: Puma

Sponsor: Waitrose

Reading managed only one season in the Premier League but now qualify for £60m over four years in parachute payments, a £12m increase over the previous scheme. Their home shirt returns to the medium-width hoops that first appeared in 1939. The yellow change kit from last season is retained as third choice.

(James Clyde)

Sheffield Wednesday

Designer: Puma

Sponsor: WanDisco (H, 3rd), Bartercard (A)

Wednesday have adopted standard Puma designs, with blue shorts for the home strip and an all-black away kit with fluorescent yellow trim. The third strip was worn (with the home shorts) at Millwall on 28 January.

(Mark Wild, Antony Wright)

Watford

Designer: Puma

Sponsor: 138.com

For the first time since the mid 1970s, Watford's home kit has no red trim on it (apart from the sponsor's logo): even the badge is rendered in yellow and black. I'm not sure this will go down very well with supporters. The all-maroon away strip looks rather good with yellow trim.

(Mark Wild, Raphael Howard)

Wigan Athletic

Designer: Mi Fit

Sponsor: 12 Bet

Wigan have become the first team to have won the FA Cup and been relegated in the same season. The blow is certainly cushioned by their prize money and improved parachute payments. The new home strip, supplied as usual by Mi Fit through the chairman's DW Sports Fitness company is unfussy and well designed. Since stripes were worn when Wigan were first elected to the Football League, they are always a safe bet. Black is again chosen as an alternative, not surprising as this is what the team wore in the FA Cup final, now set off with attractive dark gold trim. An all-green third strip completes the set.

(David Duckworth, George Chilvers, Connor Lenehan)

Yeovil Town

Designer: Sondico

Sponsor: W&S Recycling

The Cider Men's new home strip was worn in the play-off final last season so is already well-regarded in Somerset. We like this much better than the over-fussy kit worn last time out. The away set is in a matching design but in nasty fluorescent yellow and black.

(Andrew Mihaleff)