Some time ago Gordon Hulmes sent me this photograph of Swansea Town taken in 1931-32 when his grandfather played for the team. I have just one thing to say to the people at Nike and the FA who decided to introduce a blue change strip - Belo Horizonte 29 June 1950. Former Members: Berwick Rangers, East Stirlingshire. League Two: Grimsby Town, Cheltenham Town (shorts/socks confirmed), Tranmere Rovers. USA Football Kits. This did not improve their fortunes and 'Well went down at the end of the season. EFL Former Members: Aldershot Town (shorts/socks confirmed), Barnet*, Yeovil Town, Boston United, Hartlepool United, Kidderminster Harriers, Torquay United, York City. In fact it is an archive photograph dating from 5 September 1885 when Albion still wore cardinal red and light blue jerseys. In the interim, the club was penalised 17 points by the EFL for repeated late payment of their players and failing to fulfill two of their fixtures. At the time my work took me around the country so I contrived to have time to call in on libraries and book shops around the UK. It appears likely that they were finally stung by press criticism of the scruffy appearance of the English national team into providing uniform kits in 1932. Our kit history now extends back to the formation of the original Harrogate AFC in 1919, pictured left. Prior to the game, in accordance with FA Cup rules, the clubs agreed their colours for the match. An unnamed sportswear manufacturer wrote, "As showing the superior quality of our football jerseys, we have again been favoured with instructions from the Scottish Football Association to supply jerseys for the great international matches - Scotland v England (primrose and pink), Scotland v Ireland (marone [sic]), Scotland v Wales (royal blue)." Nick from the splendid upthemaggies website has been in touch to confirm that Notts County were still refered to as "the chocolate and light blues" in the local press during 1889-90. Edinburgh City (1990-91, 1991-92, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1999-2000 added): Research by Peter Stevenson has allowed me to update Northampton Town's kit … Originally formed as Clackmannan County, the club became Alloa AFC in 1879. We can now confirm that the black shorts worn in the team photograph posted yesterday were therefore not part of their regular playing strip. If it was used it may have appeared in August 1988 at Old Trafford when Everton were beaten 1-0 by Manchester United in the Mercantile Trophy, a one-off competition organised to mark the centenary of the Football League, but I've not been able to confirm this. We have more today from Ian McConnel: Morton (1950-51 added), East Fife (1950-51 collar corrected, 1951-52 added), Raith Rovers (1950-Jan 1951 added, Feb-May 1951 socks corrected and four different strips worn in 1951-52 added - see right for March 1952 version) , Clyde (1950-52 added), St Mirren (1951-52), Heart of Midlothian (1950-51, Aug-Dec 1951 added), Third Lanark (1951-52 added), Elgin City (1949-54 detailing updated). Northern Ireland wore an all-white strip against Austria earlier this month. Scottish Premiership: Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee United, Hamilton Academical. Furthermore the player in an all-dark strip seated next to the trophy is Arthur Wharton, who made a single appearance for the Quakers in 1885-86 before joining Preston North End where he became the world's first black professional footballer. The cutting on the right, submitted by Villa Elf, Lee Gauntlett, illustrates the Corinthians v Aston Villa game played in March 1893 and once again quarters are in evidence. This commemorative certificate presented to John Devey to mark his benefit match in 1896 shows a Villa player wearing a quartered shirt but I had previously dismissed this, assuming the artist had misinterpreted the term which at the time usually described what we know as "halved" shirts. This includes contemporary press cuttings and photographs from the Aberdeen FC Official Website, including this one of the original Aberdeen club from 1885. Some time ago Gordon Hulmes sent me this photograph of Swansea Town taken in 1931-32 when his grandfather played for the team. Ian McConnel has submitted another batch of minor amendments for Scottish clubs, this time for 2018-19. Elgin City (1933-1914 knickers corrected, hooped 1909-10 kit removed - this was a change kit in yellow and black - gaps in the record 1969-76 now filled): Gillingham (2013-14 correct manufacturer's logo applied): Bradford City (1962-63): Accrington Stanley (1990-91, 1991-92 shorts & socks now confirmed). Early football teams played in kit that was not dissimilar to that of cricket, and generally considered of shirt, flannel trousers, strong boots and a cap. Greger Lindberg found an interesting item in the Scottish Referee (24 March 1905). Wigan Athletic applied for membership: competition was fierce and it took three ballots before the issue was decided - Shrewsbury and Scunthorpe were elected and Wigan would have to wait. Football history. I am, as always, happy to set the record straight and have reinstated the Quakers' section in line with my policy for former members of the Football League. The winning design, produced by Admiral, featured a large flappy collar with claret and white stripes. League Two: Bolton Wanderers, Oldham Athletic, Scunthorpe United, Walsall. Workington 1974-75 crest corrected. Elgin City (1933-1914 knickers corrected, hooped 1909-10 kit removed - this was a change kit in yellow and black - gaps in the record 1969-76 now filled): Gillingham (2013-14 correct manufacturer's logo applied): Bradford City (1962-63): Accrington Stanley (1990-91, 1991-92 shorts & socks now confirmed). This prompted me to look again at my photograph archive where I found this 1893-94 group showing the team posing with the committee and some impressive trophies. The action is from a Scottish Victory Cup match against Rangers in April 1946 ('Gers won 8-2 on aggregate). Press cutting the British Newspaper Archive. 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 Sealeyspotted this on ITV recently. Presumably they did not have enough blue/yellow tops to go round the squad so some players had to wear their change tops. (Photograph FIFA. Acknowledgement:- Many of the kit designs have been researched using the following: 'Club Colours' by Bob Bickerton published by Hamlyn in 1998. In September 1982 Aberdeen travelled to Albania to play Dinamo Tirana in the European Cup-Winners Cup and wore this one-off strip, basically identical to their regular outfit but with contrasting V necks and cuffs. The latter were selected for the game as can be seen in the poor quality image above and were subsequently worn at Anfield. Southampton (2018-19 3rd & 2019-20 4th corrected), Burnley (2019-20 4th kit added). The process of developing a photographic plate and preparing it for reproduction in a newspaper could not have been completed in just a few hours. The photograph, the earliest to have emerged of the team, is captioned on Wikipedia as dating from 1887 but the trophy on display appears to be the Durham Senior Cup, which they won in 1884-85. Playing Squad; Contact Us; The Wee Rovers Lotto! Scottish League Two: Stranraer, Elgin City, Cowdenbeath, Albion Rovers, Queen's Park, Stirling Albion*. From these I've been able to make the following updates: Bradford City (socks corrected on graphics 1909-1920), Derby County (1912-13 collar added), Huddersfield Town (1914-15 added), Leeds United (1920-21 added), Leicester Fosse (1914-15 added), Middlesbrough (epaulettes enlarged on 1913-1936 graphics), Newcastle United (1914-15 added). are the intellectual property of their respective owners. Championship: Bristol City, Blackburn Rovers, Brentford, Swansea City, Queen's Parek Rangers. This nicely fills a gap in the record for the early 20th century. I would really appreciate help from the HFK Elves on this one! I originally found this in The A-Z of West Bromwich Albion (Tony Matthews 1996). (c) Football Focus (d) Football Cards (e) Aldershot Has It (f) Crewe Alexandra FC (Images of Sport) Harold Finch 2001 (g) Classic Kits (h) This is the North East Website (i) Premier Shirts (j) The Football Encyclopaedia (Associated Sporting Press 1934) Information provided by Arthur Fergus This appeared in a report on the FA Cup Final replay in the Blackburn Standard on April 10 1886 but since the match was played on that day, it cannot be of the team that appeared in the replay. I have finally got round to reviewing Paul Brett's personal collection of Shrewsbury Town shirts, photographs of which he recently posted on his website, Shrewsbury Town Football Shirts 1974 to Present. At first glance the players are wearing two different shirt styles, but when I examined it more closely I noticed two players are in quartered tops. I have just one thing to say to the people at Nike and the FA who decided to introduce a blue change strip - Belo Horizonte 29 June 1950. Prior to the game, in accordance with FA Cup rules, the clubs agreed their colours for the match. Our very good chums Tony Sealey and Richard Essen have been burrowing in the British Newspaper Archives looking through pre-war copies of the Daily and Sunday Mirrors that were added to the archive over the summer. Week Ending 22 August - Harrogate Town Update. HFK is delighted to provide graphics for a variety of publications ranging from unofficial fanzines to official club histories. The history of football (soccer) Football (or soccer as the game is called in some parts of the world) has a long history. I am, as always, happy to set the record straight and have reinstated the Quakers' section in line with my policy for former members of the Football League. This strip, worn by Stockport County in 1968-69, has always been one of my favourites. Previous Updates: 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006, Shrewsbury Town Football Shirts 1974 to Present. The latest additions: Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Newcastle United, Northampton Town. Since it continues to turn up like the proverbial bad penny I've now added it to the archive. There is some confusion over their name: according to the scottishleague.net forum the press misinterpreted the name as Alloa Athletic FC (they were in fact Alloa Association Football Club) and the name stuck. In 1978 Motherwell organised a competition for younger supporters to design their strip for the 1978-79 season. In September 2008 David France and Steve Flanagan confirmed that this was the team's official third shirt between 1986 and 1989 but it was never worn in a competitive match. On the left is the unfortunate Stenhousemuir goalkeeper, "supported" by one of his defenders, failng to stop a corner flying directly into his goal in high winds. Dec 20, 2017 - Historical Kits graphics brought to you by http://www.historicalkits.co.uk. If it was used it may have appeared in August 1988 at Old Trafford when Everton were beaten 1-0 by Manchester United in the Mercantile Trophy, a one-off competition organised to mark the centenary of the Football League, but I've not been able to confirm this. Week Ending 12 September - 2020-21 Update. Should have checked their Rothman's. In 1978 Motherwell organised a competition for younger supporters to design their strip for the 1978-79 season. Ian McConnel has been scouring through his collection of Rangers match programmes and come up with some amendments for the late 1940s. Harrogate Town (1964-65, 1998-99 added, 1977-78 socks corrected). I am still looking for corroboration for the period 1932-1936. Incidentally, the staunchly amateur FA insisted that players provide their own dark knickers and socks up until 1932. Tony Sealey found this photograph of the 1902-03 Blackburn Rovers team in The Sunday Pictorial (3 November 1929). Premier League: Everton (socks corrected). Port Vale (1909-10, 1912-14 trim altered, 1929-30, 1934-36, December 1979 added, 1965-66 shirt trim added, 1981-82, 1982-83 sponsor altered). I've added England's new strips to the archive. What makes this even more appalling is that the EFL has been sitting on proposals to tighten up their Owners' and Directors' Test since July 2018. My congratulations go to Harrogate Town who recently won promotion to League Two via the play-offs and whose recent kit record is now available on HFK. Within hours of seeing yesterday's piece about Swansea Town, HFK Elf Tony Sealey got in touch to confirm that the Swans wore white shorts at Vetch Field when they played Spurs in March 1931 and again in March 1932. Pictured here is the Sulphurites team from 1956-57, currently the only confirmed strip we have prior to 1985 but I hope to rectify this shortly. (Material and photograph sourced from onevalefan.co.uk). These included two sets of their familiar red shirts with white sleeves, two dozen red and white striped shirts (considered too narrow for their liking), two dozen borrowed from Sheffield United (with broader stripes) and two sets of shirts with broad red and white hoops. The latter were selected for the game as can be seen in the poor quality image above and were subsequently worn at Anfield. (Photograph FIFA. League One: Portsmouth, Milton Keynes, AFC Wimbledon, Oxford United. ), Steve Flanagan has found some interesting background to the strips worn in the 1933 FA Cup final between Everton and Manchester City. City were back in the final the following season when, according to the match programme, they did wear maroon. Football in its current form arose in … League One: Hull City, Fleetwood Town, AFC Wimbledon (socks confirmed), Lincoln City, Bristol Rovers (socks updated), Charlton Athletic, Doncaster Rovers (socks confirmed), Gillingham*, Wigan Athletic. Scottish Premiership: Hibernian, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Motherwell, Rangers, Ross County, St Johnstone, St Mirren. League Two: Grimsby Town, Cheltenham Town (shorts/socks confirmed), Tranmere Rovers. In September 2008 David France and Steve Flanagan confirmed that this was the team's official third shirt between 1986 and 1989 but it was never worn in a competitive match. Welcome to FootballHistory.org, a website about football history including competitions, teams and players. Because the quality of both images is poor, it is very hard to make out the light blue bands but after enhancing both pictures with my graphics software I was just able to make them out. Earlier this month Macclesfield Town were wound up in the Insolvency & Companies Court. It appears that a week before their FA Cup tie with Liverpool in January 1936, Arsenal decided to try out the alternative shirts they would wear in that match (both teams were required to wear change shirts). The 2020-21 Premier League/EFL gallery is now open. Championship: Huddersfield Town, Birmingham City, Stoke City, Derby County, Nottingham Forest, Reading, Millwall (shorts detailing corrected), Sheffield Wednesday. You're sure to find something amongst the thousands of shirts on offer. Port Vale (1909-10, 1912-14 trim altered, 1929-30, 1934-36, December 1979 added, 1965-66 shirt trim added, 1981-82, 1982-83 sponsor altered). While the shirts look plain white, this is an illusion caused by our old nemesis, orthographic film stock. Nik Yeomans has now provided me with a match programme that has a photograph of the Manchester United - Everton tie in question which shows the Toffees in an all-blue strip. At the time strips were remarkably unifom and plain so teams that adopted more unconventional styles like this one really stood out. The latest additions: Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Millwall, Newcastle United, Northampton Town. I remember studying Tony Matthews' book in the Birmingham branch of Waterstones when a young shop assistant approached me and politely but firmly explained that I was welcome to browse the stock but sitting down with books and making notes was not allowed and perhaps I would like to leave. If you want something specific we haven’t got drop us a message we will happily assist you! While the shirts look plain white, this is an illusion caused by our old nemesis, orthographic film stock. The players are wearing black shorts but as it was not taken on a match day we cannot be certain that this was their regular strip. ), Week Ending 19 September - 2020-21 Update. Third Lanark (1952-53 added), Dundee (1952-54 strip added to shorts), Motherwell (1951-54, 1954-57 socks updated), Raith Rovers (three strips worn 1952-53 added or modified, two strips from 1953-54 added), Heart of Midlothian (1952-53 alternative added, 1953-54 three strips added), Clyde (1952-53 now known to be the same as previous season. (Photographs and background provided by Willie Kay.). Exclusive discounts are available from several of our retail partners using these codes at checkout: Premier/English Football League | Scottish Professional Football League. EFL Former Members: Aldershot Town (shorts/socks confirmed), Barnet*, Yeovil Town, Boston United, Hartlepool United, Kidderminster Harriers, Torquay United, York City. Curiously there are 18 players in the picture and several of them are wearing reversed jerseys. It looks like that white shirt was never worn in a competitive game. Vintage and retro Serie A football shirts and training kit, featuring home, away and original match worn player editions from all the clubs from the 1970s to present day. My conclusion is that quarters were worn for at least part of the 1892-93 season and a couple of these resurfaced when the team was assembled a year later, kitted out in mismatched tops.