The Football Shirt Collective

In 1997, in what used to be the old fourth division but had become the new third division but is now the old third division and is in fact the new League Two, Northampton Town reached the playoffs final. The Cobblers were playing Swansea and clinched promotion in the most dramatic fashion, with a 90+3 minute free kick from Cobbler legend John Frain (complete with ‘Sixfields Boys’ by Warehouse).

Things have been a bit topsy-turvy since then, and whilst the defeated team have spent seemingly half a season playing dead rubbers in the Premiership, the Cobblers are once again fighting for promotion to the old Third Division/middle-period Second Division/nouveau League One.

Another legend from that day is goalkeeper Andy Woodman, shot-stopper and author. But don’t let it be said that this success has made Woodman an arrogant man; here he is, ‘papped’ on what used to be called the ‘Morden-Edgware Route’ but is now known as the Northern Line.

Northampton, Lotto, 1996/7

The home shirt itself was a lovely claret colour and the away gold. Lotto were so happy with the kit, they not only made it but sponsored it as well. Quite right, too, for a town of fashionable cobblers, to be sponsored by the ‘calzolai’ of Treviso.

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Watford, Le Coq Sportif, 1999

The Football Shirt Collective - Lotto

On their previous march up the league, Bradford City stopped off at Wembley to beat Notts County 2-0 in the playoffs final. It was their first visit to the twin towers in their 93 year history (when they won the FA Cup, it had been done at Old Trafford, with the goal from Jimmy Speirs apparently caught on camera here.

The Bantams only got there thanks to a run that had seen them win 9 of their last 12 games under new manager Chris Kamara. They took that momentum into the playoffs against firstly Blackpool, who never recovered from throwing away the chance of automatic promotion, and then County themselves.

The first goal on the big day came from Des Hamilton, who jinked his way through the County defence, and moments later was at the bottom of a huge Bantam pile-on. The second was set up by a flick-on from the old master, Ian Ormondroyd, and Bradford had earned a deserved promotion to face the historically actually quite likeable boys from Manchester City.

Bradford City, Beaver International, 1995/6

The kit was made by Beaver International, whose logo is a glamourously large coat hanger, who gave the shirt the traditional claret and amber stripes. You don’t hear so much from Beaver International these days (or from sponsors diamond seal), but thanks to this year’s League Cup run, everyone is talking about the big Bradford comeback.

By the way, if you have time, the goalkeeper’s shirt is also worth a look. Something like you might come across keeping your Scottish grandmother’s teapot warm. 

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Order your Bradford City, Asics, 1999 kit here 

We got in touch with Torquay footballer, Craig Easton - who is doing a great feature on his blog about his favourite football kits - to talk Kenny Dalglish, HITACHI and poorly lit motorways.  You check out his blog here.  

What was your first ever football shirt?

The very first kit I ever owned was the Liverpool home shirt from 1979-82 as worn by my boyhood hero Kenny Dalglish and my Dad’s favourite player, Graeme Souness.  I was only 4 when my parents bought it for me on the way back from our holiday in Cornwall and my Mum even sewed King Kenny’s iconic number 7 on the back.

Liverpool, Umbro, 1979-82

It’s a simple design but it just looks so cool and was a kit synonymous with success. The Liverpool team of that era were untouchable, winning League Championships, League Cups and European Cups in one of the clubs most successful spells. Everything about it oozes class, firstly it’s made by Umbro with their logo and the simple liver bird club badge sewn in golden yellow.

Then you’ve got the sponsor, Hitachi (the Japanese electronics company) emblazoned across the chest in white block capitals. Liverpool were the first ever club in history to have a commercial sponsor on their jersey’s and they didn’t muck about. I love the way it looks and I used to liked the sound of the word when I was little.

When Souness smashed one of his 25 yard blockbusters into the top bin and then turned around to celebrate, it was like HITACHI! Take a bit of that! There is one negative though; the material. I don’t know what it was made from but I can only describe it as being a nipple burner. After three hours running about pretending to be Kenny Dalglish, I’ve got to say there was a fair bit of chaffing and even a spot of blood on more than one occasion, but it was well worth it.

What is your favourite ever football shirt?

Borussia Dortmund, Nike, 1997

Die Continental, who sponsored Borussia Dortmund for just over a decade from 1986 until their European Cup victory in ’97, are a German health Insurance giant. And whilst that might be quite a bland sponsor, the symbol was anything but – and neither were the players who wore it.  Matthias Sammer, Andreas Möller, Karl-Heinz Riedle were all some of my favourite German players from the early 90′s, but after Denmark’s shock win at the 1992 European Championships, I had a special admiration for a talented attacking Dane called Flemming Povlsen.  

Ally that to the fact that you wouldn’t miss the kit on a poorly lit motorway in the middle of the night, and I couldn’t wait to spend my pocket money.  I mean, it’s luminous yellow, how good is that!

Over the years Borussia Dortmund have never strayed from their famous bright yellow and black colours, and even though I don’t think the subsequent sponsors have had quite the same visual impact as the big, black C, the club’s colours make the famous ‘Yellow Wall’ inside Signal Iduna Park an amazing spectacle to behold.

If you have a favourite football shirt, let us know on twitter @thefootballsc

Order your vintage Liverpool shirt here

Order your Borussia Dortmund here

Read Craig Easton’s blog  here

The Football Shirt Collective - My favourite football shirt

Ahead of tonight’s Europa Cup final Rob Hogg takes a look back at Benfica’s famous Europa Cup win against Real Madrid.

1962 was the last time Benfica won a European trophy (unless you count the ‘Iberian Cup’ in 1983). Since then, they have been to various finals, but never quite managed to get their hands back on any silverware.

But let’s stick to a story of success. Similar to the challenge facing them tonight, in order to win that European Cup (their second in succession), Benfica had to overcome opponents from London. On that occasion, they played Spurs in the semi-finals, beating them 4-3 on aggregate. Highlights of the second leg show handsome Jose Aguas at the coin toss with Danny Blanchflower.

Jose Aguas, Benfica, 1962

Tottenham perhaps underestimated the fact that Benfica were ‘great believers in the goal in the early minutes’ – something Real Madrid studiously avoided in the final itself, by immediately going 2-0 up through Puskas.

Handsome Jose Aguas himself got the first goal for Benfica against Real, in a historic and glorious reply - it should surprise no-one that the daughter of this handsome man, Lena D’Agua, would go onto become an 80s sex symbol for a generation of sardine fishermen.

‘Extreme forward’ Domiciano Cavem got the second, before it was the time for the very well nicknamed Mozambique boys to win the game: first ‘The Sacred Monster’ Mario Coluna terrorised the net with a 25-yarder; then the ‘The Black Panther’ Eusebio mauled the helpless Madridistas. The match finished as a 5-3 rout, and here’s a distilled video showing the goals, with some hollandaise commentary on the side.

The shirt was a Benfica classic, with the familiar white collar and trim. Here’s a picture of the team, with a collar so wide that it looks as if they have been selected from the waiters at the local restaurant.

As for the cup final against Chelsea, all fans of eagles, Atlantic mackerel exports, 80s sex symbols emerging from behind luxuriant silk curtains in silver lamé dresses, Vasco da Gama and the Lisbon Regicide will be hoping for a return to the days of European glory tonight.

Good luck Benfica.  If you want your own Benfica, Europa Cup shirt you can order here.

Rob Hogg

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Order your Benfica, Europa Cup shirt here

As the final day of the Premiership season dawns Rob Hogg takes a look back at this magnificent Sunderland, Le Coq Sportif shirt from 1981/2.

The 1981/82 season was not a particularly successful one for Sunderland, nor was it particularly remarkable, with them going out of both cups at the early stages and spending the rest of the season struggling at the wrong end of the league.

But there was no lack of excitement in the dressing room, where this top from le coq sportif showed that the influence of the Parisian catwalks had marched the length of England and swamped Wearside. The maker’s logo on the sleeve is a point of continued interest for the shirt connoisseur, whilst the introduction of red shorts kept the baying fans of Roker Park temporarily pacified. 

Sunderland, Le Coq Sportif, 1981/1982

This is perhaps the only example of Sunderland almost entirely abandoning red in the actual shirt, and was the last time they would not have a sponsor. Those duties would be taken on by Cowie’s, the company run by controversial Mackem chairman Tom Cowie. Cowie’s has since been rebranded with the name Arriva, whilst Tom Cowie has himself been rebranded as Sir Tom Cowie.

As chairman, Cowie was controversial for his unwillingness to pump much money into the club, and notable acquisitions were hard to come by. But in those days The Lads did splash out on a young Ally McCoist. McCoist is fondly remembered in the North East even if his record was somewhat modest. And if you want to see just how modest he insisted on being, then take a look at this clip. 

The 1981-82 season, although not remarkable, could have ended in disaster, and it was only due to a slightly odd run-in to the end of the season that Sunderland were saved from relegation. In the last 11 games, they lost just two games, although that included a 6-1 defeat to Coventry. A few more years of continued drifting aimlessly at the bottom end of the top flight were only secured on the last day of the season with a 1-0 win over Manchester City, Mick Buckley being the scorer.

The next season, Sunderland were again saved on the last day of the season, that time by club legend, Bryan ‘Pop’ Robson, aka the Bald Assassin.

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As the weekend brings Reading’s penultimate Premiership match of the season, Rob Hogg takes a look back at happier times when the Biscuitmen lifted up the Simod cup at Wembley.

Reading’s kits have had an interesting history. Mostly, they have been hooped. But there have been occasional moves away from this as well.

The most recent of these departures was in the 80s when they developed a shirt with blue and white panels. This shirt comes from that epochal time, when they won their only ever silverware at Wembley, the Simod Cup.

Reading, 1987/88

For the big day at the Twin Towers, Reading had to wear their away kit – quite a nice golden number with light blue flashes over the shoulders. This article though is concentrating on the home kit, as it must look rather strange to anyone whose only exposure to Reading has been when they have been wearing their modern hoopy outfits.

This was also before they moved into their hi-tech stadium named after the current chairman and Cilla Black botherer, John Madejski. Back then, Reading played in the rickety Elm Park and it is there that we go to on our youtube tour to catch the lads modelling their now defunct blue/white panel combo – and if you don’t think the Simod Cup meant much to the Biscuitmen, then watch the pitch invasion that follows the decisive Coventry penalty miss .

The shirt had a classic v-neck look with some lovely warm, summery colours in there. It seems to come from a more honest time, an Albion that only exists in the past. 

Sadly, although the shirt brought cup glory, there was less luck to be had in the league. Reading were relegated, and it meant they were unable to defend the tournament the next season. This denied Simod Cup followers the chance of seeing again the likes of Michael Gilkes. But then again, who could see Michael Gilkes?

The man was fast, as proved in the Rumbelows Cup Final Sports Challenge Top Footballers 100m Sprint Final . I won’t reveal the winner, so you can place your own bets in a sort of proto realtime manner.

Rob Hogg

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Wallace wonder goals, Worthington flicks and Rank Xerox.  Rob Hogg takes a look back at the Southampton home kit of 1983.  

Southampton, 1983/4 

In 1983-84, Southampton had their highest ever finish, ending the season in 2^nd. Champions Liverpool only finished ahead of them by three points, and suffered a moment of ignominy in the first ever televised game at the Dell, where Danny Wallace scored goal of the season.

Lawrie McMenemy had put together a swashbuckling team, and had even gone so far as to sign the ageing maverick, Frank Worthington. ‘Elvis’ enjoyed himself during his career, but had also been a huge talent, as recalled by former manager Ian Greaves: 

“We stood there, looking at each other, eye to eye. He was talking to me and his eyes never left mine, but he must have flicked the ball up 47 times. He flicked it up and caught it behind him on his neck, down the back of his neck, hoofed it over his back and caught it on his foot, something I could never do if I played forever. I thought, ‘How do you give him a telling-off when he’s doing that?’ That’s Frank.”

Frank would go on to write an autobiography with an admirably slimy front cover.

There was nothing slimy about Southampton’s appearance in 1983-84. It was bold, a step away from the traditional red and white stripes. It couldn’t last really, and nor could Southampton’s run at the top. But for that brief time when McMenemy’s boys troubled the big guns, it should be celebrated. 

On a side note, the sponsors Rank Xerox had a somewhat unusual tribute made to them, when their name was given to the main character in a graphic novel series. RanXerox, I am happy to say, is a ‘punk, futuristic Frankenstein monster’  

To finish, here are the Saints against the Devils. In this battle of Heaven and Hell, it should be noted that United are wearing a rather fetching top of their own.

Rob Hogg

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We caught up with Amar from World Cup Legends to talk; Maradona, Argentina 1986 football shirts and Cantona chips.  Amar is on a mission to get find 11 World Cup winners to sign his collection of of Adidas World Cup Matchballs from 1970-2010.

What was your first kit?

I think it was a Manchester United Shirt from the early 90s. I actually don’t remember having any footy shirts as a kid, but I had a lot of footballs (hence the World Cup Legends challenge).

What is your favourite kit and why?

My favourite kit is the Argentina, Le Coq Sportif one from World Cup 86. It was the first World Cup that I remember from growing up and Maradona was one of my childhood footballing heroes.  

Argentina, Le Coq Sportif, 1986

What is your favourite goal?

It is hard to think of one favourite but a goal that is up there is the Eric Cantona chip against Sunderland. Turns two players, a one two with Brian McClair followed by a lob over the keeper, sublime goal!  You can watch that goal here.

Keep up with the World Cup Legends challenge here.

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If you like the Argentina kit, you can order the 1986 kit you can order it here.