The Football Shirt Collective

Have a look at this kit. After more than a century of away shirts based on white and yellow, Everton decided to take on a colour that had one half disturbingly close to the lads from across the Mersey. In retrospect it is easy to see this change as indicative of panic in the boardroom, with the glories of the 80s firmly consigned to the past.

Everton, Umbro, 1993/4

The shirt also captures the twilight years of the long partnership with electronics giant NEC.  It might be worth noting that in 1993 NEC’s asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switching system, the NEAX61 (Nippon Electronic Automatic Exchange) ATM Service Node, went into service in the United States, and perhaps it is no surprise that not everyone’s mind was focussed on the football.

In December, Howard Kendall brought his second spell at the club to an end and was replaced by young hotshot Mike Walker. With the statistically worst ever performing manager in Everton’s history now in charge, the club faltered throughout the campaign and on the last day of the season it looked like their status in the fledgling Premiership was over - a fact apparently confirmed at halftime when they were losing 2-0 to Wimbledon.

It was only due to Graham Stuart and Barry Horne that Everton were able to affect an incredible escape.  But as they did it all whilst wearing the traditional blue kit, it is irrelevant for this blog.

What we have instead is a clip from the previous season with the boys wearing the same away kit at Blackburn. There is high drama in the game, including a goal line controversy following on from some  ‘frantic work by Bobby Mimms’. The Rovers commentator is clearly distraught by the result, although quite where his accent places him in the Ribble Valley is not exactly clear.

Rob Hogg @RobHoggAMLC

Is the black and red Umbro master piece of 1994 Everton’s greatest ever football shirt?  Let us know through twitter @thefootballsc or on facebook. 

You can order the Everton, Umbro, 1992 kit here