QPR have one of the most exciting kit histories going in my opinion with some quality designs that mostly stick with traditional colour schemes.
When two or more sponsors appear on the same kit in different seasons I have illustrated each season’s kit separately.
the 80-82 kits were classy…the other adidas wernt much different though!
Some classic numbers there, also interesting are the very rare away kits from the early 90’s that I never knew had existed – those being the two orange strips made by Influence and the green and white Brooks kit.
Did those kits ever get worn in a competitive match?
Aha! A near-20 year old mystery has been confirmed. On one of those old Danny Baker “Own Goals” videos I’ve got in the loft (perhaps even the same as the Wolves vs. Norwich game I posted onto YouTube, and this site, recently) contains a clip of Crystal Palace playing a team in orange in the early 1990s. I could never work out who they were playing, although I had my suspicions that it was QPR, as (an almost but not quite bald) Ray Wilkins pops into shot for a fleeting second. Looks like I was right after all!
Glad to have solved the mystery Graeme! I thought originally that QPR had just one orange third kit. I have an old Soccer Scene catalogue (must scan it and get it on the site) that shows the orange and black one and then the following season a programme with the second kit in action. Makes sense that they’d need a third kit against Palace whose kit was made up of equal amounts of red and blue causing no end of clash problems.
The green and white one turns up on one of those dodgy kit history posters that are knocking about. I’m sure it was also worn (possibly against Palace again?)
The Green and white hoops were not worn against Palace in 1991-92 – I have a colour match photo from that game in a programme. I can confirm though that the 1990-91 3rd orange kit was worn against Palace that season.
QPR also had an orange Adidas kit in the late 70s, worn once or twice. The orange kit from 89/90 was never worn. The all orange kit from 90/91 was worn twice – away at Palace and Chelsea.
The green and white hoops were never worn, nor was the black kit from 04/95. The previous black kit from 93/94 was only worn twice.
My mate has all of these shirts bar one or two, even the Blue Star shirt from 86/87 that was only sold without the sponsor (he has a match worn one). He also has John Byrne’s spare shirt from the 1986 Milk Cup Final.
John, I’ve seen pictures on Football heroes website which show home socks as blue and white hoops for 1995-96
Actually I think you’re right Andy
The green & white Brooks kit was never used. I think it was intended to be worn on Jan 1st 1992 when we beat Man Utd 4-1 at Old Trafford but never happened. Ended up being sold in the club shop, but never worn during a game.
Nearest we came was the Binatone sponsored kit at Millwall in Feb 2005 and I think Wycombe away possibly same season.
A great compilation of kits, even if I am biased 🙂 What a fantastic website.
@Howard, is this the (orange) shirt you mean? Have it on good authority from ‘Camberley R’ on our messageboard that Middlesbrough turned up with only their white away kit which clashed somewhat – and had to borrow this one from Rangers’ kit man at the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lcoZUFCGC4
@Andy, the ‘home’ socks were definitely hooped 1995-96. Until last season, they reverted back to the more ‘normal’ white.
Thanks for the comments everyone. I was very excited to see that orange kit and thanks Leo for the link. I knew about that game when Boro played in orange – had no idea it was an old QPR kit though. Thanks also for the note on the hooped socks (Andy, Denis & Leo).
Cheers Howard and Justin for the update on the green hoops.
I have to say that even though I have no affinity with the club I do love QPR kits!
GUINNESS home kit for the win! One of those just went for over £150 on ebay..
Leo – Yes, that’s the one, 80/81 sorry. It’s on the cover of a programme that season, no badge though! Dunno if was actually designed for QPR or was just a generic Adidas design we decided to wear.
What about this kit by Adidas then;
http://www.intheloft.net/kit1.jpg
Worn on the opening day of the 76/77 season, then discarded. Was there outrage at the thin hoops?
It seems the QPR kits were not very consistent Howard – I was aware of this kit but thought it was only worn in pre-season photos. It looks like it took a bit of time before they settled on a set design.
wow! … this is great stuff … can you do a series on newcastle united ? … i’m sure there’ll be lots of happy geordies after this … 🙂
Middlesbrough turned up at QPR with a set of shirts featuring their sponsor’s logo, but as the game was being televised, they were not allowed to wear them.
Back in 1982 shirt sponsorship was still banned whenever the TV cameras were present, though the ban was lifted the following year and clubs were free to wear sponsored shirts. Anyhow, Boro didn’t bring along a set of unsponsored shirts, and thus had to borrow the orange shirts just so the game could still be broadcast.
John, the first orange away kit was worn during 80/81; the white Ericsson away shirt was only worn during 1999/00; we also had a black/grey hooped away shirt for 00/01 sponsored by Ericsson; the green shirt from 04/05 was introduced in 03/04, thus worn over 2 seasons. Good spot with that second yellow kit – the first one was only worn during 99/00.
Hello Howard thanks for your comments – I’ve tried to send you an email but its bounced back – any chance you could email me please when you get a second so that I can reply, I have a couple of questions for you!: john at truecoloursfootballkits dot com.
Thanks.
the navy 1995 compaq away shirt is one of the nicest there
John, when will the latest be posted?
Hello Andy – as quick as I can! I’m hoping to get a few more up at the weekend…
Does anybody know where I can find the GENUINE mid 60’s shirt (ie Rodney Marsh) with the 3 hoops, blue around the shoulders, long sleeves and no badge ?
I have been looking for this shirt for YEARS!
Toffs do one, but it’s not right, it just has 2 fat hoops!
Anybody know where my Holy Grail is????????
I’m sure the 95/96 white third kit also had a pair of white shorts with navy blue trim on them. I recall QPR wore that combination at Newcastle that season, which was odd in that in seasons gone by they’d wear the home kit there.
It was a bit hard to distinguish the teams on television though, probably that caused the decision to introduce a red away kit the following season (by which time they had got relegated).
Top class work John! Thanks a million for producing this. Have you any plans to put these in True Colours 3?
And can anyone please tell me where I can get one of the classic 1985/86 home jerseys complete with the adidas and Guinness logos with the super red trim.
Cheers Teddy! I’ve meaning to ‘do’ QPR kits for years as I’m such a fan of most of their strips they’ve worn. If there ever is a TC3 rest assured QPR will be in there. As for picking up an old shirt, the best place I know of is http://www.classicfootballshirts.co.uk
I have noticed that there is a sale on at the club shop. Replica shirts are being sold for £15. Does anyone know, does this mean that there will be a new kit next year?
Paul, there will definitely be a new batch of kits on sale next year. This season’s shirts are going for £9 if you get to Loftus Road early for the Cardiff game. I wonder if we’ll stick with dennis the menace for the away kit.
Thats a good price – well worth it for any Hoops collectors.
Hi!
I am ABSOLUTELY dieing to buy the QPR home jersey 85-86 with Guiness as their sponsor…
I would be so grateful if someone could advise me on where to buy as I have tried so many outlets already…
Marcus
e: cheekymjb@hotmail.com
hello i have 1989 home influence longslawe witch nr 8 on back – anybady knows how looks oryginal number on this shirt?
on my is red one on slawes aren’t league patche
looking back at these, at the same time as looking at your hybrid kit page jogged my memory of QPR turning up at Spurs in about 1988 in an adidas kit comprising of their home shirt, red and white shorts and black socks – it looked awful!
Can you do the same for Sheffield Wednesday, after their sad omission from Book 2?
Ha ha ha
I was working backwards through the archive & have found it now
Thanks :O)
Did anyone watch Fantasy Football Club on Sky this week? They had a feature where they showed Gerry Francis a load of old photos of himself, and he talked through them. The first photo was a mugshot of when he signed YTS forms at QPR. He was wearing a green shirt with narrow orange horizontal stripes and orange collar. Any idea what shirt this is?
I found this great site HArry – http://qprkits.blogspot.ie/- and while the kit you mention doesn’t feature, I’ve put in a query!
Thanks, Denis. I’m guessing it was from around 1968-69, so not in that website’s timeline (if it ever was a kit). That website does feature a terrible clash from 1990-91, though: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lviem8BeFsY/TnzkJbZFVSI/AAAAAAAAAHU/SZAcO7ct33I/s1600/9091a3.jpg
Yeah it’s very bad, there were a few like that back then!
Howard, the site’s curator, has seen that Francis pic before but doesn’t think it’s a Rangers shirt.
influence is a company i wouldnt mind some info on i cant seem to find any anywhere
i only say this because that 1989 kit led me here
i know they were one of the guys that made the paintbox kit (worn by birmingham and scunthorpe the latter i think was produced by matchwinner)
but their is hardly any info avaliable on all of these little early 90s companys and it grinds my gears
Hello Tony – Influence was owned by the Kumar brothers who were actually also owners of Birmingham City at the time Influence kitted them out. The firm had either taken over or evolved from Scoreline back in the late 80s. So I think many Scoreline teams were then supplied by Influence (e.g. Portsmouth).
Its nice to see QPR have a strong sense of identity through both home and away kits.cBlue and white hoops at home, red and black away. A consistent away kit is as important as a consistent home in my opinion.
It spreads the brand of the club and also makes it less irritating if the team wears the away kit uneccessarily.
Phil – you’re speaking my language! Totally agree.
Biased I may be, but Bayern have by and large been consistent with this. For almost the entire 80’s they had red home, white away, with the only third kit being the ‘Kaiserslautern’ Brazil-esque one (whose shorts occasionally appeared as an alternative home pair). Then from the adidas Equipment era, right up to 04/05 things were a bit sketchy, with many ‘double clash’ scenarios occurring. Since then, it’s mostly been red home / white away / dark third, with the away and third occasionally switching (as with this season, and next also). But the basic principles are consistent, meaning adidas (expecially in these ‘3 new kit’ days) having a challenge to design kits that vary from their predecessors. Next season, if rumours are to be believed, the home will be all red with white pinstripes (based on the ’74 kit); away all navy, possibly with a red chest band (97-99 home); third mostly white from the adidas design studio collection (and I for one am campaigning for the red and blue tramline kit to return – one of my favourites).
Back to the original point, QPR should be blue and white hoops home and red and black away, though in ’76 they had a red and white halved shirts and black shorts strip that was really nice, which I would like to see brought back (as I recall, it was a modified half strip that used solid blocks rather than split sleeves). Paired with a black v-neck collar and cuffs and sponsor logo that could be really nice.
thanks john
i knew they were owned by the Kumar brothers i had managed to find that out but wikipedia wasnt so forthcoming with anything else
so i didnt know they took over scoreline contracts for example
their are a few companys like this though, Bukta, Scorline, OSCA, Matchwinner
hate it when research fails me lol
Does anyone know if the red/white away shirt from the mid 70s is in anyway a homage to feyenoord and if so, why??
I ask as it appears in a letter in a recent copy of WSC magazine.