I was extremely flattered to be recently asked to contribute a blog for Umbro. My first posting has just been published and can be read here:
THE FOOTBALL KIT HISTORY SITE
THE FOOTBALL KIT HISTORY SITE
I was extremely flattered to be recently asked to contribute a blog for Umbro. My first posting has just been published and can be read here:
Nice one John…As someone who doesn’t feel compelled to buy my club’s every kit, I’m all in favour of 3rd kits as they just add to the possibilities and often provide a nice shirt to experiment with…or as is often the case, provide an opportunity for a club to redeem itself following a particularly lairy home or away kit. ‘Sorry about that yellow abomination…why not get this lovely silver number instead’…
Great work John!
In all honesty I’ve always considered third shirts to simply be another way of fleecing the fans. But obviously there is a need forthem from time to time. I think my grind with them is the clubs’ need to promote them so heavily only for them to be worn once.
Still, I guess you don’t have to buy one if you don’t want to.
3rd kits are essential for some clubs. Man U and Liverpool needed them through the late seventies and eighties as their home kits were red and away shirts white, this caused a clash against sides like Southampton, Sunderland, Stoke and Sheffield United. I believe TV was the driving force behind this as in the preceding years refs were not fussy about it. My club Spurs though have in recent years chosen Navy or Black away kits that then necessitate a third strip because of side like Newcastle and West Brom. Unless the fans stop buying them, clubs will keep selling them!!!
3rd kits should not be necessary if the designers took into account opposition before designing away kits!
surely in most cases,only a 3rd shirt is needed,the shorts and socks should be mixed and matched to accomodate the changes needed.Then again i remember Man. United having 3 kits in the 90’s and the socks for all 3 outfits were black!! the only difference was the trim on them!
re: no. 4
But Andy your club Palace are an example of why they are necessary.
Red and Blue Home shirt (most years!), White away kit (frequently. There would be I reckon 14 teams (at least) that need to wear away kits at Selhurst this season, and seven of those I suspect will have to wear a 3rd kit.
I think Palace will need to change around 15 times whilst on the road in the league this year.
Andrew, you’re spot on there. I always think of Arsenal as an example. If they had their favoured yellow away kit and then played Galatasaray in Europe what would they need (unless the ref decided otherwise) – third kit! Its just impossible to account for every combination. Palace do cause a problem though with their red and blue.
Ian, Rich – thank you! John, I remember that black sock scenario! Very odd…
The only way to get rid of the need for third kits would be for one colour, yellow (or any other little used colour for that matter) to be universally left ot off all home kits, then all teams could have an away kit in that colour thus negating the need for third kits. Having said that, as a kit enthusiast I believe in the more the merrier. Bring on the 4th or even the 5th kit!!!
With you there Mark. All teams should have a home, away, 3rd kit, a european one (even if not in europe that season…one can dream) and then ‘alternative’ versions of the aforementioned 🙂