At last! Bar the odd pair of change shorts/socks here and there I’ve finished the 09-10 Premier League kits (just in time for 10-11!). Sorry its taken so long – you can view them all here: http://www.truecoloursfootballkits.com/09-10-kits
Championship to follow very shortly on the same page.
Sorry to be pedantic but Chelsea have used both black third shorts and black third socks (I think from ’08-’09 season) as a change from white. They wore white/black/white in the 0-0 draw with Birmingham City and white/black/black in the 2-1 loss at Everton
Thats great Alan – cheers. I need to do through almost every match so far this season to pick up these changes. I appreciate you letting me know.
They are superb, John! 🙂
Many thanks….
On the subject of change shorts/socks and letting you know…
Man City wore change white socks with their black away kit at Blackburn.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/89811818/Getty-Images-Sport
Arsenal wore grey change socks at Villa Park.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/96213745/AFP
Fulham wore white change shorts and socks at Ewood Park.
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/95829549/Getty-Images-Sport
I hope this helps, John.
🙂
Thank you Walter, thats really helpful. There’s definitely plenty of change socks I need to document.
I know Wolves had a change pair of red socks when they, rather bizarrely, wore their away kit at Chelsea.
John I am 100 sure Chelsea wore Navy shorts and socks in the games mentioned above rather than Black, the trim on the shirt is navy too.
Hopefully these snaps will clear it up
http://www.chelseafc.com/matchreport/20100210/everton-2-chelsea-1_2249014_47994
These are from the Birmingham game, and I agree they are dark blue. Chelsea’s own store says the shirt is white/dark blue
http://www.chelseafc.com/matchreport/20091226/birmingham-0-chelsea-0_2249014_47796
This is from the club shop on line describing the 3rd (Champion League) kit – Chelsea Third Shirt 2009/10 – White/Dark Navy
Thanks Andrew and Alan – navy blue is the bane of my life. Its so close to black on many occasions that it makes it very difficult to tell unless you see the kits in the flesh. ‘Dark navy’ makes it even worse!!
My son has a replica third shirt and it really is hard to tell, even up close. In certain light it is virtually black.
Great work John, much appreciated as always. (although if you’ve got a spare couple of months anytime soon we’re still missing the two seasons 06-07 and 07-08 between the books and the start of the new website). Cheers.
Ha!! Thanks Mark!! Funnily enough, I have got 06-07 and 07-08 all drawn up. Is it worth putting them up do you think?
Thank you Alan – I’m glad its not just me!
I’ve added in the change shorts/socks mentioned above – any others, just let me know.
http://www.truecoloursfootballkits.com/09-10-kits
Nice work John, looks great.
Actually I’ve just noticed that Man. Utd now pip Liverpool for amount of shorts this season! One other small detail, for some reason Gary Neville still has his initial “G” on his shirt, which I find odd since his brother went to play for Everton some time ago.
I would say definately worth putting 06/7 and 07/8 on unless there are any plans for updated books (fingers crossed). What do others think?
Alan – that’s been annoying me for the last four years!
I agree it would be excellent to have those missing seasons posted on the site.
Burnley’s home kit also has change shorts and socks in plain sky blue. They’ve worn the shorts on a few occasions already this season, but at Fulham recently, they rather unnecessarily wore the change shorts along with a pair of sky blue socks (without hoops).
Aston Villa have got a pair of white change shorts (with navy stripe), worn at Crystal Palace in the recent FA Cup match, and a pair of navy socks with claret hoop (and thin white hoop inbetween), which were used at Arsenal.
Also West Ham have used last season’s sky blue away shorts and a pair of plain sky blue socks (with white Umbro logo) with the home kit (when they played at Portsmouth). The sky blue socks were used with the away kit at Sunderland as wel.
Going off at a slight tangent, I’ve noticed Bolton have been using the home shorts and change home socks on occasion with their away shirt, despite the fact the away shirt has its own matching shorts and socks?
At Blackburn – navy shorts with white trim, white socks
At Wigan – navy shorts with white trim, navy socks with red trim
At Man City – navy shorts with white trim, navy socks with white trim
In other matches that they have worn the away kit (some of which were unnecessary!), they had used the navy shorts and socks with red trim.
John, do you even need to ask that question??? 🙂
West Hams sky blue socks Jon mentioned earlier are in use tonight against Man. Utd.
Man City wore their away socks with the home kit at Stoke in the Cup last night, Umbro must have been pulling their hair out with the integrity of the home kit being ruined!
To be fair Denis, they did acknowledge that sock changes would need to be considered due to league rules – still didn’t change the shorts though did they? I thought the combination looked good, reminded me of City kits in the late 80s/early 90s.
Did you notice that Palace changed shorts but City and Bolton stuck with their usual pairs?
I thought it looked good too John – in my head every team’s optimal outfit is what they wore in 1990-91 as that’s when I became a fan!
I presume the Palace situation is because they’re so used to doing so in the Championship, where it’s a rule?
I know what you mean about kits being at their best when you first became interested in football!
I guess you’re right about Palace – I was expecting shorts clashes to be frowned upon in the Cup but thinking about it as the tournament is by the FA it makes sense that they have the same rules as the Premier League about such matters as the two bodies are linked.
In the Football League its a different matter – hence the need for change shorts.
Does that sound right?
Yep, but the whole things is just so needlessly complicated! Do the refs in the Football League have worse eyesight or something?!
Totally agree – the principle is bonkers!
It’s not a new issue is it? Forest and Ipswich always changed their White shorts away from home in the Eighties.
Something a little strange with this “Umbro integrity” thing this season in the Premier League is that, as far as I know, Sunderland, Blackburn, Man City, Birmingham and Hull don’t change when there’s a clash of shorts, in keeping with the “integrity”.
Yet, West Ham, do change.
Here are some examples…
At St. Andrews… http://i46.tinypic.com/35a16hk.jpg
And at Fratton Park… http://i48.tinypic.com/2r4pusk.jpg
I think the thing with Umbro and maintaining a kit’s “integrity” is a bit far-fetched when you consider their plum contract of supplying the English national team went against the “norm” by giving them white shorts as first choice instead of the usual navy.
It does seem a bit odd, particularly when shorts clashes weren’t very common up until a few years ago – only time it seemed to occur was whenever Arsenal were the away team. For instance most Umbro teams up until around 2008 tended to have a spare set of shorts and socks in the kit hamper if the away/third set didn’t really mix and match – e.g. Everton had a set of blue shorts and socks in the kit hamper if called upon. Even Blackburn, in their first season with the current Umbro period, had a set of blue shorts which they wore on occasion. Sunderland baffle me sometimes with their kit selection – they’ll wear the home kit at Spurs and Fulham, yet, at Arsenal, they wore their third kit. Makes you wonder.
Anyhow from what I can gather, shorts clashes were very common in the old days. Prior to the mid-to-late 60’s sock clashes were quite common too, but from the mid 70’s the Football League must have got stricter on colour clashes and forced away teams to change shorts in the event of a clash – so much so that even Arsenal wore red change shorts!
Ironic that abroad it was common to see shorts/socks clashes but its less common now, but closer to home the reverse is true.
Does anybody know who is changing kit in the Carling Cup final tomorrow?
How do they decide now…
Is it a coin toss?
Or with Aston Villa being the “home” team, well their name is first on the fixture, does that mean Man United will change?
Utd are in red today after winning the toss of a coin.
So it’s by the toss of a coin… thanks, John.
Hi John.
Just to let you know, Birmingham wore their white and red third kit at Fratton Park last night, and they wore a pair of change socks that aren’t on the kits page.
http://i44.tinypic.com/fx5834.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/108i5it.jpg
They seem to be plain white and unbranded, so they may be the same as the change home shorts that you have illustrated.
Hope this helps. 🙂
Nice spot AJG and Gill – thank you!
Interesting points Jon – you’re right, look back through old footie pics and white shorts were nearly always the norm for all clubs – causing no end of clashes. Never seemed a problem did it until the 70s. I guess then a new rule over clashes was introduced. It is odd especially when you consider there is one rule for the Football League and one for the Premier League.
It will be interesting to see what combinations occur due to clashes in the World Cup – my understanding is that FIFA are even more heavy on clashes than the Premier League.
Oh, by the way Jon, thanks for your change shorts message earlier!