Bradford City’s brief two-year stay in the Premiership 10 years ago was accompanied by a set of superb kits by Japanese firm Asics who were, in my opinion, one of the most under-rated kit suppliers of the 90s. At a time of excess and flamboyance they produced some solid, simple designs – many of which wouldn’t look out of place today.
Their home strip for Bradford (produced towards the end of the company’s venture into Premiership kits) typified their approach. A traditional design, baggy fit and rich colours (in Bradford’s distinctive amber and claret combination) with just a hint of flair – in this case the ‘Bantams’ text embroidered on the button up collar collar. Unfortunately in the kit’s last year of use Bradford succumbed to the pressures of the top flight and were relegated down to the then Division 1.
Since then, the club have sadly slipped down the leagues but at least they can know that during their short spell in the highest level of English football they were one of the best dressed.
Worn in: The vital 1–0 win over Liverpool in the last game of the 99–00 season that ensured Bradford’s survival in the top flight that year.
Worn by: Stuart McCall, Dean Windass and Stan Collymore.
A rare colour combination John!
To my knowledge my team Motherwell are the only other professional team in Britain who wear claret & amber. In the past teams like Dukla Prague and Philadelphia Fury also used these colours to great effect.
I love that we wear claret & amber and could think of nothing worse than having to make do with yet another blue and white or red and white kit.
These colours are rare in football kits and I really hope it stays that way!
Cheers,
Willie
http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/4817/33/
Great minds hey Denis! Not sure about the description of it as dark red though!
You’re right Willie – I think the colours are great together and look just as good on Motherwell! Fling in a white away kit with claret and amber trim and you’re there.
I agree, John!
I remember the Newcastle and Leeds kits by Asics, but my personal favourite is the one worn by Japan at the 1998 World Cup.
Meh, amber and black looks good, rhubarb and custard not so much.
I agree that Asics were very underated John. My own club (Dundee United) has kits supplied by Asics from 1989-1991 and they are probably my favourite United kits.
http://i39.tinypic.com/x4j428.jpg
Crystal Palace added an amber trim to their 1968-69 promotion winning kit of claret and sky blue pin stripes and retained that for 2 seasons.
Hello John, Dundee Utd have had some fine kits, that is a good one you posted. I believe that comes from the early days of Asics in the British game (late 80s?) when they also supplied Norwich and Coventry. They really came into their own in the 90s. Cheers
Yes that’s John, that Asics kit was the kit we had for two seasons 89-91. The away shirt was the same design as the home one, but it was white.
http://www.classicfootballshirts.co.uk/images/Dundee-89-AwayLB.gif
Love those kits!
We have has some fine kits down the years (and also a few horrors!), particularly the Adidas ones we had in the 80’s. This seasons shirt is nice too (best shirt we’ve had for a few years actually) even if it is just a generic Nike shirt with our badge stuck on it.
Of course, my favourite Rovers kit is an asics one, as worn by Alan Shearer, Chris Sutton et al. in 1994-1995 when we won the league.
The Asics Rovers kits were class