Oldham Athletic were a founding club of the Premier League back in 1992 and were just one of a plethora of Umbro-supplied teams in the top flight that year. That season saw the club wear this rather elegant all-blue outfit that had been introduced a year earlier. Umbro included mysterious asymmetrical designs on the right sleeves of most of their teams in 1991 and this Oldham shirt was no exception. But in the case of the Boundary Park club these curious markings combined well with the red collar, OAFC monogram and tasteful shadow pattern and made for a great looking strip.
The shirt was sponsored by construction firm Bovis in the 1991-92 season before being replaced by JD Sports the following year (after a brief 3 month sponsorless hiatus).
Oldham’s adventures in the Premier League lasted only for two seasons before the club were relegated (despite a cracking 93-94 FA Cup run) and, like Bradford City (as featured in an earlier Kit Cupboard post) they have struggled to return to the top flight.
Worn in: Numerous astonishing wins in the 92-93 campaign: 1-0 over Manchester United, 3-2 versus Liverpool, 6-2 over Wimbledon, 4–3 versus Southampton and 5-3 against Nottingham Forest. Despite these amazing results, the club only narrowly avoided relegation that year!
Worn by: Neil Pointon, Nick Henry and Darren Beckford.
Look out for a True Colours Oldham Athletic kit history – coming soon!
Good work again John, interesting how Umbro used the trim in different colours on the shirts and shorts, even though the base garments were the same colour!
Thanks Denis – you know, I never really twigged the slight difference in the side ‘flash’ design. Couldn’t get away with it now know what with tournament patches!
The collar isn’t one that any manufacturer has brought back to life recently is it?
Ipswich’s away that season had the colours of this shirt reversed with the same shorts too, if I remember correctly?
Brings back fond memories as Oldham were in this outfit around the time i started watching football. Handy little side in their time they definitely wouldn’t relegate by comparison to some of the dross in the Premier league today.Mike Milligan, Earl Barrett, Dinny Irwin, all exceptional players produced by the club
Thanks Jon for this – 92-93 was the season Oldham escaped, and Palace went down on goal difference with 49 points – still a record. To put that into perspective last season that would have meant finishing 11th!
22 teams in the Premier then though Andy!
The Oldham away strip for 92-3 was thick red & white stripes, I remember Nick Henry lobbing Dave Beasant from the half-way line in the opening match at Stamford Bridge. The season before, the away was all-red except for the away match at West Ham, when green was worn! I don’t think green was worn by Oldham in any of their away matches in 92-3.
Sorry Andy!!
Hello Roy…do you know if the ‘spikey’ green and white away shirt (similar to Celtic’s at the time) was an official third shirt for 91-92 or just a third shirt? I have read conflicting information.
Hi John:
I think it was just a third shirt, not official. At least, not official at the start of the season. When they kicked the season off, they just showed the blue home & red away shirts at some press conference.
If I remember correctly, the green away didn’t have the sponsor’s name on it, so then the shirt would’ve been done in a hurry & that would indicate it wasn’t planned. But I don’t think that was the only time they wore it. They may have worn it at C. Palace & Aston Villa later in the season.
I remember that mint green Oldham kit very well, I remember watching the highlights and wondered why they were wearing Celtic’s away strip.
Of course, the shirt was different to Celtic’s on closer inspection, the front design was slightly different and the back was plain mint green. I can’t remember if the shirt had a sponsor that day though, I’ve seen pictures on some of those football shirt sites with the green shirt featuring a Bovis logo.
If I recall, Oldham wore their home kit at Aston Villa and Crystal Palace in 91/92, and also 92/93 – a bit strange considering I felt Oldham’s home kit clashed with Palace because of the red and blue. Anyhow, the mint green kit was apparently used at Blackburn in the 92/93 season, without a sponsor logo.
For the 93/94 season Oldham had a third kit in a darker shade of green, with navy sleeves and yoke, very much in the same design as Aston Villa’s kit the previous season. I presume that shirt was also worn at Blackburn that year.
You’re spot on Jon – Oldham had quite a rich palette of away kits in the early 90s. Roy – thanks for the info, much appreciated.
This Oldham home kit was also worn on the last day of the 1990/91 season in the dramatic 3-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday which clinched the Second Division title in injury time.
Great game, 2-0 down, pulled it back to 2-2 and got a stoppage time pen to win. West Ham fans were on the Upton Park pitch celebrating (thinking they were champions). One fan I know said they were saying the BAC on their shirts stood for ‘Back as Champions’
But Oldham’s Victory Impacted Situation 😉
classic period for umbro.
Very good Denis or
Lovely Effort Excellent Scribe