I wouldn’t have believed this monstrous combination ever existed if I hadn’t seen a picture of it with my own eyes! Back in October 1994 Scunthorpe turned up at Preston North End’s Deepdale for a Division 3 fixture. Now one can only assume that Scunthorpe (who that season had a white home kit that clashed perfectly with Preston’s lillywhite jerseys) forgot to bring their away shirts, as they took to the field sporting Preston’s away jersey from the previous season, paired with the red shorts and socks from The Iron’s regular change strip.
What made matters worse is that the Preston away shirts they were forced to borrow and their own red shorts and socks are both prime examples of early 90s patterned excess and, in their own right, both regularly voted among the worst football kits of all time. Combine them together though and you’re left with this foul concoction, arguably one of the worst kit ensembles ever seen!
The Preston shirt design was a familiar Matchwinner template that was also sported by Wigan amongst other clubs, where as the Scunthorpe strip seems to have been fashioned from a truly hideous stock fabric design (that was also worn by Peterborough and made infamous by Birmingham) which was then badged up with a manufacturers logo, that of Alan Ward Sports.
Worn by: Tony Ford, Alan Knill, Mark Smith
Worn in: Scunthorpe’s 94-95 match at Preston – Scunthorpe winning 1-0
I think I just got sick in my mouth
Definitely need a bucket!
There were loads of awful kits in the 90’s, from the likes of Matchwinner (probably the worst offenders!), Ribero, Super League and a number of local sports shops and club own brands. Even Umbro got caught up in the madness.
Thank goodness common sense prevailed and kits got better towards the end of the 90’s. Shame that Nike seem to be bucking that trend with some of their new kits though!
Maybe these 90’s kits were inspired by the dazzle camouflage schemes of the First World War and were a cunning plan to confuse and confound the opposition ?
Or maybe the kit designers were just smoking some really good stuff…
Oh good God my eyes…and sense of decency…and geometry…
As soon as I saw the shorts I thought they were from the same stock design as worn by Birmingham and Peterborough.
I’m a little confused though, as I thought the Birmingham kit was made by Influence. I mean, if Scunthorpe, Birmingham and Peterborough all had the same (awful) stock design, how come Scunthorpe’s shorts and socks here are made by Alan Ward Sports?
By the way, the Birmingham version was so unpopular with the supporters that when David Sullivan and David Gold took over the club mid-season, they announced that the kit was going to be binned, and the team wore a new kit for the remaining fixtures!
I have never been more grateful for a pair of plain socks!
I think the paintbox design was made from some stock fabric and turned into football kits. Peterborough’s away kit at the time was identical to Scunthorpe’s, but with green and purple splodges on it (it was apparently referred to as the “pizza kit”), and was made by “Posh Leisure” (obviously they marketed their own kits).
Scunthorpe had previous – their away shirt the season before was this “slasher” effort: _
http://www.oldfootballshirts.com/img/shirts/66/scunthorpe-united-away-classic-for-sale-football-shirt-1992-1994-s_12225_1.jpg
I sense a kit cupboard/article on 90’s horror show kits coming soon, no doubt 80% of them were made by Matchwinner!
That Matchwinner template brought back a smile to my face after recent weeks of depression at Lincoln. We had a green and black version which was perhaps easier on the eye than PNE shirt.
I always thought Matchwinner turned out some interesting kits, the Hull City tiger print shirt and the Grennock Morton tartan toffee shirt spring to mind. Our 91-93 away shirt had the ying and yang symbol embossed into the fabric.
Andrew – totally agree! Funny think is the Posh socks featured coloured trim.
Matchwinner also created the ‘interesting’ St Mirren ‘bib’ kit they wore from 87 to 89… http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/St_Mirren/St_Mirren.htm
Lovely stuff!! 🙂
Serves them right for both to be relegated in 2011 after this unforgivable kit abomination.
After seeing this Im surprised Scunthorpe werent docked points or kicked out of the english league.
now what words rhyme with kit.
#1 Denis – It would be a damn sight more appealing than whats on show here.
btw liked your devlin-esque slant on the hurling match last night in the papers.
Rich, the St Mirren bib kit was also worn by Huddersfield Town in Blue and White guise. The Town one however was made worse by the sponsors ‘Greenalls Bitter’ which for anyone who has been unfortunate enough to taste it , is probably the worst liquid to pass for beer in recorded history!
Thanks Ciaran – tonight I was at a game between Ballinhassig (blue jerseys, white trim) and Carrigtwohill (blue jerseys with a gold hoop) and neither changed, stupid considering that an effort was made last night!
Huddersfield also wore an away kit with a bib in the 87/88 season, a yellow and black chequered “bruised banana”…
http://www.premiershirts.net/wearthat/wearthatshirts/35_1_b.jpg
Unfortunately for them this shirt will always be associated with a certain match at Maine Road!
Denis That would be like a game between Chelsea and Boca Juniors with both in home kit.i think though the kit clashes are becoming more noticed in general though.was there a change of kit in mallow last night.
looking at the st finbarrs kit the other night i couldnt help but thinking how cool it would look if adidas or umbro had done kits in gaa.not that the oneills kit was bad – quite the opposite.
did you need the smelling salts on standby with all the new kits between club and county this weekend.I’d have an image of you in a rodney trotter like way midway through the “time on our hands” episode of only fools and horses.
back to scunthorpe/preston. john has this bizarre change ever happened much in other league around the world.
just to add its a shame that football shirt culture didnt exist in 1994/95
Mark, Jon…I actually quite like that Huddesrfield shirt…certainly not as migraine inducing as the Buddies’ version 🙂
Rich, Town have had some fairly awesome away shirts over the years. I seem to remember one during their original Mitre spell which won a Yorkshire TV kit of the season phone in. Red White and Black wavy hoops but I can’t seem to find a picture.
Mark…wasn’t this Gola one from 91/92 was it? http://www.htafc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10312~1469693,00.html
That’s the one. I guess it helps if you look for the right manufacturer!!!
To be fair, it’s entirely possible you were blinded when looking at it 😉
Must be something about PNE. When Hereford United went there in 1994 we had to change our white socks and without the change socks packed had to borrow Preston’s dark blue socks. Don’t know if any of the Bulls fans noticed, more worried about getting tonked 4-2. Made a bit of a come back, we were 4-0 down at one stage.
Does anybody remember the Hereford United away Matchwinner shirt from 1992-94, predominantly pink with black & white specks? An absolute horror and not a very lucky shirt if i remember rightly, Bath City away in an FA Cup televised defeat!!
Wasn’t it this one Shakey?
http://www.oldfootballshirts.com/img/shirts/79/hereford-united-away-football-shirt-1993-1995-s_2512_1.jpg
I remember it well, horrible shirt!
That’s the one Jon, glad you agree with me! Urgh!!
my eyes!aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is horrific. I once had a marl grey shatter-effect Port Vale away shirt in my collection from around the early 90s but THIS trumps that monster!