A Short History of the Manchester United Kit
To first review the history of the Manchester United kits, one must look back. All the way back to 1892 where the Red Devils were known as Newton Heath. The first kit ever to be worn by the classic English squad was a yellow and green, but at the turn of the century when the name was changed to Manchester United, they began a period of experimentation for the next 30 years. Blue and white, red and white, and all assortments of stripes of these colors were possible options until 1928 when Manchester switched permanently to the red, white, and black colors that have made the Red Devil kits so popular.
Throughout the 50′s, the kits sported certain themes such as “Wembley” emblems, however this soon passed as the United players fell into a traditional red and white collared home jerseys.
In the 60′s, any fashion taken place on the pitch was erased. Mothers and fathers of United fans no longer had to worry abut little kiddies coming home wanting the latest kit. For almost the entire decade of the 60′s, the red devils wore nothing but red tops, white shorts, and white socks. In the mid 60′s they added red socks, but other than that, it was as plain as it could be. It was apparent; the only thing that mattered was how you performed on the pitch, and not how you looked on the pitch.
The 70′s were a cursed era with big floppy hair, long disgusting sideburns, and a tacky get-up, and the kits were no exception. Floppy collars with loose and ugly colors terrorized the United players, but it would all end soon bringing in a new era for the kits of Manchester.
The 80′s sparked a hint of the future, and started the revolution that was using kits as advertisement space. Man U stuck with their tradition red and white kits, while adding a third blue kit, however in the middle of all these was a large Adidas advertisement which changed the sponsorship of clubs forever. Later, the Man U crest was moved to the middle and top of the kit while the advertisement was lowered to the belly area and to the sleeves. This kit still remains one of the most popular of all the kits worn by the red devils.
Since then, not much has changed besides the lead sponsors. Red and white remained the home and away kits, while they alternated back and forth between blue and black for the 3rd kit. A new “post modern” style has been added to all kits, making them more desirable not just for the players, but for the fans sporting them as well. Soccer kits have come a long way, and it’s appropriate that Man U is at the forefront of kit style. Especially due to the fact that more often than not, they’re at the forefront of the football world.
Topics: Football Gear, Manchester United
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well, that’s 3 minutes of my life i’ll never get back
October 4th, 2007 @ 17:33When I was growing up United always had black socks at home.
Somewhere along the line they started wearing white socks at home – for what reason ?
I’ve heard it said that the players prefer the white socks as it helps them identify teammates better on the pitch.
There is also the myth that United wore the black socks as a tribute to the 1958 Munich air disaster, but can anyone actually confirm this ?
They wore red in the 60s, so it was a belated tribute if it was one at all.
I think Red shirts, white shorts (black aweay from home) and white socks is the best looking combo.
Thoughts ???
October 4th, 2007 @ 19:57These days they rotate between white shorts/socks and black shirt/socks depending on what the opposition are wearing.
October 4th, 2007 @ 23:52But the Red Shirt White Shorts and Black socks is what I can remember as far back as the early 90s.
Matt- it was worth it just to read your comment at the end!! No ‘fence Jonathan, just made the experience worthwhile that bit of humour at the end, your article delves not into any real history nor does it do justice to the title of your piece. Good luck next time.
October 5th, 2007 @ 00:29Umm, It is called a ‘SHORT History of Man U Kits’ not, ‘THE ENTIRE ENCYCLOPEDICAL HISTORY Of the Man U shirt’…
October 5th, 2007 @ 12:00Black socks. For more than 70 years, United have worn black socks. You don’t just change that because some trend hopper thinks white is the shit. Or red.
Red and white is a number of teams.
Red, white and black is Manchester United. Period. All others are copies of the original. Never mess with that.
October 26th, 2007 @ 02:29red-white-black.
thats it. hate the white socks we wear in europe. just not right. re black shorts, i dont recall them ever being first choice – however. against certain teams away we always wear them with red shirts – any team with no red on the shirt and white shorts – b’burn, everton, leeds etc
December 18th, 2008 @ 20:39supported united since early 50s. was black socks in the 50s, white in early 60s, and red socks from mid 60s to 1972. also played in a all red strip v real madrid in the 1957 european cup semi/final and a 1st division match against bolton wanderers the previous week, 8 years before that mob in liverpool changed to all red.
February 27th, 2010 @ 00:38A short, poorly written and wholy inaccurate history of United kits would be a better title.
What significance does the year 1892 have? Newton Heath were formed in 1878!
After the change of name in 1902 they wore home kits of red shirts, white shorts and black socks until 1922 when they wore white home shirts with red diamonds over the shoulders until switching back to red in 1927. Blue stripes were away colours and they never, ever wore red stripes.
The only shirts to feature “Wembley emblems” were those worn at Wembley in cup finals. Regular match shirts did not have any badges until 1972.
What exactly were the “loose and ugly colors” worn in the 70′s? United continued to wear their traditional red home kits, white away and blue third kits (although there was one breif period of tellow and blue third kits).
There was never a “large Adidas advertisement” on the shirts, the first sponsor was Sharp, and it was actually Liverpool who “changed the sponsorship of clubs forever” when they signed a shirt sponsorship deal with Hitachi several years earlier.
Some research before writing is always a good start.
March 4th, 2010 @ 14:26