The England Soccer Kit - A Brief History

First Kit

The England team wore a kit that in terms of colours is not that different from current kit when they played the first international match away to Scotland in Glasgow. The shirt was long sleeved white with the three lions badge, the major difference was that the shorts where much longer and white and the socks blue. The England team played in this kit until 1882 when the shorts changed to blue. The English FA provided the shirts but players need to provide their own shorts and socks.

The England kit reminded in these colours until the outbreak of the First World War, the only change was that of a collar added to the shirt. At this point in time there was no away kit as the teams that England played up until 1908 where Scotland, Wales and Ireland and no clash of kit colours occurred. In 1908 England played their first games against teams from outside of the home countries. On a tour of Austro-Hungary the team played fixtures against Austria, Hungary and Bohemia and again no away kit was required.

First Away Kit

The FA boycotted FIFA and the first two World Cup Finals in Uruguay in 1930 and Italy 1934. They continued to play the home international matches but the need for an away kit did not occur until they faced Austria and Germany in May 1930. The first away kit was not the famous red strip but one with a blue shirt, white shorts and blue socks with white trim. Player numbers where first won on the backs of shirts in a game against Scotland in 1937.

England First World Cup

England entered the Soccer World Cup for the first time in 1950 in Brazil. England qualified as they had topped the home internationals table. Scotland who had finished second where also eligible to play but withdrew as they believed only the Champions of the home internationals should go. Full of hubris the England team where soon brought down to earth when they lost their opening group game 1-0 to the USA. They then lost 1-0 to Spain and where knocked out of the tournament. The away blue shirts where dropped and the next time England required a change of strip the played in red shirts.

World Cup Winners

The England kit stayed basically the same from 1950 until 1970. There where variations in the colour of socks, the shorts where mixed and match depending on the opposition, the team sometimes playing with white shorts or blue or red socks. England played for the first time in a full red kit against Peru in a friendly in May 1962 and against Bulgaria in the World Cup in 1962. Umbro took over making the kit from Bukta in 1965. This was an area of the classic England kit of plain white shirt, blue shorts and white socks with a change kit of red shirts, white shorts and red socks. The 1966 red away kit is part of English iconography as it is the kit that England wore when they beat West Germany 4-2 in the World Cup final at Wembley in 1966.

Post 1966

After England's world win in 1966 there has been no less then 40 different kits released. These have included a sky blue away kit for the world cups in 1970 and 1990. England turned out in a Brazil style away kit for only three games whilst Joe Mercer was caretaker manager in the summer of 1973.

Admiral took over the making of the England Kit in 1974 and it was the first time that a manufactures symbol was added to the kit worn by the players. It was also the first time a licensing deal was paid to the FA allowing Admiral to market replica kits and the era of the modern kit began. Admiral produced one classic kit design with coloured stripes across the top of the home and away kits. These shirts where worn in both the 1980 European Championships in Italy and the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain.

When England hosted the European Championships in 1996 the away kit design was switched from the standard red away shirt to a grey one. It was the grey shirt that the team where wearing when they lost the semi final to Germany.

Since the grey away kit of 1996 the colours of the England kit have reminded static with the home kit white, with blue shorts and white socks and the away kit being red shirts, white shorts and red socks. The changes have been in the trim. The kit from 2005-2007 included a red cross of St George on the shoulder on the home kit and white cross on the away.

The new home kit for 2009 has seen the design scaled back to a minimal feel. The home shirt is plain white with a collar, the England badge, the Umbro symbol and no trim. It is the cleanest shirt design and inspired by the classic design of the kit from the 1960's. Hopefully the kit will bring the team a return to the glory days of 1966.

Tony Heywood (C)

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