Back In Time: Manchester United

Following our first “Back in Time” article featuring the kits of Premier League Champions, Manchester City, we move our attention to their biggest rivals, Manchester United.

Best 3 Home

1980-1982

This kit is the definition of old school class that we see modern brands today (Umbro in particular) try to replicate. This kit for the 1980′s looks great, and it doesn’t have any obnoxious prints on it. People who remember watching Manchester United in the 70′s and 80′s will remember this template as they wore it for over 10 years, first with a no name brand producing it in 1971 then to Admiral in 76 and eventually this one by adidas in the 80′s.

1990-1992

Originally this kit was not in my top 3, and the picture unfortunately is missing my favorite part of the jersey, the lace that makes up the collar. The reason I chose it was because of the lace which is not only a cool addition to the kit but something we have not seen in a very long time (although we may be mistaken, post a comment in the section below if we are!)

2000-2002

Lastly, am I huge fan of this Umbro kit, one because it simply looks great, and two because it was the first football kit I ever owned, with Beckham’s number 7 at the back. The kit also successfully blended a great modern look, with a touch of old school class, something that I absolutely loved about it.

 

Worst 3 Home

1996-1998

This has to be one of the worst home kits I have ever seen, nothing about it is really that attractive. The design on the sleeves is dreadful, not to mention the design of the collar, and the big patch on the left side of the kit with the huge Manchester United logo print is also pretty unnecessary.

1998-2000

This kit wouldn’t be all that bad if it were not for the stripes on the sleeves. From first glance, it almost seems like Umbro tried to incorporate the Adidas’ three stripe design into this kit, but it definitely didn’t work all that well – probably one of the reasons why we don’t see it on any of its other kits.

2006-2007

Our last home kit for this weekends post is one of the more recent ones from the 2006-2007 season. I’m sure there are a bunch of people who like this kit, but I’m not one of them. It does not look like a Manchester United kit, especially because of the crest that the logo sits in.  The gold accents on the kit also look a bit strange and are completely different from the kits prior to it.

Best 3 Away/Third Kits

1978

Our oldest kit for this Back In Time post dates back 34 years! Overall it is a cool looking design and not one that you think was designed over then 34 years ago. We reckon that this would be a great kit for Nike to remake as a nod to the old design, and would please United fans as this kit brings many of them fond memories.

 

1999-2001

This was one of the picks of the top 3 away kits as it is a unique away kit when you look back at United’s past. This was the first ever gray kit United wore without any red on it. Not to mention it was the first time this kind of blue (navy blue) was ever featured on a Manchester United kit along with the away kit in 1999 and the third kit in 2000. Since 2001 was the last time we saw Manchester United wearing this color, we wonder if we will ever see it again…

1982-1984

The third and finally pick goes to United’s Home kit that Adidas made for them for the 1982-1984 seasons. It’s a great looking template in any color as seen with the blue third kit that year which also looked fantastic! If you were to put Adidas’ new logo and United’s new sponsorship logo on the kit and alter the fit, it would not look outdated at all!

Worst 3 Away/Third Kits

1990-1992

The worst away kits are my favorite part of the Back In Time posts as you really see some shocking designs and you wonder ‘what were they designers thinking?’. This United kit is no exception. The pattern is terrible, it does not look like a Manchester United kit at all and most importantly there is no way I would ever buy it! Does anyone think this is a good looking kit?!

 

1992-1994

These colors were first worn by Newton Heath, Manchester United’s founding club, and even so, is no reason to make one of the ugliest strips of all time. Everything about it is terrible, the colors, the shiny material and the pattern covering the kit. Not even the laces, which I’m quite a big fan of with the 1990-1992 home kit, could save this one.

1995-1996

This next kit is definitely a contendor with the previous kit for one of the worst of all time. I mean seriously, those patterns were made for suits, rugs or carpets, not for playing football in! Is there anymore we can say about this absolute shambles of a kit?

Hope you enjoyed our special on Manchester United. Be sure to check back next week as we delve into Arsenal’s kit history! What other teams would you like to see us feature? Leave a comment in the section below with your suggestions.