SELF MADE BRANDS: WHEN FOOTBALL CLUBS MAKE THEIR OWN KITS

1999/00 Southampton - Saints

 

The saints brought their kit designs in-house after they fell out with previous shirt manufacturers Pony at the end of the 1998 season. They made their own strip from 1999 to 2008 and again for the 2014/15 season after failing to agree terms with the German sportswear giants, Adidas.

 

 

2013/14 - AS Roma

 

 

Roma spent a brief one season stint creating their own shirts. Though we have no gripes with how they look, we do have an issue with how they hold up, it is incredibly rare to find one of these in good nick! If you have one, look after it and avoid washing it at all costs. 

Shop Roma Shirts Here

 

 

2001/02 - Racing Santander

 

 

One of the few examples of when bringing kit designing into the clubs control backfires. This 2001/02 effort from Racing Santander looks much more like a rugby shirt than a football shirt.

 

 

1998/99 Perugia - Galex

 

 

Galex was a brand created by the eldest son of then Perugia owner, Luciano Gaucci. Alessandro, would build his brand in the spotlight of the Serie A, worn by the likes of Hidetoshi Nakata, they would go on to produce shirts for other Italian clubs; Ascoli and Catania, up until the Gaucci Group went bankrupt in 2006.

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2001/02 Athletic Bilbao - Athletic Club

 

 

Athletic Club spent 8 seasons producing their own shirts with their own club name. The above image from the 2001/02 season is our pick of the bunch. 

 

 

2000/01 Fenerbahçe 

 

 

Fenerbahce's inhouse brand name was Fenerium and they wore these shirts for four seasons, from the start 2000/01 to the 2003/04 Turkish Super Lig.

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1994/95 Wimbledon - The Crazy Gang 

 

 

The Crazy Gang wasn't just an attitude or style of play, it was also a fashion statement with Wimbledon donning their infamous nickname on their shirts in the Premier League for the 1994/95 season.

1992/94 Cardiff City - Bluebirds

 

 

Cardiff City shirts were made in house and branded as Bluebirds for two seasons, which is a real shame as both home and away kits were works of art.

 

 

1993/94 Bristol City 

 

 

Bristol City's own brand manufacturer was "Nibor", which to the eagle eyed reader is Robin spelt backwards, a clever play on the clubs nickname. The away shirt was famously worn in a 2-1 away win against Liverpool at Anfield.

 

 

1991/93 Swindon Town - Diamond Leisure

 

 

 

2000/01 Gillingham - Gills Leisure

 

Gillingham have had the longest stint using their own brand on our list. Their shirts have been adorned by Gills Leisure from 1996 to 2005 and again in 2013 up until 2019.

 

 

1996/98 Preston North End - Kit by North End

 

  

Preston made their own kits from 1996 to 2000, before production was taken over by a company called Bloggs.

 

  

2000/01 Coventry City 

 

The 2000/01 kit from the Sky Blue's is a standout example of how to make an own brand football shirt.

 

 

Vasco Da Gama 2001

 

 

 

In 2001, Vasco da Gama spent the season sporting these tidy own brand shirts, worn by Brazilian legend Romario.

Shop All Brazilian Club shirts

 

 

2002/03 Portsmouth - Pompey Sports

 

 

And last but not least is the mixed bag brought to us by Pompey Sports, the above example worn by Paul Merson is a stunner, jump forward to the following two Premier League seasons and they created an interesting template resembling Nike's template of years gone by. 

So, there you have it, these are our top picks for own brand football shirts. Are Barcelona making the correct decision to ditch the big brand and take a seat at the sewing machine themselves? Only time will tell, whatever direction they go, all eyes will be on the Catalan giants. 

 

Shop our Barcelona section here

 

Words by George Brown