Taking a look back at some of the most under appreciated kit makers from yesteryear, how old you are will have a massive influence on how you view this list. Yep, these brands were making kits in a time before “athletic fit” meant anything other than you could wear it while you ran around on the pitch, and performance fabric was what you used to soak up a spilt pint. Big, bold and brash. That’s how it was, and that’s how we liked it.
XL all round, whether you were a 6 foot 4 centre half or a teenage winger. Back when the kit manufacturer game was far more open, far less valuable and with much less rules. Yes, modern kits are far more efficient and performance benefiting, but there's something beautifully nostalgic about bargain branded top flight shirts sponsored by your local brewery. Here are 10 brands that we miss...
PONY
PONY actually stands for Product Of New York, and not, as some of a cockney persuasion may believe, crap. PONY produced kits for the likes of Tottenham, Southampton and West Ham, with that single chevron across the chest being instantly recognisable. Memories of Sheringham for Spurs when you mention PONY kits. Yeah, still a crap name.
FILA
Italian brand FILA were a powerhouse in sports performance in the 90s, and made the step into football kit production, most notably with West Ham and Fiorentina. Now enjoying a revival as part of the sport/fashion crossover, FILA will never again reach the performance heights of that Di Canio scissor kick… Unfortunately for Joe Cole, FILA only produced kits in XXXL. He's till growing into it.
Avec
A name that will be familiar to Crystal Palace fans, Avec produced the Eagles’ kits as recently as 2015. But it was almost two decades before that, with the likes of Sunderland, Hull, Wycombe Wanderers and Sheffield United that Avec graced us with some absolute belters. The definition of retro right there. If you owned an Avec kit you've probably never seen your team win anything.
Matchwinner
In a case of what it hoped would be a “does exactly what it says on the tin” effect, however, often having the opposite effect, Matchwinner win the competition for most inspired brand name on this list. Despite the lack of naming imagination though, the brand were responsible for kits for a whole host of (usually lower league) teams through the mid-80s and early 90s, including Birmingham City, Motherwell, Greenock Morton, Swansea City, Sligo Rovers, Shamrock Rovers, Hull City, Torquay United and Carlisle United. Quite the eclectic list.
Uhlsport
Uhlsport are actually still a huge force in the game, albeit only really for goalkeepers. The German brand’s time as kit supplier to the likes of Inter Milan, Vitesse Arnhem, Hannover and, most recognisably to those of us from these shores, Blackburn Rovers, was short lived, as the brand enjoyed a spell of success in the late 90s to early 00s.
Asics
Having turned its hand more firmly towards the world of running these days, Japanese brand ASICS is no longer a recognised force in football, despite supplying kits for the likes of Blackburn (again, noticing a trend?), Aston Villa and Newcastle. They still make a handful of kits in Japan, as well as maintaining a presence on the boot market.
Reebok
Cue visions of Oleg Salenko slamming home five goals for Russia against Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup with his reebok shirt billowing off his back. Yep, five goals in one game, all while wearing what is essentially a parachute. Still, that unmistakeable over-sized Reebok symbol sitting across the shoulder is one we’d welcome back. Not enough over-sized logos these days.
Bukta
Sounding like something you’d order from your local Indian takeaway, Bukta is actually one of the oldest brands on this list. Founded in 1879 in Stockport, the list of teams that haven’t worn the brand would probably be shorter, with Bukta and Umbro supplying the majority of kits in England before the boom in replica. Notable clubs to have worn the brand include Ajax, Arsenal, Brighton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Derby, Everton, Huddersfield, Leicester, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Watford, West Ham and Wolves. Not bad, that.
Patrick
Hands down the best sports brand to use someone’s first name as its own, Patrick were a veritable force in the footballing world back in the 90s, supplying kits to the likes of West Brom, Shrewsbury, Tranmere and FC St. Pauli. Quite the roster. Jordan can look on with envious eyes...
Admiral
There aren’t many other sportswear brands who have burned so brightly and made such an impact in such a short space of time than Leicester-based firm Admiral. Admiral were big. So big, they even supplied the England National team with its kit (arguably their greatest ever kit) in the early 80s. The company are even widely credited with starting the replica kit market following a successful deal with Leeds.
And that's the list. Honourable mentions have to go out to Topper, Kappa, Lotto, Kelme – famous for making a football boot out of sharkskin as well as its kits – and Le Coq Sportif, all of which provided sterling examples of what we so fondly remember. But, we had to draw the line somewhere, and as most are still active they didn't quite make the cut.
Did we miss any out? Probably...
