My Top Ten Favourite Arsenal Kits – What’s yours?

So, let’s be honest the new Arsenal kit launch could not have gone better for all parties. On the day of the first release there were talks of not buying any shirts as a way of protesting against Stan Kroenke. A month later sales have been so good that Adidas are ready to release a 4th kit.

The idea that Arsenal have already been paid hence it doesn’t matter how much merchandise is brought is a myth. The more money they make, the more Mr. Adidas is willing to offer when it’s time to renew the contract. Alternatively, if the product wasn’t shifting, you’re going to struggle to find a company willing to hand over 300 million.

Since I watched football though, I have rarely heard gooners so impressed by a manufacturer’s work, to the point I think they would be angry if we changed sponsors in the immediate future. Now this list will be subjective, no right and wrong (not including the latest kit)…

A lot might depend on your age and of course how successful the team were at the time. Some like to keep things simple yet there’s nothing worse than feeling obliged to cash out your money on the same red shirt you owned for 12 months, where the only difference might be a line.

I should stress Puma will not feature as I didn’t have the body building physique, they were clearly marketed for. I know you can buy the version which isn’t as tight but sorry I don’t pay 60 pounds to remind myself I’m not as fit as I used to be.

Okay I know some don’t like when our kits abandon tradition, but sometimes it can get boring when shirts look exactly the same. Plus a few years without wearing yellow you appreciate it more when it returns. Whisper it quietly, I didn’t actually buy this shirt but instead spent more on a fleece which I still wear to this day. The colour scheme seemed popular with those who didn’t know without seeing the canyon it was football themed, always a good sign

 

Some shirts just look really good on the players, but don’t quite work for us modern folk. I like my arms in long sleeves, so this always felt like a comfy pajama top rather then something I could kick a ball around in. I added the gloves but really wasn’t skillful enough to pull it off.

 

 

I know some instincts where it was white and therefore just not a colour you associate with Arsenal. Yet all of that is taken away by the cranberry collar, sleeves and shorts making this a trendy shirt more then just a decent footie shirt. Maybe it’s what age you were at the time, but this was the first football shirt I owned which girls thought looked smart, so …. I guess…

 

Is it me or did Football go through a phase where they wanted shirts to be smart as much as on the pitch but also something you could wear casually? Quite a comfy fit with an original badge to celebrate our anniversary, perhaps doesn’t get enough credit for a really poor squad who had to wear it. I’m still trying to work out how we got in the top 4 that year.

 

 

 

 

 

Sometime less is more. There’s something classic about modern day doing retro and here’s an example. They haven’t played around by adding a blue or grey stripe, simply bright, yellow, bright blue, stripe socks, iconic Arsenal.

 

 

 

 

Now this was yellow, as yellow as you can be. So yellow you were self-conscious nipping to your corner shop because to non-football fans you were just wearing a really yellow shirt and not many of us can pull it off. Again, though it’s iconic and one of the final times we stuck with the baggy color. Plus, if my electric meter ran out of money, I still had light!

 

For no other reason then the first shirt I was brought as a child. I’m sure we all have that memory which would be nice to share in the comments…

 

 

 

 

The first time I saw Arsenal be original without going over the top, fitting the red and blue in. Okay let’s be honest, to wear gold you need to have the right team to pull it off. Gold doesn’t work if your finishing 10th in the League.

 

 

 

So, there’s only so much you can do to your home shirt as we are associated with red and white. If your going to do it make it basic, red shirt, white sleeves, sponsors. Don’t change the collar or add a stripe just to sell a new version. If I had to pick one, of course I’m going to pick the one worn by our greatest ever side.

 

Will divide opinion as some will insist our home kit always be red and white while others will appreciate the originality. It was never important to me to have the names and numbers on the back but Henry was my exception. I have to say the gold lettering over the Cranberry was stunning. As I got older, it’s the one kit I never throw out as it reminds me of happier times.

 

Henry, Highbury …… you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone, I guess ….

Be nice in the comments

Dan Smith

44 Comments

  1. Honestly I never cared much about kits. I would say my favourite would be the Invincibles kits because of the Invincibles not the kit lol.

    As long as we win, I honestly don’t care what we wear

  2. My favourites – first shirt back in 98 (with Petit on the back)
    Still wear the purple away, it reminds me of Podolski
    Have to agree with you, Dan.. the cranberry/gold lettering shirt really is lush!

  3. The 12/14 home kit one of my favs. 13/14 yellow kit also up there. Puma, none of them. Any kit that Henry wore.

  4. Sorry, off topic but im in Devon next weekend and dont want to miss the game. Anyone know a family feiendly pub i can watch the match and grab sone food? I will be in Totnes. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Cheers Gooners

  5. Look for the Scouse supporters in Totnes and follow them after 5pm.You will recognise them as they all wear dodgy shell suits,have a moustache,curly hair and say “calm down calm down” a lot.They will likely be carrying car radios and a set of wheels.Dont for God’s sake give them your car keys to look after.
    And they will all have Devon accents and the furthest they have been in their lives is Exeter ( most likely the prison for a six month “ holiday” curtesy of HM ).
    Other than that can’t help you I’m afraid.

  6. 1……70s umbro (varous) home.
    2……bruised banana.
    3……1989 away 26/5 micky t.
    4……1989 home
    5…..1982 umbro away green/blue.
    6……1994 away blue nike.
    7……this years adidas about time
    8….. away 1971 cup final.
    9….. umbro away 1979 cup final.
    10…. adidas 1990 home.

  7. I like the new home one and any home kit from around the `69 to `82…………….also having muscles and abs I like the PUMA 2014-15 home shirt…………away kits, 1958-60………..Nike 2013-14……….PUMA 2014-15 ( another muscle one 😆 )

  8. Glad Leicester scored… thought they were going to nick it at the end, but 1 point is better than nowt!
    Thought their kit was absolutely vile!

          1. Haha cheeky woman ? sheff utd are flying and Zaha looks lost ? I think I’m food poisoned was sick all morning and feel rough as hell tonight ?

          2. Bless him, he did. I only tuned in to see how he got on..didn’t have a great game.. is some of that down to the fact he doesn’t want to be there? Or were SU just too good?!!
            Oh no ? that ain’t good, Kev… what ya been munching on? I bet Leicester’s kit didn’t help!!

          3. No idea Sue but Palace are insane to think he’s worth 80-100 mil he’s a 25 mil player in my eyes ? it’s his own fault really signing a 5 year contract with a mediocre team ? bloody Chinese yesterday and woke up at 9 this morning just knew I was gonna ? just been on orange juice and water all day.. haha yeah that kit doesn’t help ?

          4. Yep, 40m would have been more than enough for him!
            He still has till 2 Sept to hope a team come in for him! Sanchez off to Inter??
            Oh dear, Kev… not good.. I do sympathise, nothing worse than that happening ? hopefully Wolves beating United tomorrow will make you feel so much better!

          5. Wow they paying his bloated wage pack ? Yeah but nobody is going to pay silly money for him Sue, Chelsea might next summer ? thanks Sue yeah it’s horrible no doubt about that just lying in the dark now watching euro goals and chatting to you, Ramsey made his debut for Juve in a friendly ? oh please let wolves win, those deluded utd fans think martial is now better than Aubameyang ?

          6. It might be a loan.. but then it might not happen!
            Aww, poor you ? I saw on Sky earlier, that Ibra is still scoring.. but then so is Vela, he broke the record for most combined goals/assists.. but then you probs already knew that ? yeah I saw Rambo came on for Juve.. will he start next week??
            Ha well hopefully Jota will see to that ?

          7. Well utd will have to pay a portion of his wages I think after image rights he’s on 500 grand a week ? did you hear about him stalking a woman ? Lol. Yeah I saw he scored for galaxy last night was it ? Doesn’t Vela play for Orlando ? He might well do Sue your gonna be tuned into serie A now ? or Cutrone ?

          8. No it’s the other LA isn’t it, it’s Nani who plays for Orlando.. I heard cavani will head to Beckham’s new toy football team Inter Miami ?

          9. Sanchez stalking a woman??
            Vela plays for LAFC.. I saw Becks is interested in Cavani for his new Miami team!
            Ha I’m gonna have to have a look ?
            Hell..I’d even have Nuno score ??

          10. Yeah he was begging her to go back to his house she refused and he was like I’m Alexis Sanchez you must ? espirito Santo ? ? A look at what ? Haha yes of course ?

          11. Jeez what an idiot!! I bet he even used the don’t you know who I am line!!
            Yes Espirito Santo.. I’d even chant Nuno at the TV!!
            Look at Serie A! More football to watch ?

          12. She is a Chilean model and he’s like 4 feet tall ? haha yeah Sue he probably did ? that’s quite the beard he has isn’t it ?? I think Ceballos is a much better talent than Ramsey is Sue so doubt we’ll miss him and his stupid flicks ?

          13. I like a stupid flick ? I’m just intrigued about how he does, in a new league!
            Quite the beard, hey? You gonna model yours on it?!
            4 feet tall ? love it, Kev

          14. Oh Sue he used to frustrate the hell out of me ? hahaha no beard now just a soul patch ? he’ll do ok Sue serie A is a much slower league ? hobbitish isn’t he ?

          15. Soul patch, tufty however you want to call it ? doing my best Billy Bob Thornton impression ? haha I’m trying Sue ? he’s becoming part of the furniture at BBC isn’t he Sue ? he didn’t slag us off yesterday an absolute first ?

          16. He had a face like a smacked arse tonight.. but isn’t that just the norm?!!
            Right well it’s that time, Kev. Take it easy & I hope you’re feeling much better tomorrow! Goodnight Kevin, sleep well ????

          17. That is the norm ??? thank you Sue I hope so ? that’s my line ? goodnight to you too and sleep well Sue cmon the Wolves ? ??????

  9. The worldly wise among us, which usually means we older ones, though not always, recognise the whole marketing of kit as one money making corporate multi million dollar money spinning enterprise that all clubs and most players are fully complicit in promoting. And the reason? Why, none other than lolly, loads of lolly , paid BY fans and parents of fans to go, indirectly into the vast and deep lined pockets of greedy players, even more greedy agents and which is a sickness that has turned what was once a decent sport , into a vast money making enterprise to con good folk.. This sick enterprise is a giant con which the vast majority of non worldly wise innocents easily fall prey unto. Money it is said is the root of all evil. Wrong! It is the obscene love for more and yet more money that is actually the true root of all evil We all need money to survive and pay bills. No one needs the sick and obscene amount of money paid to the likes of Sanchez, Ozil, Pogba and indeed ALL established Prem players. This money is, albeit legally,”stolen” from the honest pockets of mostly hard working but naive(in various degrees) folk who love footballand who kid themselves it is still a sport. It is a sickness, a con and a sort of Robin Hood in reverse . That is why we all, myself included, are hypocrites on a grand scale, who accept this. THOSE,LIKE MYSELF, WHO ARE WORLDLY WISE AND THEREFORE FULLY AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AND YET STILL ACCEPT IT, BY WATCHING FOOTBALL AND SUPPORTING A PREM TEAM, ARE THE VERY WORST HYPOCRITES OF ALL! Weep!

    1. @Jon fox
      You have ,dear Jon,a leftist way of seeing things…none is “stolen”as long as you get a counterpart(kits jour happy to wear/a good spectacle) for your money .The more the game become spectaculare the more it attracts followers worldwide the more
      The actors (Ozil and Pogba) Gets benifits….Dont forget clubs have employées; players have a very short career so they are understandably very demanding in termes of wages….

      1. Pires, You are quite wrong to think I am left wing. I HAVE NO TIME AT ALL FOR CORBYN AND HIS FOOLISH BUNCH OF MARXISTS. I scorn this naive and childlike life philosophy in fact. I believe in capitalism but in FAIR capitalism, which in many top football matters is in short supply. I believe in government intervening to stop unfair capitalism from cheating and bullying ordinary people. I am in fact a classic liberal in most things but have no time either for the falsely named Lib Dems who are, IMO, neither liberal nor democratic. I am not right wing either, not in the slightest. I prize above all, truth, honesty, equality of opportunity for all, inclusivity, diversity and fairness. Those are the mark of a true liberal. Most younger people have little idea, IMO, what true liberalism actually is and what it involves. Any freedom for the individual which harms much of society is profoundly illiberal,and not liberal at all, as the foolish so called Lib Dems believe. I also dislike false labels for people which so often hide the actual truth in life.
        Kit and constant changes is to my mind a giant con, , designed to enrich the elite and impoverish the many who blindly follow this kit mania, which is a sort of mass madness based on wrong human values.

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