The football shirt is seen by many as another way for football clubs to fleece supporters out of their hard-earned money. Whilst the constant changing of kits every season makes for an expensive outlay, the shirt is still a way of supporters to display their pride and love for their team.
Manchester United have had plenty of kits over the years, their first one being the famous green and gold strip in 1878 whilst under their previous moniker of Newton Heath. In 1902, the shirt changed to red to go with the new name. The colour red has remained ever since, with a few variants along the way such as the white shirt with a red ‘v’ across the front worn in the 1909 FA Cup final and again in the early 1920s.
For many years, it was only in a cup final that a crest appeared on the shirt, but the first kit to contain an embroidered badge that resembled the modern-day crest was on the 1972 home kit. As the game modernised, and became more commercial, kit suppliers and then sponsors appeared on the shirts. Umbro made the shirts from the 1950s but the first supplier to appear was Admiral in January 1976. It wasn’t until 1982 that a sponsor adorned the front of the shirt, ‘Sharp Electronics’ being the first.
Of course there have been a wide variety of away kits. From blue-and-white vertical stripes in the early years, through brown-and-white horizontal stripes in the 1930s to the gold and white reversible kit that represented the 100th anniversary of the club’s name for the 2001/02 campaign.
Choosing the best five kits in the long history of Manchester United is quite a difficult challenge. Some strips you enjoy more through association rather than the quality of the design. I’m hardly an expert when it comes to fashion and an example is a personal favourite of mine. The blue-and-white striped kit, with the names of previous players as part of the fabric, to many is an abomination of design but for me it represents my first ever United kit.
After much deliberation, here is the top five Manchester United kits ever.
5. 2007-2009 Home Kit
As I previously mentioned, the quality of a kit often coincides with the achievements of the team on the pitch. The 2007-2009 effort from Nike, the last home shirt to be in use for more than a single season, was a very simple kit and you don’t get the impression that it took too long to design. But in its simplicity was its brilliance. It was probably in what happened whilst United were wearing that strip, that causes such a warm feeling towards it. A glorious European and Premier League double in 2007/08 and matching Liverpool’s long-standing record of eighteen league titles in 2008/09, this shirt was worn by one of Ferguson and Manchester United’s greatest ever sides.
A certain Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed his finest time at United in that shirt as well.
4. 1997-2000 European Kit
This effort was worn during one of, if not the, finest night in Manchester United’s history. With the United crest on a gold background, with one star representing the 1968 European Cup triumph, this shirt saw many wonderful Champions League nights. And of course the best was saved for that night in Barcelona in May 1999. The late, late goals by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ensure this kit will always have a special place in the hearts of United supporters.
3. 1968 European Cup Final Kit
United had worn a blue strip back in the early 1940s and most famously in the 1948 FA Cup final win, when Johnny Carey finally lifted the great trophy. It had also been used a third kit in the late sixties which explains the choice of it for the 1968 European Cup final. The night where Sir Matt Busby laid the ghost of Munich to rest and finally reached the destination of European champions after a long and painful journey. The rich, dark blue kit will always be remembered for that game, whether it was George Best racing through to smash United into the lead during extra time, Bobby Charlton fighting exhaustion to lift the cup or the players surrounding a tearful Sir Matt Busby at the end.
2. 1993-1995 Away Kit
Whilst the other kits that have made the top five are synonymous with glorious nights in the club’s history, this black away shirt is reminiscent of quite a bizarre and outrageous moment in recent years. The shirt will be forever remembered for Eric Cantona’s Kung Fu kick on an abusive fan at Selhurst Park in 1995. The kit symbolises a darker side to that particular United team containing the likes of Mark Hughes, Steve Bruce and of course Cantona. That team was one of fighters and drove the club to a first league title in 1993. The shirt is also the one which resembles King Eric, arguably the finest player to grace the Premier League. Who can forget the collar upturned as Cantona graced the pitch with a nonchalant arrogance befitting a player of his stature.
1. 1958 FA Cup Final Kit
The difficult decision of choosing the best ever Manchester United kit took plenty of consideration but eventually the answer was clear. The 1958 FA Cup final shirt symbolises everything that is great about Manchester United and why it is the biggest football club on the planet. The kit is a very simple one, red with a white v-neck collar, but it is in the badge that the true beauty of the shirt lies. The golden phoenix is different to the usual emblem of the city that was typically worn in cup finals back in the 1950s. This phoenix however signifies the spirit of Manchester United. The spirit of never-giving-up no matter the circumstances, even those as tragic as the events of Munich 1958. The fact that United were still playing, still surviving as a football club, is a testament to the strength and togetherness of the club. The club fought on, determined to honour the memory of those lost, and miraculously they reached the FA Cup final in that same year. The result of the final didn’t really matter, that United were there at all was a miracle. The phoenix had risen from the ashes. Manchester United would go on.
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Now that you’ve read this, you may be interested in looking at our Top 5 picks for the worst kits United have ever had
