Pies’ Top 10 Favourite Umbro Football Kits

Chris Wright

30th, April 2015

15 Comments

By Chris Wright

With the news today that Umbro are wading in and taking over West Ham’s kit duties for the next five years, Pies thought we’d take a shufty at some of the very finest togs they’ve knocked out over the years.

10. Newcastle away, 1983-85

Silvery, sleek and positively reeking of the mid-1980s, even the kitschy badge can’t stop this Newcastle shirt from looking the dog’s danglies…

newcastle-83-85-away

9. Napoli home, 1993

A blue million miles. The post-Maradona Napoli team of that era was hardly vintage, but by ‘eck did they dress well…

Just for the record, the corresponding away shirt didn’t look too shabby either.

8. Lille OSC third, 2012-13

Hands up, we’re complete suckers for an all-black strip here at Pies and this subtle little Gallic number don’t half rev our engine…

Lille-Third-Kit-12-13

7. West Brom home, 1977-81

Cool, simple, elegant and the perfect vehicle for Cyrille Regis’ rippling thighs…

wba-1977

6. Scotland away, 1982-85

Never have the Auld Enemy looked quite so dashing…

scotland-away82

5. Ajax home, 1994-95

While we’re sure the navy blue away shirt holds more nostalgic sway with Ajax fans seeing as they actually won the Champions League while wearing it, the home strip was the well-worn Ajax template done to perfection…

ajax-umbro95

4. Inter Milan home, 1995-96

The Nerazzuri in its elemental form. Still stunning to this day…

inter-1995

3. England home, 1988

Narrowly pipping the Italia ’90 away shirt (the red one) past the post as our favourite Umbro England kit, this svelte little number from 1988 with the asymmetrical cuffs is a mainstay in our Top 5 favourite football shirts of all time.

It was made from a revolutionary miracle fabric called ‘Tactel’ which was basically just a fancy word for “shiny polyester”…

england-home-1988

2. Brazil home, 1992-94

Perfect. Just perfect…

brazil1

1. Nottingham Forest home, 1992-4

Did you expect anything other? Without a shadow of a doubt, the 92/94 Forest shirt (the Shipstones version, not the ever-so-slightly inferior Labbatts-sponsored one) is my favourite football shirt ever made. Nothing else comes close.

If you’re interested in find out why, then please step this way.

Forest92

Well, what do you make of all that noise then Pies fans?

Any other fine Umbro efforts (either modern day or classic) that you’d like to pay homage to? Let us know in the comments below…

Posted in Featured, Kits & fashion, Newsnow, Photos, Top 10s & lists

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15 Comments

  1. RJ says:

    Speaking of all-black strips, I love Everton’s third kit this year. Simple.

  2. James Taylor says:

    I preferred 86 and 90 to England’s 88 shirt. I own that 92 Brazil kit but it’s very much of its time. I think Umbro kits were really iffy for a long time, but the recent shirts have been beautiful, especially the South American clubs, like Universitario and Nacional. I just got this a couple of days ago: https://instagram.com/p/2EdkofmHiu/

  3. Dick van Kundt says:

    come on! No Spurs ’93 kit? Sponsored by Holsten and all!

    P.S. that castle shirt is shite

  4. Deano says:

    England’s ’98 away kit, that wonderful maroon kit with the watermark was superb and Everton’s simple black 3rd is also quite wonderful as was their home kit from ’87 though the replica ruined it somewhat with the tiny sponsor badge which just looked out of place.

  5. jdp says:

    Stateside in the early 90s (pre WC 94), finding a replica shirt was neigh on impossible. One day, in a small soccer shop in southwest Florida I came across Umbro’s seminal Spurs yellow (away kit in those days, nobody had three strips) Holsten shirt with the blue collar. i’d never seen anything like it. I bought it and it started my collection of Umbro shirts which included mid 90s Inter away (white with a perfect blue/black sash) and a very under rated FC Bologna away (white with a sublime red/blue stripe).

  6. oldmangroom says:

    Any of the recent Peru national shirts or the latest Universitario away shirt. Simplicity and class combined.

  7. JMA says:

    The United home shirt from 1999. The little zip on the collar, the classic Umbro diamonds on the sleeve, the fact they won the Treble in it. (The Champions League shirt for that season was tasty too)

    Lovely stuff.

  8. My Top 10, in no particular order:

    1) 2009/10 England home shirt
    2) & 3) 1980/81 Aston Villa home and away shirts
    4) 1992/94 Manchester Utd home shirt
    5) 1990/93 Aston Villa away shirt
    6) 2010 England away shirt
    7) 1986 England home shirt
    8) 1990 England home shirt
    9) 1995/97 Manchester City home shirt
    10 1995/97 Chelsea home shirt

  9. Jarren says:

    Can’t go wrong with the Ajax home kit, agree on that.

    Even if I do get shouts of “ARSENAL ARE SHITE” when walking down the street.

  10. Timothy says:

    Great list. Umbro always make the classiest and most elegant kits. Peru’s National Team kits of recent years have been one of the most beautiful kits I have seen for a while.

  11. Dumbo says:

    Chris you have shitty taste

  12. Chris says:

    Guys, guys…you missed Man Utd 94-96. Crazy ass strip.

    BTW the england italia 90 qualifier strip is numero uno for me. Classy and fun at the same time…propelled the lads into the semi’s (and they should’ve won it).

  13. Chris says:

    Oh and the scotland strip at mexico 86…alot of retro sheek on show at that tourney!

  14. PetrovskyKSC says:

    Inter Milan 96/97 is a complete stunner.

  15. Chris says:

    Sheffield Wednesday 1993 – with Chris Waddle to boot…its a winner!

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