In the two decades of the Premier League, there have been some cracking attempts at football kit designs. And also some shocking attempts. It’s all a matter of opinion as to what kits you prefer and what kits you despise.
Here are my top 10 favouite soccer shirts from the last 20 years; bearing in mind I have tried to not use a single club twice in the list.
10. Swansea (11-12)
An all white kit but this effort by Swansea last season deserves its place in my top 10. The black Adidas stripes on the shoulder and the design of the collar give this strip a great look, that combined with the red sponsor means that Swansea’s first effort at a Premier League home kit was a very successful one.
9. Portsmouth (H) 08/09
It’s a rare occasion that a kit is all-blue but Portsmouth’s in 2008/09 was one of these. I particularly like the look of the gold and blue contrast, it gave the Pompey players an extremely polished look in a season they finished 14th in the Premier League.
8. Nottingham Forest (H) 92/93
A fine effort by Nottingham Forest in what was Brian Clough’s final, relegation-doomed season. The thin white stripes complement the red strip nicely and it was extremely suitable for the likes of Roy Keane and Stuart Pearce to terrify opponents in.
7. Newcastle (H) 95/96
Newcastle used this strip for two seasons in the mid-90s in their days of extravagant attacking football under Kevin Keegan. The button up collar was different but it worked and the sponsor was almost a walking symbol of the city itself. A classic kit which I’m sure most Premier League fans will always regard as one of the best.
6. Man Utd (H) 95/96
A classic Man Utd kit which shows their famous stadium in the background of it. Perhaps the best memory of this strip is when Eric Cantona used to turn his collar up with typical flamboyance. Still, trendsetter ‘King Eric’ aside, the white sponsor goes extremely well with the traditional United red.
5. Man City (A) 11/12
City originally mimicked AC Milan’s colours in the late 60s which was a very successful period in their history. They reverted back to that style last season whilst adding a few of their own touches with the black shorts and socks. A very popular kit with the clubs fans and luckily for them they got to see their team win the Premier League title too.
4. Leicester (H) 96/97
It was a stunning period in Leicester City’s history under the management of Martin O’Neill, they won their first silverware in a quarter of a century in this strip. The V-Neck white collar and the red sponsor contrasts very nicely with the traditional blue of the Foxes.
3. Chelsea (A) 03/04
There isn’t much wrong with this effort from Chelsea in 2003/04, the central blue stripe was particularly eye-catching and it was a season to match from the Stamford Bridge club under the authority of new owner Roman Abramovich and Claudio ‘The Tinkerman’ Ranieri. It is a shame that their recent efforts haven’t been up to the same standard.
2. Aston Villa (A) 09/10
After a few years of dull and dark away kits, Aston Villa decided to move from those in the 2009/10 season. This plain white shirt with a simple sponsor logo looked fantastic paired with dark blue shorts. It is a shame the year after they changed back to the old style with an ugly new sponsor but let’s not get too upset about it.
1. Arsenal (H) 05/06
This effort from Arsenal in 2005/06 was a less traditional kit for the Gunners, moving away from their traditional red colour and going for a kit that was blackcurrant. Although this didn’t go down well with the fans for a while, I think this kit had a good and simple look.
It is all a matter of opinion but I think you’d agree that the strips I have chosen are extremely worthy of their place in the top 10. What are your favorite kits are from the last two decades of the Premier League?
However crazy or strange your choices are, I’d like to know!
Follow me on Twitter at @TimSimon90.
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