Thursday, July 17, 2008

Childhood Football Kit Amnesty

It's that time of the year when lots of new football kits are being released in readiness for the new season, and SPAOTP will be bringing them all to you very, very soon - never fear.

In the meantime, we'd like to conduct a short interactive survey on a not dissimilar topic - that of football kits. More specifically, we'd like to unearth your personal shameful memories on those football kits you wanted to own when you were a kid - the ones belonging to teams other than that which you supported.

The more shameful your secrets are, the more we want to hear them! Did you always want that Man United home strip in 1984 despite being an ardent Liverpool supporter? Was it always your ambition to get your hands on that silver Newcastle away kit even though you were a Sunderland fan?

Step into the SPAOTP confessional and tell us all! We promise to keep your identity secret (if you pay us enough money) and you'll be making the rest of us feel less guilty about those hoped-for (or even paid-for) purchases we had when we were young and carefree.

Speaking personally (as a West Ham fan), I always secretly hoped to get the Norwich City home kit for my birthday or Christmas when I was about eleven years old. Adidas were just starting to bring out their new wave of pinstripe designs, and that yellow and green one worn by The Canaries had a certain 'je ne sais pas' about it to my mind.

Sadly, my local sports shop didn't have it in stock at the time, so I had to make do with my second choice instead - the Liverpool home kit made by Umbro around the same time.

(You can see I had a thing for pinstripes, can't you?)

My parents duly bought it for me with what little money they had at the time, and I felt suitably grateful. The fact that I was arguably showing turncoat tendencies against my beloved West Ham didn't enter my head back then - it was all about wearing a kit that looked resplendent in its 'cutting edge' design.

So there it is - I admit: I once owned and proudly wore a Liverpool home strip back in 1983 despite being an ardent fan of The Hammers. Forgive me, Mooro, for I have sinned.

Care to own up to any of your own fleeting childhood desires (in terms of football kits only, please)? Leave us a comment and get it off your chest - you'll feel a lot better for it…

6 comments:

Chris Paul said...

I used to dry myself with a Livepool towel which my mum bought me for Christmas.

I am an Everton fan.

Anonymous said...

I've never cheated on my team, but my eye did wonder when Toffs brought out a Rangers replica top from the 70's. There was just something about that large badge and the big 'R', 'F' and 'C' in the curly writing which I always found very classy. Thankfully I was heavily overdrawn and Toffs refused my credit card, thus saving me from eternal damnation.

Chrissy said...

I love this Liverpool kit so hard

http://www.uksoccershop.com/images/liverpool_candy.jpg

haha

Chris O said...

Lol... It must be something about Liverpool, I reckon Chrissy!!

Chris c paul - is that a backhanded way of showing your distaste of Liverpool?!?! I suppose Liverpool toilet paper would be better for that, wouldn't it...?

Wow Seb - who'da thought... Rangers, eh? Were it not for poverty, you might have been turned there... ;-)

Anonymous said...

Oh so many sins to divulge.
It started at the age of six when al I wanted was a Coventry City strip to be like my hero Colin Stein, whose number 9 Rangers top hadn't been off my back all year. I got the green and black striped change but the sky blue top was never mine, althought I did have both home and away subbuteo teams!

Later when my new hero Willie Johnston transferred to West Brom,it was their top I wanted, but never got.

I did buy a Northern Ireland (Shiny Adidas, first generation) top in 1980 because England were playing them in a youth international at Carlisle and a subsequent trip to France in 1981 brought me a beautiful pin-striped French top.
Blimey, I have twenty-seven years left to detail and I must have bored most of you by now. Time to stop! Although Cameroon's 1994, 3 striped.....

Chris O said...

Dear me, Flicktokick! When I wrote this article, I didn't think for one moment I'd uncover such scandalous likings for other teams' kits!!!

That green and black Coventry change strip's going back a fair way - early to mid 1970's I'm guessing? And the home shirt would have been all sky blue? I think I'd have liked that myself, actually!!

Funny you mention West Brom - I always quite liked their yellow and green change shirt after seeing John Wile wearing his while nursing a head wound in the opening titles to Match of the Day. You had to be there, I guess...

And the N.Ireland shirt would have been slightly pre-pinstripe, would that be right? And I'm thinking that the French top would have been the one worn in Spain '82? Very nice!

Yes I must admit, you might be a turncoat of the highest order, but you've got good taste, Flicktokick... ;-)

Thanks for sharing that with us!!

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