Manchester United Football Club is a football club in England that currently plays in the “Top Flight” Premier League. The club has been managed by Sir Alex Ferguson since 1986 and are one of the most successful clubs in the world. They currently boast more than 300 million fans worldwide or one in twenty of the world’s population. They are also the richest football club in the world valued at almost 900 million pounds. During the club’s long and rich history, many notable players have worn the famous strip which can trace its origins back when Manchester United were known as Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club.
When the club went under the Newton Heath moniker, the shirts were constructed of yellow and green panels – 1892), and looked a bit like a jockey’s silks. Some additional colour schemes were also employed such as a red and white shirt (1892-1894) paired with blue shorts. This all changed in 1902 when the club changed its name to Manchester United, the club radically altered the kit colours to red shirts, white shorts and black socks. The red, white and black scheme has been used for the home strip ever since. The away strip is white jerseys, black shorts and white socks however different looks to this strip have existed. The most notorious of these was the all-grey strip employed in the 1995-1996 campaign. The club did not win a single game when sporting the grey shirts. The team were vociferous in their claims that the drab colour meant they had difficulty seeing their team-mates, hence passes were being sprayed all over the pitch! Another variation was the all-black kit used in 1994 and 2003. There is also a “Third Strip”. This shirt which is not often used, is an homage to the kit worn when the club won the 1968 European Cup. The team has occasionally used the strips employed for training sessions in actual matches although this has been a rare occurance.
For home games this season, the shirt in use is the traditional red with some alterations such as the vertical white stripe running down the back. A patch with the words “The Red Devils” on a picture of the club’s famous devil mascot is sewn onto to the bottom-left of the jersey. By contrast, the away shirt in use today is white with blue piping at the edges. It has red trim on the neck and the club emblem is on a white background on the left breast. The team logo is on a white shield on the left breast. The emblem has been altered through the years but was originally designed based on the crest of the City of Manchester. One day Matt Busby was watching a local rugby team in Salford and was impressed by their flair and adventure on the pitch. When he discovered their nickname was “The Red Devils” he decided to attach it to his Manchester United team.
Hopefully this article has given an informative insight into the history of the Manchester United Shirt, and should you be asked on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” for the colour scheme of the Newton Railways Club shirt, you won’t need to phone a friend!
Patrick Attlee is a football / soccer fan writing extensively on the Beautiful Game. His main area of focus is on the histories of the big clubs in England. You can find out more about the Manchester United Shirt at => http://www.manchester-united-shirt.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Attlee
Author: Patrick Attlee
Mail this post
Recent Comments