I know – there is a possibility that there are too many series running on this site – Fantasy Kit Friday, Midweek Mashup and Cold War Classics, to name just three, but there’s always room for another.
This one is focused on when sides met each other on three or more occasions in the one season, with one or both wearing three different kits. The first instance is one of the rare examples when both had three, the meetings of Sheffield Wednesday and Wimbledon in 1993-94.
What makes it somewhat ironic is that the sides’ home kits would probably have functioned well enough against each other – after all, Wednesday’s own away kit this season was all-black with yellow pinstripes.
The sides met at Hillsborough in October 1993, with Wednesday in their home kit and Wimbledon in their all-red change kit – it’s hard to know which was their second strip and which was their third, but in any case the white couldn’t have been used here. The game finished 2-2.
The clubs’ next two clashes came within a few days of each other in January 1994. The Coca-Cola Cup fifth-round draw paired the sides, with Wimbledon at home on January 11 (I’ve kept Wednesday on the left here for comparison purposes).
Having changed from Admiral to Ribero in the summer of 1993, Wimbledon also switched colour, going from royal blue to navy. However, while officials in the new Premier League wore green shirts rather than the traditional black, they remained in black in the domestic cup competitions and clubs were not allowed to clash with them.
In February of 1994, Wimbledon would opt for the red at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup, possibly just to force United to change, but in this game they decided to go with their white kit.
That meant Wednesday couldn’t wear their home, and obviously the black away was out too. In September, they had worn white with black pinstripes at Newcastle in the league – meaning Newcastle had to wear blue at home – but that wasn’t an option either. Yellow shirts and shorts were worn with the away socks, as they had been at Bolton Wanderers in an earlier round. The Owls won 2-1.
Just four days later, the sides met again at Selhurst in the Premiership, but visually it was a totally different match-up.
Wimbledon were in their customary navy, which would have clashed with the Wednesday away. Instead of the yellow though, they wore the white and black – which would seem to make that the third shirt, with the yellow classed as the fourth-choice.
The away shorts and socks were used, despite clashing with the Wimbledon elements, as the Dons got revenge, winning 2-1.
The following season, Wednesday just went for the easier option of having a yellow away shirt.
Can never have too mamy series!
… nor too many.
Was very annoying back then for me as a Wednesday fan and collector of all their shirts back then as neither the yellow shirt and white shirt went on general sale!!
I feel your pain Mark – it could be that Robbie at http://www.wednesdayshirtcollection.com (http://www.twitter.com/wednesdayshirts) has the only existing copies!
the official EPL sticker album by Panini from that year lists white with black shorts as the dons primary away kit if that helps
and as a fan ….if i remember correctly …for Wednesday the yellow was the third kit with its own dedicated pair of shorts (that could be used with the black and gold but i dont think ever was)
as the white was actually technically a mash up (using the third shorts vs Newcastle and the Away ones vs The Dons)
neither kits had their own dedicated socks though, both using the away ones
this is all just from memory however, i could be wrong of course but thats my take
I seem to remember that Wednesday played in Bolton’s third shirt when they played in the league cup. It was a yellow top. The reason why was the clash with the black referee top. Wednesday bought their black away kit without realising the Football League referees still wore black.
You’re right Jon – https://museumofjerseys.com/2018/07/22/season-in-kits-sheffield-wednesday-1993-94/