Recently, our one-off series featured Manchester City’s short-lived 1989-90 third shirt.
With that consigned to the dustbin of history after only one outing, it meant that City were in something of a pickle for their trip to Aston Villa on April 1, 1990.
Generally speaking, referees tended to avoid sleeve-clashes and City changed at Villa Park during the 1980s (though wearing black and red there in 1987 wasn’t very logical, especially as Villa didn’t have solid blue sleeves), but as they had a maroon and white candystriped away shirt in 89-90, which was then superseded by solid maroon, they had no other option but to wear their home shirts.
That in turn presented a shorts-clash, but rather than changing from white to blue as they had done at Nottingham Forest a month earlier, they opted for the away shorts. Presumably it was felt that sky shirts, maroon shorts and navy socks wasn’t a good look, but as Villa had sky blue socks, City donned the away socks too.
The overall look was far from ideal against Villa’s home kit.
If there was any confusion, it didn’t affect City too much as they won 2-1. The following season, a white third shirt was introduced and worn at Villa Park and also away to Crystal Palace.
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