A two-for-one today, illustrating the contrasting nature of consecutive seasons.
We’ve already looked at Celtic and Hibernian before and how change kits weren’t always suitable, and this is a follow-on on that theme.
For 2000-01, Hibernian – despite knowing that Celtic were the only team they really clashed with – brought out an away kit of white shirts and green shorts. So it was that when they pitched up at Parkhead in October of that season, it was Celtic who were asked to change.
Hibs were allowed to wear their home shirts and shorts with their away socks – though they would soon supersede the green set as first-choice (thanks to David Reynolds for that info).
It was the same match-up at Easter Road in December but when they met again in Glasgow in February 2001, Hibs were once again permitted to wear their home kit rather than coming up with a third or both sides wearing their aways.
It meant that their four league meetings that season were the same visually and maybe there was an agreement on Celtic’s part, but when the clubs reached the Scottish Cup final, both changed, as per the rules which still pertain today, even if not always enforced.
Not that it mattered to Celtic as a 3-0 win secured the double.
Perhaps there was an element of devilment when Celtic decided to have a white change shirt for 2001-02.
They were away to Hibs early in the season but, unlike 2000-01, it wasn’t the case that Hibs changed and Celtic wore their home – instead, like the cup final, both changed, with Hibs in their new purple kit (we’ve kept Celtic on the left for consistency).
The meeting at Celtic Park in December 2001 was the easiest meeting of the sides to administer, Celtic in hoops and Hibs in purple.
There were just three meetings that season and the third was in Edinburgh in February 2002. Instead of purple v white as in August, this time Celtic were told to don their 2000-01 away kit again – the only difference to the four games that season was that they now had the champions’ patches applied too.
Hibs had the subtlest of changes – their socks now featured the LCS logo rather than the wordmark.
That season seems to have set the tone for the occasions when either club has unsuitable away shirts – in 2010-11, Hibs repurposed their black goalkeeper tops as a third, while this season has seen Celtic have to wear their pink kit from 2016-17 as a fourth kit, with all three options for the current campaign considered to clash with Hibs.
