By Andrew Rockall
- This series continues with Spurs – see here for the previous articles
When MOJ asked me to pick my favourite five change kits to coincide with the launch of the new one, I knew it would be difficult: there are just so many to consider.
Tottenham have had an entirely new set of strips – home, away and third – every season since 2004-05 and no design has been the designated the away kit for two consecutive seasons since the Umbro ‘ice-effect’ shirt in the early 1990. That one actually lasted three seasons as the away kit and astonishingly a fourth campaign as the third and so might have made the list on longevity alone, but there is always a memory of West Ham and Arsenal fans suggesting it was bird mess on the right shoulder, which clouds my fondness.
What are Tottenham’s change colours, though? Since World War 2, the breakdown is: navy 30+ seasons, yellow 21, sky blue 11, purple 3. Black and green have made fleeting appearances but there have been seasons where the third kit was used more than the away.
I have only owned two of the shirts I have selected – I had the corresponding home kit of two of the selections and feel too old walk around in modern shirts since I turned 40!
1980-82 away
My first and my personal favourite, this was the change kit when I first fell in love with Tottenham aged six but I’m certain I never saw it in the flesh as I didn’t go to an away game until I was about nine – and that was at Nottingham Forest, where we never changed – but still it’s a thing of simple, silky beauty.
No trim or collar/cuff detail, just a graceful set of navy epaulette-style panels on the shoulders. It received plenty of wear, over 20 times across two seasons and, most famously of all, at Wembley in the 1982 drawn FA Cup final and replay. It wasn’t that rare to see a team win the FA Cup in their away kit – when Tottenham did so in 1982, it was the fourth time in the previous seven finals, but it didn’t happen again until Liverpool in 2001, and not at Wembley until Chelsea defeated Everton in 2009.
These Le Coq Sportif shirts even re-appeared two years later, at the tail end of the 1983-84 season, (now with added sponsor) for the UEFA Cup semi-final in Split and at Lotus Road where Guinness met Holsten for pint or two in Division 1.
1995-96 away/1996-97 third
Purple had been seen in the previous away kit by Umbro but it was very much a secondary colour. Pony elevated it and added navy stripes, something that hadn’t been seen on a Tottenham kit since the late 1950s (if you don’t count shadow stripes!).
The authorities thought it was too dark and would clash with match officials in black (referees still wore black in the FA Cup) so a yellow third strip was used part way through the season. It was worn in wins at Coventry City, Leeds United and QPR but the following season it was ‘relegated’ to third kit and it wasn’t called upon once.
My endearing memories of this kit are a Vic Reeves-inspired thigh-rubbing celebration at Highfield Road and Sam Fox modelling it in publicity photos, a sad indictment of Tottenham under Alan Sugar.
2000-01 away
Navy had often been used as the away colours until the Football League banned it in 1969, due to the similarity with the black outfits worn by match officials.
This was the second change kit by Adidas and we got to see it premiered at White Hart Lane on the final day of the 1999-2000 season against Sunderland, memorable for a wonder goal by Stephen Carr.
The short-sleeved version saw the three stripes on the shoulder fan out to form the cuff trim. Worn with interchangeable home shorts and socks, we saw several permutations which added to its charm. There were only two league wins away from WHL that season, but both were achieved in this shirt.
2006-07 third/cup away
This was a nod to the 1895-98 home kit of chocolate and gold, though that was striped whereas this cult classic was all-brown with cream trim and gold detailing.
Only 1000 limited edition replicas were initially available, and they all sold in the club shop on the day of a prestigious pre-season friendly with Internazionale.
Initially said to be a cup second kit, it was also used in the Premier League as a third strip but was mostly worn in victories around the continent as Tottenham progressed to the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup.
Brown kits always seem to make those ‘worst kit’ lists, something I’ve never understood. I loved it, owned it and still have it – not that it fits, though!
2017-18 away
A return to the tradition of away colours being a reversal of the home strip, this was Nike’s first away kit of what became a deal that will last until at least 2033!
If the marketing spiel is to be believed, the famous cockerel crest was encased in a retro-style shield “to protect it whilst away from White Hart Lane”. Tottenham had moved to Wembley for a season while WHL was demolished and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium built – the following season, the crest was gone and significant delays with the building work meant Tottenham didn’t play at the new stadium until April 2019!
This kit, like the home strip, had navy shorts as first choice but there were a white pair available for European nights too and they were often used, notably on the first day of the season, at St James’ Park.
Maybe its my age, but I still prefer plain shirts with a little trim or collar detail over the outlandish modern designs.
Hi Andy,
Brilliant stuff.
For me though it has to be the powder blue self (or shadow) striped Le Coq kit of 1982-85
Agreed with three and a half off your choices for top five spurs clash kits …totally agree that one yellow kit has to make the list and the 81 yellow just beats the early 90s one by the skin off it’s teeth…… mainly as you mentioned London rivals naming the 90s one the bird mess kit although it’s arguably the only premiere league kit to be used over 4 seasons! (Although at least one season was the original division one pre-premier league)……100% would put both plain navy shirted kits you have added…… both were 100% interchangeable with those seasons home kits which is doubly important in European seasons for spurs in my book even though I don’t like plain navy away tops for every single season as thanks to our 1st season with Umbro in the 90s I do like/love our keepers in all navy kits ( if not in traditional green and/or all yellow) which hence is also why I put the 00/01 adidas kit a shade above the 17/18 Nike for both for that reason and also like you said they kept the change/euro white shorts unnecessary “quiet” not 100% part off that Nike away kit.
The kit I half 50/50 agree with is the mid 90s purple and navy stripes kit……back we were pants even with teddy,Darren and sol! yes it’s streets ahead off any other purple kit we have ever had…… but maybe it’s only better because half the shirt IS NAVY ( more on that later) and for me while the shirt is good I feel like purple for spurs should be more a trim colour…… and purple shorts and socks never make sense I.m.h.o unless we go for an all purple goalie kit either because the navy top is going to the outfield players that season instead and/or I’ll also far prefer it to orange keeper kits any day off the week (which I always hate with a passion for any team unless your a national team and it’s a colour in your flag.) anyways sometimes this purple kit is in my top five as my fifth best kit …sometimes it’s the 05/06 yellow 3rd or the black and grey 12/13 (even though I normally hate club teams plain black or grey kits change kits this had echoes off spurs half and half shirts in its early history and the yellow trim makes it “pop” like Liverpools 80s grey one did with red trim) or it’s the green European kit off 18/19 ( although it’s better to leave green for the goalies 99% off the time I.m.o) and sometimes the 19/20 navy with purple? Chest trim? that then just leaves me taking out your brown kit ( shame as I love a designated “cup” kit) but the kit I replace it with is for me definitely my number 1 favourite spurs change kit is the 15/16 under armour sky and navy hoops away kit……brilliant shirt that screams spurs even though they never had the colour hoops combo before ( spurs did wear navy and white hoops change kit for a good 20years pre-60s but that wouldn’t be allowed in this era to resolve colour kit clashes) … which was paired with navy shorts which looked identical to home pair other then having sky trim not white trim and sky and navy hooped socks…… it looked great even though I would personally have simply paired it with plain white shorts and all navy socks which you can guess would simply be the home alternative/change pairs for the home white shirt as well for mixing and matching . Why did I love this shirt so much? for me even though I loved the look off the all the numerous all sky/baby blue change kits for spurs it only made sense in non European years (when kit mixing and matching is needed far less for spurs I.m.o) or again as a keeper kit … and like England 3rd all sky blue kits while looks great it gets let down as it don’t solve as many colour classes as much as you think. …( with a white home kit) but the 15/16 hoops kit by having plain sky blue shoulders meant like that seasons home kit it could have identical navy trim on the neck and sleeves and on top by having at least half the body navy meant it looked better with any colour shorts and socks that weren’t 100% sky I.m.o
… and the navy hoops darkened the shirt enough to be a perfect swap against teams with plain white and/or light shirts… making it a better colour choice for an spurs away shirt then plain sky blue in my book and so again if I’m head off kit design for spurs I would normally in European seasons go home= white
away = navy and sky hoops paired with opposite white or navy shorts and socks to the home shirt
leaving 3rd = all yellow for outfielders kit choice’s … in the years when not in European competition or swapping home shorts and socks at all during that season is when you can then go either all sky and or all purple away kits or whatever you want/need to mix it up a bit.