- With thanks to Nik Yeomans
In 1992, Chelsea made the decision to revert to white socks, which had been first-choice from 1964-85.
The programme for the Blues’ opening game of the inaugural Premier League season, against Oldham Athletic, relayed the news of the change, under a snippet entitled, ‘Sock it to ’em, you Blues!’:
“In a summer when the first-choice kit was not due to change, a change has come due to public demand. Tradition has been restored.
The white socks worn so proudly through the 1960’s, ’70’s and early 80’s, but which were dropped in favour of blue socks in 1985, have returned. About time too, and don’t they look wonderful!”
As mentioned in the programme, the socks were the only part of the kit to be altered and, when alternatives were required, they harked back to the 1970s by wearing the yellow set from their third strip.
The first new kit to be designed with white socks in mind arrived in the summer of 1993 and red was actually more prominent in terms of trim.
Chelsea would have a new yellow third kit in 1993-94 – a facsimile of the Sheffield Wednesday second strip from the previous year – but they went in a different direction with regard to back-up socks.
The new approach was flagged in the Makita Tournament against Tottenham Hotspur in August – both clubs wore their outgoing kits, with Tottenham wearing their white change socks and Chelsea in blue-blue-red as the socks from their away strip were used.
When the season began, the new shirt and shorts were worn with the red socks away to Tottenham (by now in a new kit that had white socks as default), West Ham United, Aston Villa and Leeds United in the league, as well as a Coca-Cola Cup tie at Manchester City.
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All of those games were before Christmas, as was the trip to Coventry City – but Chelsea had missed the fact that the Sky Blues had themselves switched to white socks and so had to borrow a navy set.
In 1994, there was no need to switch from white socks until the FA Cup semi-final in April.
That game pitted Chelsea against Luton Town, who had seen off both Newcastle United and West Ham to reach the last four. With both clubs favouring blue shorts and white socks, the FA decided that Luton would change shorts and Chelsea socks – but this time a plain blue and set was used.
Two Gavin Peacock goals helped Chelsea to a 2-0 win but that Wembley win. It was the only time the blue socks saw action that season (they opted for blue-blue-white at Maine Road three weeks later) but they became the alternative choice for 1994-95.
