These two Sheffield United third kits have a couple of things in common.
As the title might indicate, each had just a single outing and both games were fixtures where the corresponding yellow away shirt would have sufficed. In addition, managerial influence was a factor in the usage – albeit in opposite directions.
In 1990-91, United’s return to the top flight looked initially as if it would be a brief one as they failed to win in their first 16 games in Division 1. However, a revival from Christmas onwards gave them a chance of staying, though even a run of five wins in a row still saw them in 18th place by the beginning of March.
A big game loomed against their fellow red-and-white-striped Sunderland, who were also battling against the drop. Away to Southampton earlier in the season, United had worn their highlighter-yellow change shirts with red shorts and socks, but the Saints had white socks whereas Sunderland had red.
For away games against sides in red socks that season, the Blades had black alternative shorts and socks, but obviously the shorts were not an option.
Theoretically, they could have gone with a yellow-red-black mashup reminiscent of manager Dave Bassett’s old club Watford, or yellow-red-white – though there is a suggestion that the red shorts were also an overall-clash concern, while another theory is that, for such a big game in terms of survival, confusion with the jackets of the Sunderland stewards was also a concern.
Whatever the true reason, United were able to get hold of a set of white teamwear shirts trimmed in black and red, worn with the white second-choice shorts for the home kit and back-up white socks.
Ian Bryson got the only goal of the game as a sixth consecutive win moved them up to 14th place. While the white kit was not seen again, they finished comfortably clear of the relegation zone.
Unfortunately for United, the same could not be said of the 2023-24 campaign. Again, the away kit was yellow, red and black – though more of a tribute to the 1991-93 iteration – and it would have sufficed away to Arsenal at the end of October, but instead they appeared in their third shirts at the Emirates.
While the intended default format for the kit was all-grey, Arsenal’s white socks necessitated United wearing the red set that were able to be used with all of their strips that season.
It was a situation somewhat reminiscent of Liverpool at Emirates Stadium in 2008-09 and the kit’s appearance didn’t serve to inspire United – a 5-0 loss, with Eddie Nketiah scoring a hat-trick – made it 11 consecutive league games without a win from the start of the season.
While they got a first win against Wolverhampton Wanderers a week later, manager Paul Heckingbottom was sacked soon after and his replacement, the returning Chris Wilder, was not a fan of the third kit, meaning that it remained in the kit hamper for the remainder of the ill-fated campaign.
