Fantasy Kit Friday – Liverpool, 1993

• – Thanks to Gary Walker for unearthing the source material

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Last year, we looked at a Rangers away kit that might have been from 1993.

That adidas prototype was one seen on an episode of the BBC2 magazine show Standing Room Only and it also featured a Liverpool design that the firm had come up with only for the club to knock it back.

As we know, the actual 1993-94 home and away kits were somewhat controversial due to the aggressive branding pursued by adidas at the time – well, if adidas product developer Jackie Collins had had her way, there might have been even more outcry.

Liverpool’s commercial manager at the time, Mike Turner, outlined how the process had involved a new departure:

“For the first time, on the selection of our two new shirts, we brought in the Merseyside branch of our international supporters’ club,” he said.

“We showed them all the adidas designs that were in and the supporters chose two shirts that we didn’t choose.”

Collins was then shown with the actual home shirt chosen and her own preference – which we have recreated here.

Incidentally, one of the drawings of a similar style had green neck but the prototype produced did not have the tertiary colour.

“This is a prototype based on a German design,” she said.

“This is the design that we wanted Liverpool Football Club to accept but, unfortunately, when they saw the design, they felt there was too much white on the garment and it wasn’t red enough to be the home strip.

“We also showed it to the fans to get their opinion and they felt the same; they didn’t feel it was strong enough for Liverpool.”

It’s not long until Liverpool and adidas join forces for what will be the third time – somehow, we think it’s unlikely that any refreshed version of this never-was will be near the Anfield kit-room.