Interesting Article on when Adults Began Wearing Replica Football Shirts

[Steeeeeeeeeed]

Just had one of those "thoughts and googled" moments.

After watching some.old 1950s and 60s games it struck me how everyone was dressed 'smart' but maybe with a scarf in the team coulours, and how different the crowds look today.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/adults-began-wear-replica-football-15888886



Article seems to suggest folk started to wear team shirts to games in the mid 70s, to me it started to become quite a noticeable thing in the late 80s / early 90s, maybe even with the England 1990 tops being the first time you would see them being used as casual.wear.

[Andy S]

Clubs have made a lot of money from fans of all ages wearing replica shirts. When I started watching footie in the 1960s it was common to wear a scarf and a rosette. Usually sold outside the ground. I would think the shirts established themselves in the 90s for adults for kids it would have been earlier

[Stevieboy]

I can remember as a 14 year old in 1970 I really wantied a Fulham shirt, obviously they were not available in those days so I got my Dad to buy me a normal white football shirt and got my Nan to sew on a Fulham badge and two black strips for number 11 (Les Barrett was my favourite).
Of course now that would be impossible with the intricacies and badges adorning  shirts now.
The mind boggles as to the revenues generated nowadays with the home,away, 3rd and 4th kits now on sale and changed on a pretty regular basis.

[bog]

I think Manchester United were the first club to drain the fans by renewing the shirts every year sometimes during a season. I recall that ludicrous stupid blue an white mixture pattern one. Ugh.


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[Southcoastffc]

I used to have a shirt in about 1960-62, but never to wear to a game, just to play in (when not playing in a school or other organised team).  But those shirts were good quality cotton not glorified nylon!

[Jim©]

There were, as I remember, only two shops that you could buy the old (talking early 80s) shirts- the sports shop in North End Road and the sports shop near hammersmith Apollo. I got one when I was about 9 and wore it until the seams were bursting at about 13!
My son is however well into the replica kit though not too proud to wait for the "sale" kit.

[Sir Alec of good Stock]

I bought my 1975 Cup Final shirt at Mancini's at Hammersmith Broadway, before that it was a white cotton football shirt with the badge sewn on.

[bill taylors apprentice]

I'm 65 this year and until recent years never owned a Fulham shirt in my life and would never dream of wearing one to a game or anywhere else, in public or otherwise even now!
But.
I now have a selection of FFC shirts (and shorts and socks) that I wear when playing walking football at my clubs training sessions.
I'm playing football, of a kind and when I'm not playing competitive matches and wearing my clubs kit I wear my beloved FFC kit.

[WhiteJC]

I remember getting a plain white shirt and then asking Mum to sew on a Fulham badge.
In the sixties you could buy cotton shirts but you had to add the team badge you wanted.
I those days there was no shirt sponsor and I can't remember them having a makers logo.
Once the teams realised they could make money selling shirts, and when sponsorship was allowed the clubs started making serious money from shirt sales.
When players were given 'squad numbers' there was another opportunity to make some money.

I'm not saying its a bad thing, if the club receives additional revenue then (in theory) they can afford to buy better players, but I do wonder if there's a tipping point when the shirts become too expensive, especially if your buying multiple shirts for children or grandchildren.

[Grumpy Worthing White]

I seem to remember having a white home shirt and a red away shirt with William Younger plastered on both, sometime back in the 1980`s  049:gif