Blackpool

Kit History

circa 1887 a

1896-1902 a k p

1902 a k t

1902-1903 alt a

alternate kit

1903 t

colour of shirt trim is not confirmed

1904-1908 a k

1908-1914 a k t

1914-1915 a t

1915-1920 a t

1920-circa 1923 k

1922-1923 alt t

1923-1927 a

circa 1930-1933 a t

1933-1938 a h k

1938-1955 b g k

1955-1958 b g

1958-1961 b g

circa1961-1962 j

circa1962-1967 b

1967-1968 j

1968-1969 h

1969-1970 b

1970-1971 j

1971-1973 b g

1973-1974 b g

1974-1976 i q

Umbro

1976-1979 g j q

Umbro

1979-1981 b h

Umbro

1982-1983 b

Hobott

1983-1984 r s

Umbro

1984-1985 c

Scoreline

1986-1987 i

Lowfields

1987-1988 n o

1988-1989 c s

1989-1990 i

1990-1991 b

Gola

1991-1993 b i

Pelada

1993-1994 o

Pelada

1994-1995 e o

Super League

1995-1997 d o

Lotto

1997-1999 d

Super League

1999-2001 d

TFG Sports

2001-2003 d l o u

Sporta

2003-2004 d

Sporta

2004-2005 f u

Uhlsport

2005-2007 f u

Carlotti

2007-2008 f

Background

Blackpool FC are forever associated with the so-called "Stanley Matthews Final" of 1953, when the aging genius created the goals that led to the seaside club winning the FA Cup for the first and only time in their history. The famous tangerine jerseys worn in that epic match have become synonymous with the club. In fact they were a relatively recent innovation.

The modern club can trace its roots back to a church club, Victoria FC, founded in 1877, but which folded after nine years. After another local team Blackpool St John’s rejected a proposal to drop the denominational title and become a town team, supporters of re-forming a team bearing the town’s name met at the Stanley Arms in July 1887 and Blackpool Football Club as we know it today was formed. A year later the club was accepted into the Lancashire League, winning the title in the 1893/94 season. The seaside resort was then in its Victorian heyday and bursting with confidence and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to join The Football League, the club's application was finally accepted in 1896. By this time Blackpool had played in a variety of kits, such as blue and red and white, but had worn their blue and white stripes for some time and were known as ’The Merry Stripes’. In 1899, Blackpool lost their League status after finishing third from bottom of Division Two. A merger with local rivals South Shore FC followed in December 1899 with the united club taking over South Shore's newly acquired Bloomfield Road ground. A year later Blackpool were re-admitted to Division Two and the start of the 1901/02 season saw the club begin its permanent association with Bloomfield Road.

The 1914-15 season was played out against the background of war and in August 1914, a large number of Belgian refugees arrived in Blackpool. As a gesture of support, the football club adopted the red, black and yellow colours of the Belgian flag. This attractive kit may have only lasted a single season, the team turning out in white shirts and navy blue shorts for the first game of 1915-16. They wore this outfit when league football resumed in 1919 and became known locally as "The Lilywhites," a nickname they shared with local rivals Preston North End.

Blackpool remained a doggedly mid-table Second Division side for the next 10 years and for the 1923/24 season the club first adopted deep tangerine shirts after one of their directors, Albert Hargreaves, also an international referee, had refereed a game between Belgium and the Netherlands. He was impressed with the orange shirts of the Dutch side and on his return he persuaded his fellow directors that this would be a distinguished colour for their team. No other Football League had worn plain shirts in this colour before. After winning the Second Division title in the 1929/30 season the club won promotion to the First Division, where they tenuously remained for three seasons. In 1937, now wearing dark and light blue striped shirts, the club were promoted once again and for the 1938/39 season they adopted tangerine jerseys once again, this time for good. (The shirts are always described as "tangerine" - never "orange.")

The years immediately after the war were Blackpool's golden era. With players of the stature of Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen the club were regular challengers for the League title and reached two FA Cup finals (1948 and 1951) before that epic victory over Bolton Wanderers in their third Wembley appearance in 1953. Sadly there would be no more glory and although the Seasiders held on to their First Division status until 1967, the abolition of the maximum wage meant that clubs of modest means like Blackpool could no longer afford to keep star players on their books. The club's decline was a long and protracted affair and for ten years they languished in Division Two (even returning briefly to Division One in the 1970/71 season) before sliding down to Division Four in 1981.

In 1987 the club was rescued from bankruptcy when millionaire estate agent, Owen Oyston, bought it. Oyston was jailed in 1996 but his family, firstly through wife Vicki and then son Karl, have retained their interest and kept the club afloat. The Seasiders spent time in the lowest two divisions until the 2006/07 season when they were promoted to The Championship (second tier) via the League One play-offs.

I am grateful to Gerry Wolstenholme who has added considerable detail to this article.

Historical Football Kits

Kit History

Background

Sources