Historical Football Kits

 

Preston North End

Formed 1880

Founder member of the Football League 1888

Kit History

1882-1884 b v

Preston 1884 kit

1884 b

1886-1887 b c

Preston NE 1888 kit

1888-1900 b c j l

1902-1921 c v

1921-1922 d

1933-1937 e

1937-1949 a d

1951-1954 c f q

1956-1957 q x

Preston NE 1957 kit

1957-1958 x

1958-1961 c d x

Preston NE 1962 kit

1962-1963 x

1963-1964 d x

Preston NE 1964 kit

1964-1966 v x

Preston NE 1967 kit

1967-1973 c g o q u

1973-1974 d o u

1974-1975 h o q y

Umbro

1975-1976 early v z

Umbro
Preston NE 1975 kit

1975-1976 c o v

Bukta

1976-1977 v

Adidas

1977-1978 c o q v

Navy trim worn in pre-season photocall
Adidas

1978-1979 d o v x

Badge appeared late in the previous season
Adidas

1979-1980 o q v

Adidas

1980-1981 v

Adidas

1981-1983 o

John Harrison Sports

1983-1984 o q v

Plain white stockings worn until late season
John Harrison Sports

1984-1985 v

John Harrison Sports

1985-1986 o q

Hobott

1986-1988 c o p

Scoreline

1988-1989 o q v

Ribero

1989-1990 o r s v

Switched from Scoreline to Ribero mid-season
Ribero

1990-1992 o r v

Sponsor's logo adopted autumn 1990
Matchwinner

1992-1993 n s v

Matchwinner

1993-1994 m

Footy

1994-1995 d s v

Footy

1995-1996 d s

Kit (own brand)

1996-1998 d i s

Kit (own brand)

1998-2000 d s

Bloggs

2000-2002 d s

Voi

2002-2003 d

Admiral

2003-2004 d

Admiral

2004-2005 d

Diadora

2005-2006 k

Diadora

2006-2007 k v

Diadora
Preston North End 2007-2008 Kit

2007-2008 k t

Diadora

2008-2009 k

Canterbury
preston norh end 2009-10 kit

2009-2010 k

 

Background

The club traces its origins back to 1863 when cricket was regularly organised on “The Marsh,” a spit of land in the Ribble estuary. When the Preston Corporation opened a new public cricket ground at Moor Park in the northern part of the town, some members moved to the new facility and adopted the name “North End.” In 1875 the club took out a lease on a field at Deepdale, where the modern club still plays.

Around this time association football was becoming increasingly popular as a spectator sport in the industrial towns of Lancashire. Members first played football in 1878 and two years later they voted to adopt association rules in May 1880. In March 1881 the club played its first game against Blackburn Rovers, one of the strongest teams in the country and were trounced 0-10!

Following the example of their Lancashire neighbours, Preston recruited players from Scotland (where the game was more advanced), offering financial inducements and employment to build a team that would become known as “The Invincibles.” In 1884 following an English Cup tie, Upton Park FC lodged a protest, alleging that some Preston players were paid. Club captain William Sudell did not deny this and although North End were expelled from the competition, the row led directly to the acceptance of professionalism.

Between August 1885 and April 1886 North End went 64 matches undefeated, winning 59 and scoring 318, conceding only 60. In 1887-88, they won 42 consecutive matches, established an English record that stands to this day by beating Hyde United 26-0 and reached the English Cup final.

Preston were invited to join the new Football League the following season. Now playing in plain white shirts and navy knickers, they achieved the first ever “double” by winning the championship without losing a match and won the English FA Cup without conceding a goal. The League championship was won again the following season and the club were runners up for the three seasons after that.

The club’s remarkable debut, which led to their nickname, “Proud Preston,” could not be sustained. In 1901 they were relegated although they returned as Division Two champions in 1904. In the four seasons before the First World War, North End were relegated, promoted, relegated and promoted yet again.

After the war, North End struggled to stay in the First Division although they did reach the FA Cup final in 1922. Relegated in 1925, they were back in Division One in 1934. They were Cup finalists again in 1937 and the following year, they won the competition for the second time.

After the Second World War the legendary figure of locally born Tom Finney dominated Deepdale but it was an era of near misses. Preston were runners-up in the League in 1953 and 1958, and reached the FA Cup Final in 1954. When Finney retired in 1960 the impact was immediate and North End were relegated the following season. In 1964 they narrowly missed out on promotion and reached the FA Cup final yet again but this was to be the last swansong of a club that could no longer compete with the rising big city sides.

During the 1970s Preston played in both Second and Third Divisions but in 1985 they dropped into Division Four and the following season, Proud Preston suffered the indignity of having to apply for re-election. In 1987 they were promoted but made no further progress and dropped down again in 1993.

Since 1996, Preston have revived their fortunes and rose to Nationwide Division One in 2000. Since then they have featured twice in the play-offs and the prospects of returning to the top flight no longer seem as remote as they did in the mid 1980s.

Sources