Historical Football Kits

 

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Montrose

Formed 1879

Founder member of Scottish Division Three 1923. Joined the Scottish Alliance after the Third Division was abandoned in 1926.

Elected to Scottish Division Two 1929.

Kit History

montrose 1880

1880-1881 b

montrose 1883

1883-1884 b

montrose 1887

1887-1891 b

montrose 1891

1891-1902 b

montrose 1902

1902-1907 b

montrose 1907

1907-1910 b

montrose 1910-11

1910-1911 i

montrose 1912

1912-1919 b

montrose 1919

1919-1922 b

1929-1930 b

montrose 1930

1930-1932 b

1932-1933 b

montrose 1933

1933-1935 b

1935-1937 c g

montrose 1938

1938-1939 b

montrose c1949

late 1940s b

montrose 1952-53

1952-1953 b

Corroboration needed
montrose 1954-55

1954-1955 b

montrose 1957

1957-1959 b

montrose 1959

1959-1963 b

1959-1963 alt b

Cold weather kit

1963-1967 b

montrose 1967

1967-1969 b

1969-Feb1970 b k

Feb-May 1970 b

buy montrose 1971 shirt

1971-1973 b

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1973-1974 b

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1973-1974 late b

montrose 1974

1974-1975 b

montrose fc 1975-76

1975-1976 k

Bukta
montrose 1976

1976-1977 e k

Umbro

1977-1978 b

Bukta
montrose 1978

1978-1981 b h

Umbro
montrose 1981-84

1981-1982 h

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Umbro
montrose fc 1982-83

1982-1983 h

Umbro
montrose 1983-84

1983-1984 h

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Umbro
montrose 1984

1984-1986 d h

Umbro
montrose fc 1986-87

1986-1987 k

Umbro

1987-1988 f

Umbro
montrose 1988-89

1988-Feb 1989 f

Admiral
montrose 1989-90

Feb 1989-1990 h

Matchwinner
montrose 1991

1990-1992 d f

Matchwinner
montrose 1992

1992-1994 f h

Matchwinner
montrose fc 1994-95

1994-1995 h

Errea
montrose fc 1996-98

1995-1997 h j

Garman
montrose fc 1997-98

1997-1998 h

Raffa
montrose fc 1998-99

1998-1999 h

Spall

1999-2000 a

Spall
montrose 2000

2000-2001 a

Spall
montrose 2001

2001-2002 a

Errea
montrose 2002

2002-2004 a

Vandanel

2004-2005 a

Vandanel
montrose 2005

2005-2007 a

Nike
Montrose 2007-08

2007-2009 a

Nike
montrose 2009-10

2009-2011 a

Nike
montrose fc 2011-12 home kit

2011-2013 a

Nike
montrose fc 2013-14

2013-2015 a

Nike
montrose fc 2015-16 1st kit

2015-2017 a

Nike
montrose fc 2017-18

2017-2019 a

Hummel
montrose 2019-20 1st kit

2019-2021 a

Hummel
montrose fc 2021-22

2021-2023 a

 

Background

montrose 1935-36 team group

On 3 March 1871 the Montrose Standard reported on the formation of Montrose Football Club. The report went on to say that the members intended to "practice steadily" and that "arrangements for a match with a similar club from another town" were in hand. The club followed the rugby code.

In October 1879 the same newspaper reported that at their Annual General Meeting the members of Montrose FC unanimously voted to adopt the association code. Their first opponents were Arbroath Wanderers on 8 November 1879. It appears that the Montrose players were not yet familiar with association rules and they lost 4-0.

The Montrose club has played at Links Park since 1880. By the early 1890s, the "Gable Endies" had one of the strongest teams in the north-east and played regularly against sides from the West of Scotland, including Dumbarton, Third Lanark and Glasgow Thistle.

In January 1892 Montrose won their first senior honour, beating Dundee East End in the final of the Forfarshire Cup by 5-3. The cup was, however, withheld following a protest from East End that Montrose had turned up 15 minutes late. Their protest was later thrown out and Montrose received the trophy a few days later.

Montrose joined the Northern League in 1891. After a single season in the old Central League (1914-15), the club closed down for the duration of the First World War. In 1919 they joined the Eastern League, one of the regional competitions set up by former members of the Scottish Second Division and in December 1921, they won the Qualifying Cup. In 1923 they became founder members of the ill-fated Scottish Third Division. When this collapsed in chaos towards the end of the 1925-26 season, Montrose and the surviving members joined the Scottish Alliance.

In 1929 a ballot was held to find replacements for Bathgate and Arthurlie, who had resigned during the season. Montrose topped the poll with 31 votes (Brechin City were also elected with 24 votes). They hardly set the division alight, generally finishing near the foot of the table.

After the Second World War, the Scottish League was restructured and Montrose were placed in the new ten-team Division "C" (third tier) along with several reserve sides from the higher divisions. In 1951 and 1954 Montrose finished last in Division "C" (North & East) (the division had been split into two regional competitions in 1949) but were spared having to apply for re-election as this procedure had been quietly dropped in 1950. montrose fc crest 1971In 1955 the third level was scrapped and Montrose went into the expanded Division "B" for the 1955-56 season.

montrose fc crest 1973The letters "MFC" were added to the team shirts for the first time in 1971 in a calligraphgic script typical of the period. Two years later this was replaced by a more unusual design which lasted just one season.

The club languished in the Second Division until the next restructuring in 1975 when the Premier Division was created. Montrose played on in the new Division One (second tier) until 1979 when they were relegated. The calligraphic montrose fc crest 1978crest reappeared in 1978 albeit in a different font.

In 1985 Montrose were promoted back to Division One (the first time in their history that montrose fc crest 1990they had won promotion) but they were back down again after two seasons.

A new club crest was introduced in 1990 following which the team had another brief spell in the First Division (second tier) 1991-92 but when the next restructuring came in 1994, they were placed in the new Third Division (fourth tier).

The excitement of promotion in 1995 turned to despair the following season, when they were relegated in last place, 20 points adrift and well out of their depth. The club has languished in the lowest division ever since. In 2007 a number of improvements were made to Links Park including the installation of an artificial playing surface.

After finishing last in League Two in 2015-16, Montrose became the first team to contest a play-off to retain their league place, an innovation introduced with the creation of the Scottish Professional Football League. In the event they won their two-legged play-off against Highland League champions, Brora Rangers. Two years later their fortunes improved considerably and they won the League Two championship.

You are welcome to Contact Me with corrections and additions.

Sources

  • (a) Montrose FC Official Site
  • (b) Alick Milne
  • (c) London Hearts
  • (d) SNS Pix
  • (e) Classic Kits
  • (f) Ralph Pomeroy
  • (g) My photo library
  • (h) Donald Gellatly (HFK Research Associate)
  • (i) The Dundee United Official Centenary History by Peter Rundo & Mike Watson (Birlinn 2009)
  • (j) Keith Ellis
  • (k) Ian McConnel

Crests are the property of Montrose FC.