6: Brazil, Anglo Confectionery World Cup 1970

Mat Jolin-Beech takes a look today at what has been often chosen as the greatest football kit of all time due to its simplicity and the incredible team that won the 1970 World Cup wearing it. Personally I don’t get the obsession and would much rather see something garish and questionable but taste has never been one of my strong points. I will also forgive Mat this transgression for making use of an incredibly niche football card. Over to the man himself.

Football kits are, on the face of it, very simple things. They differentiate one team from the other. Shirts v skins. Reds v whites. Stripes v solid colours. Or, when after-school park football was underway, reds through to yellows v blues, greens and stripes – except those with red and white stripes. (Always a fan favourite).

In this vintage World Cup 1970 card, the classic Brazil home kit is the subject. Yellow shirt, blue shorts, and white socks. Timeless and one that kit manufacturers, which has been Nike since 1997 but also includes sportswear giants Umbro, Adidas, Topper and Athleta, have not messed with. The message is to keep it simple.

We here at A Stickers’ Worth 500 Words love a great kit. Any Coventry City shirt from the late eighties through to the nineties is a winner. Especially any keeper kit worn by club legend Steve Ogrizovic. Other great kits include the iconic Ajax shirts, for me which peaked in 1995 and the Champions League winning kits, emblazoned by the ABN-AMRO sponsor. Classic. Again, the recipe is simple and one the kit manufacturers can’t get wrong.

Coming up to date, the new Manchester United home shirt is a decent effort by Adidas. One made better by two things. The removal of that bloody awful Chevrolet logo, and the return of the GOAT one Cristiano Ronaldo. Chelsea’s home kit for the 2021/22 season is a brave effort by Nike and a welcome break from some of their recent copy and paste template efforts. The dazzle camouflage and checkerboard blues add some pizzazz.

But then, you get those efforts that just miss the mark and just offend the eyes. Of the 2021 Premier League offerings, Newcastle United’s home shirt upsets me. At first glance it looks like a typical bottom half kit. Betting company as the sponsor? Check. (At least its better than Wonga). Random brand few people have heard of? Castore – check. Little else going on? Check. But wait. Look closer. The front of the shirt looks like it has a black number 4 on it. You now cannot unsee it. And I make no apologies for ruining every Newcastle game for the rest of the season for you.

However, for bad kits this year. Look no further than Puma. Not only have they committed the cardinal sin and used a generic template that sucks all individuality out of the designs; they have also done something that I don’t think has ever been done before. Removed the club crest from the front of the shirt. In its place is a band with the club name or nickname written out in text. This makes them look like cheap knock-off training kits that you buy from those dodgy looking floggers of tatt at the edge of the beach in Benidorm. The Manchester City kit is woeful. The Borussia Dortmund kit is appalling. All of them are dreadful.

Puma – hang your head in shame. But also some kudos for trying something different. However, next time if you’re going to try different, go down the route of Bedale AFC. Those are some different kits. Banging you may say.

P.S. The other side of the card is worth noting. ‘Heading the Ball’ with Jack Charlton. Some great 1970s artwork on there.