Crystal Palace

Kit History

1905-1907 b

1907-1908 c

1909-1910 c

1911-1912 c

1912-1913 c g

1914-1915 c

1920-1923 b h m

1923-1924 h

1925-1926 c

1926-1929 b j

1930-1931 c

1933-1934 c

1935-1936 c g

1937-1938 c g

1938-1940 b

1946-1948 c

1948-1948 c

1949-1954 b

1955-1957 c

1957-1958 c

1958-1959 b

1959-1963 b

1962-1963 b

Alternate kit

1963-1964 b

1963-1964 late c

"Lucky" away kit adopted as home kit

1964-1966 b

1966-1967 b

1967-1969 b

1969-1971 b

1971-1972 b h

1972-1973 b

1972-1973 late h

1973-1974 b k

1974-1975 b

Umbro

1975-1976 b

Umbro

1976-1977 b

Admiral

1977-1980 b

Adidas

1980-1983 b

Adidas

1983-1984 b

Hummel

1984-1985 b

Hummel

1985-1986 b h

Hummel

1986-1987 b

Admiral

1987-1988 b l

Bukta

1988-1990 b l

Bukta

1990-1991 d l

Bukta

1991-Dec1992 d g l

Ribero

Dec1992-1993 i l

Ribero

1993-1994 d l

Nutmeg

1994-1995 b l

Nutmeg

1995-1996 b h l

Adidas

1996-1998 b

Adidas

1998-1999 b

TFG Sports

1999-2000 d i l

Various sponsors

TFG Sports

2000-2001 h

Le Coq Sportif

2001-2002 e

Le Coq Sportif

2002-2003 e

Admiral

2003-2004 f h

Diadora

2004-2005 f i

Diadora

2005-2006 f

Diadora

2005 Centenary c l

Worn 27 Juy, 27 Sept, 22 Oct 2005

Diadora

2006-2007 f

Errea

2007-2008 f

2008-2009 f n

Background

The original Crystal Palace FC was formed in 1861 and took part in the first ever FA Cup competition in 1871. They did not compete after 1876 and it must be assumed that they closed down. There is no connection with the present-day club which was founded in 1905.

FA Cup finals were regularly staged at the Crystal Palace stadium which stood in the shadow of the magnificent glass and iron Great Exhibition centre, which had been dismantled and re-erected in the South London park that now bears its name. Workers from the site itself decided to form a football club to play regularly in this magnificent setting. A set of strips was donated by Aston Villa and claret and blue remained Palace's traditional colours (described as cardinal red and blue) until the 1970s.

The club joined the Southern League and became founder members of the new Third Division, winning the title at the first attempt. After four difficult years in Division Two, Palace dropped back into Division Three (South) in 1925 and remained there for the next 33 years. Their 1925 kits, incidentally, featured light blue stockings with claret tops, a pattern that did not otherwise appear until the mid-1950s. In the late 1930s the club adopted plain white jerseys in an attempt to change their fortunes but to no avail.

In 1958 Palace were in the new Fourth Division with little prospect of success. Clad in a distinctive white shirt with claret and blue bands, Palace won promotion in 1961. Towards the end of the 1963-64 season, they switched to playing in their "lucky" amber change kit for home games: this seemed to do the trick as they won promotion to Division Two. In 1964 Palace played Real Madrid in a friendly to celebrate the installation of their new floodlights. For the next two seasons they wore an all white kit similar to the European Champions before reverting to claret and blue. In 1969, Palace were promoted once again and took their place in Division One for the first time. Clearly out of their depth and with limited financial resources, Palace managed to stave off relegation for four years before they went into free-fall, and dropped straight down into the Third Division.

The charismatic Malcolm Allison was brought in in late 1973 and while he could not keep the club in the Second Division, he did transform them, laying the foundations for future success. Out went the old badge and nickname ("The Glaziers") to be replaced by the more dramatic "Eagles." The traditional claret and light blue colours were ditched in favour of red and blue - the colours of the original Crystal Palace club. After narrowly missing promotion three times, Allison called it a day and Terry Venables took over as manager. Venables steered Palace all the way back into the First Division with a side dubbed "the Team of the Eighties." They failed to live up to this reputation and were relegated in 1981 after only two seasons at the top. Venables left the club in his usual controversial circumstances and Palace, now almost bankrupt, descended into chaos.

The club's saviour turned out to be Steve Coppell, recently retired as a player and now in his first managerial job. Coppell brought stability and proved to be an outstanding judge of young talent. Many of the youngsters he signed for a pittance were sold on for multi-million pound transfer fees, bringing much needed revenue to the club. With Coppell in charge, Palace returned to the First Division in 1989 and the following year they reached the FA Cup final for the first time. A year later, Palace finished third behind Arsenal and Liverpool. In 1992, however, the club was relegated and Coppell resigned. Since then the club has moved between the two top divisions with bewildering regularity, sporting a a series of eye catching and original kits, not all of which have met with approval from fans. Their 2003-04 kit was, for example dubbed the "Ronald MacDonald" kit because of the hooped sleeves.

In 2005, the club's centenary year, a special kit, chosen by supporters and modelled on the classic 1971 kit was worn in a pre-season friendly and two home league games.

Historical Football Kits

Kit History

Background

Sources