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Designer: Carbrini
Sponsor: Zapaygo
The long running saga of City's ownership has entered its endgame following Carson Yeung's resignation from all positions with the club and its holding company and subsequent imprisonment. Efforts have been redoubled to find a buyer. Carbrini's kits are a mixed bag - the first strip is classically simple adorned only by the usual modern logos, badges etc. The change strip evokes the much loved penguin strip but the third choice looks more like an Oldham Athletic outfit from a long time ago.
(Harry Meadows, Mark Randall)
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Designer: Nike
Sponsor: Zebra Claims
Accompanied by a brilliantly naff promotional video and images lifted from HFK, Rovers new first choice strip is inspired by the Cambridge blue and white shirts worn in their Victorian golden age. The change kit is officially described as "turbo green" and navy. The third kit is recycled from last season and now worn with red rather than navy shorts.
(Replicas of the original 1890 shirt are available in the HFK Shop for just £10+p&p - don't all rush at once.)
(Dave Horn, Michael Peters, Roger Whiteside)
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Designer: Errea
Sponsor: Wonga
Blackpool released their new third kit in May, a stylish black number with tangerine and white stripes on the front. The other strips are unchanged.
(Andrew Mihaleff, Dave Horn)
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FA Cup
24 Jan v Liverpool
Special
4 April v Blackpool
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Designer: Macron
Sponsor: FibrLec
Bolton have not renewed their contract with Adidas and are now wearing rather more distinctive Macron outfits. The new home strip lacks the familiar red trim. The alternative is simply reversed. The third strip in military green marks the centenary of the outbreak of World War One: only 1,000 were produced and £10 from each one sold goes to Blesma, the Limbless Veterans charity. A different sponsor was arranged for Wanderers' FA Cup tie with Liverpool while the charity strip worn in April was in support of a local housing association. 1,000 tickets were donated to Bolton at Home residents.
(Bryn Lunt)
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Designer: Carbrini
Sponsor: Energy Consulting
As usual, the Cherries' first choice strip is given a subtle update rather than a radical makeover. The stripes are now reversed and gold pinstripes have been added. Metallic gold trim again features in the trim on both outfits. The third strip features grading from blue to black on the front of the shirt, an idea pioneered by Puma in 2010 and now offered by several manufacturers.
(Matt Callaghan)
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Designer: Adidas
Sponsor: Skyex
The Bees finished as runners-up in League One last season. There are no surprises with the new first kit: the stripes are broader than last year and now continue on the back. The alternative is a yellow shirt with white shorts and socks, a combination we have got used to seeing in the World Cup this summer. (Yellow shorts and socks are also available but not on sale to the public.) The 125th anniversary crest commissioned earlier this year has been dropped.
(Patrick Hewson, Nick Bruzon)
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Designer: Nike
Sponsor: American Express
After 15 years, Brighton have dropped their partnership with Errea and are now wearing bog standard Nike kit, a great shame.
(Sytse Korts, George Pannell)
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2nd until 10 January
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1st until 10 January
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Designer: Cosway Sports
Sponsor: Visit Malaysia
Cardiff crashed and burned in the Premier League and now have an extra tier on the east stand they are unlikely to need unless they can bounce back. Owner Vincent Tan has said that if the team do win promotion, he will consider returning to blue and white.
There's a lot wrong with these strips aside from the fact the colours are the wrong way round. Cosway Sports is
an in house brand but why on earth give the new company a name that has no connection with the club? Furthermore the detailing on the shirts is different although the basic templates are similar. The result looks incoherent and ill-thought out. Better to have completely different designs than two that are (to misquote Douglas Adams) almost, but not quite exactly unlike each other.
Over Christmas Tan had a change of heart, which he attributed
to the advice of his mother, "a devout Buddhist" who spoke to him "on the importance of togetherness, unity and happiness," and he announced that the team would revert to playing in blue with the red strip retained as the change kit.
(Andrew Mihaleff, David King)
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Designer: Nike
Sponsor: University of Greenwich
Charlton have adopted Nike's updated Victory II design and are wearing it with red shorts: this is the first time matching red shirts and shorts have been first choice since 1968-70.
(Al Gordon)
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Designer: Umbro
Sponsor: Just Eat
Derby missed out on promotion last season after reaching the play off final. The club has signed a contract with Umbro who have produced a classically elegant first choice strip alongside an all-navy alternative with horizontal pinstripes in light blue.
(Eddie Hutchinson, Alexander Leiberich, Ben Gershaw)
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Designer: Adidas
Sponsor: Marathon Bet
After 13 years in the top tier, Fulham were relegated last season. the new first strip was launched with a curious photo campaign with old fashioned boots, footballs and shot in semi-monochrome, a reflection of the fashion for retro styling. In fact there is not a great deal that is retro about the kit: the stripes may be meant to evoke the 80s but they are in grey rather than textured material while the trim is in "infra-red".
(David Niblock, Andrew McEwan)
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Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Rekoderlig Cider (1st), Radian B (2nd) Covonia (3rd)
Although the Terriers' new first choice shirts are a standard Puma template, the grading on the stripes makes this a real stand out kit. The alternative is in the usual red and black colours and is, well, a bit busy.
(Julian Hadden, Roger Pashby)
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Designer: Adidas
Sponsor: Marcus Evans
Ipswich fans will be delighted to see their team kitted out in Adidas, a reminder of the team's heyday under Bobby Robson in the late 1970s and 1980s. Orange was chosen for the alternative after consultation with supporters and signifies the strong Dutch connection that existed in the Robson era when Arnold Muhren, Frans Thijssen, Martijn Reuser and Fabian Wilnis turned out for the team.
(Andrew Mihaleff, Alex Leiberich)
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Designer: Macron
Sponsor: Enterprise insurance
I have criticised Macron's recent Leeds kits for their excessive detailing so it is with considerable pleasure that I can applaud the new first choice strip. There is yellow and blue trim subtly incoporated into the collar and sleeve trim, a nice grace note on a minimalist outfit. The goalkeeper's kit is in jungle camouflage.
After a takeover bid from
Sports Capital collapsed at the last moment, the club is now under the control of Messimo Cellino, a man with previous convictions for financial irregularities in Italy and who still faces charges of embezzlement and fraud connected to his association with Cagliari. So that's all good.
(Martin Hart, Richard Meir, Bob Dixon)
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Designer: Adidas
Sponsor: Ramsdens
For once Boro are not claiming that a standard Adidas template references an earlier strip from their history: in fact the team has never worn a sash before although the short-lived Middlesbrough Ironopolis, who broke away from the club in 1889 did. We must admit, it is a rather smart addition. The change strip is quite striking, in dark grey and navy with fluorescent yellow trimmings.
(Mark Jones, Emma Wren)
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Designer: Macron
Sponsor: Euroferries
For its elegant simplicity, Macron's latest "home" strip, chosen by fans from a shortlist of four designs, is certainly the best they have produced over the past four seasons. The yellow alternative is striking and original.
A special commemorative kit was
released to be worn during Remembrance Week, with profits from replica sales being donated to the Headley Court Benevolent Fund to support the treatment and rehabilitation of injured members of the armed forces.
(Andrew Mihaleff, Martin Walker, Mark Harding, Bill Bridges, Rich Wrigley)
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Special
6 April v Sheff Wed
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Designer: Errea
Sponsor: Aviva
Norwich were relegated last season. Their new first choice shirt is based on a design from 1913-14 which, as far as we know, was first revealed on HFK. Regardless of where Errea's designers got their inspiration, this is a first class oufit. Misleading promotional images suggest the change strip is in dark plum and claret but in reality it is black/claret, leaving at least one supporter disappointed.
(Alexander Leiberich, Stuart English, Zak Nelson, David Rafelle)
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Designer: Adidas
Sponsor: Fawaz Refrigeration & Air Conditioning
Forest's new strips are basic Adidas templates but as this is what they wore in their golden era, I doubt anyone will complain. Their shirts again bear the name of a business owned by Fawaz Al-Hasawi, the Kuwaiti businessman who owns the club.
(Alexander Leiberich, Andrew Mihaleff)
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11 April
Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Waitrose
According to the marketing blurb, the new first choice shirt is "based on a classic design inspired by Jack Mansell, who brought hoops back in 1969." In fact the design has almost nothing in common with that classic shirt - last season's effort was closer.
The remarkable special kit
was designed by 14-year old wheelchair user, Ryan Duval, as a school project. It features the emblem of The Avenue School which resemble the elm trees that form part of Reading FC's crest. Reading's captain, Jem Karacan heard about the project and suggested the club commission T-shirts to honour Ryan but when Puma saw his art work, they designed a set of strips to be worn by the team in a one-off match in April.
(Simon Wise, Alexander Leiberich)
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Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Parkgate Shopping Centre (1st), Shedlands (2nd, 3rd)
A second promotion in two seasons has brought the Millers to the second tier, a triumph for the club whose continued existence was in doubt until quite recently. New 1st and 2nd strips were introduced at the start of the season, while the third shirt was launched in November.
Since Monty Python are reforming this year it may appropriate to point out that the second and third shirts sponsorship may well be connected with Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson.
(JL, Matt Young RUFC)
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Designer: Sondico
Sponsor: Republic of Azerbaijan
Wednesday are now wearing Sondico strips after four seasons in Puma. The first choice shirt was designed with a view to tradition and is the first top to be sponsored by a national government in the UK (Atlético Madrid have worn the "Azerbaijan Land of Fire" logo since 2012). The shorts shown on the launch images were black but these seem to have been from the third kit.
(Mark Wild, Dan Knight)
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Designer: Puma
Sponsor: 138.com
Watford's supporters were canvassed on whether red or black shorts should be first choice next season. HFK took a punt on red but fans narrowly chose black. A red set was available for colour clashes. The change strip has been chosen to resemble the kit adopted in 1914 and to commemorate the outbreak of the First World War. For each replica sold the club will donate £1 to the British Legion.
Towards the end of the season
the team regularly wore red shorts in away games regardless of the need to change.
(Alexander Leiberich, George Hartley, Geoff Allen)
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Designer: Mifit
Sponsor: Intersport
The problem with the Latic's new "home" strip is that it looks more Sheffield Wednesday than Wigan Athletic. Stripes were adopted for the first time when the club was elected to the Football League in 1978 and have always previously been worn with blue shorts.
(George Chilvers)
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Designer: Puma
Sponsor: whathouse
Wolves' decline has been reversed and they won League One last season. HFK has reservations about the black sleeves on the new first choice kit and I would really prefer to see the team wearing something more distinguished than bog standard Puma templates.
(Alexander Leiberich, Geoff Bell)
Queen's Park Rangers promotion via the play-offs has created a problem for the Football League because their losses are likely to exceed the £8m permitted under Financial Fair Play rules. Had they remained in the Championship they would face a transfer embargo and other sanctions but now the Football League will have to pursue Rangers to recover the "fine" incurred under the rules. The Premier League have indicated all this has nothing to do with them and the matter is most likely to wind up in the courts.
