New Chelsea kit 09 and kits through the years
By dixon9
May 1 2009
Chelsea released the new kit for 2009/10 season this morning just one year after the previous one. In the “old days” we might have seen a new kit every 3 or 4 seasons (and if you are older than I am then even less frequently than that) but in this modern commercial era where the green paper stuff rules more than ever the “brand” needs to be exposed and “revenue streams” maximised.
Bitter? Well, perhaps slightly. I have sympathy for those with kids and perhaps not the highest of incomes when last years birthday present suddenly becomes out of date and little Johnny comes home from his latest playground big match and sheepishly asks mum and dad for the latest one.
Then again, the average family is more affluent these days, times have changed (Haven’t they?) and forking out for a football shirt doesn’t suppose the extravagance of yesteryear.
The old days
I can remember (cue violins, a crackling fireside, Hovis ad music and visions of shoe-boxes and bits of string!) when I was a grateful six-year old opening up a flat box with a 70´s blue Chelsea shirt inside it.
It was plain cotton of course, but the right shade of royal blue and the only thing missing was Peter Osgood’s number nine. The sacrifice that I knew had cost my mum was instantly forgotten and she was nagged constantly about sewing a number nine on for me - in the meantime I contented myself by putting the legendary number on with chalk.
I couldn’t wait to get outside and kick the ball up against the wall of course, and imagining myself to be Ossie, the ball was instinctively struck with more verve and panache as tones of Brian Moore rang in my head, shouting out my name as I ripped the ball into the top corner in front of the Shed past a despairing Gordon Banks!
Nowadays I wonder if all kids do and imagine the same as I did? I suppose at least some of them must do although I doubt they are carefully chalking a number on the back of the shirt!
“Times they are a changing”
The new shirt will be worn on Sunday 17 May against Blackburn Rovers - penultimate league game of the season.Nope, nowadays, it’s all “climacool” sporting technology, “reflex blue” inspiration, ergonomic fitting and mesh panelling for sweat zones! But even though I see the new shirt as something that the Terminator might have worn, the club says that it “draws inspiration from looks that have graced the King's Road over the years”!? Still, I make fun now, but no doubt I will end up warming to it and eventually buying one (Yep! Kenyon has me by the short and curlies!).
Anyway, even though the days when Ken Bates once said in the 80´s that we wouldn´t go the way of Manchester United by putting new kits out every 5 minutes are long gone, I thought it might be a nice idea to have a little bit of nostalgic reflection on some past offerings of our tribal dress.
Some good memories here!
The origonal kit in the colours of the Earl of Cadogan - light blue shirts
Believe it or not, not much changed in the kit design for decades but here is the title winning 1955 side - now with blue replacing the light blue. Ted Drake modernised the club with stricter training, diet and he even got rid of the Pensioners badge and nickname, replacing it with "The Blues".
The late 50´s. Now a modern V design neck sported here by legendary goalscorer and Chelsea youth product, Jimmy Greaves.
The early 60´s - Bobby Tambling, the clubs highest all-time goalscorer. Note the Cadogan Arms Lion now appears.
"Viva la Chelsea revolution!" Tommy Docherty took us one step further and gave us what many of us know as the classic Chelsea look - royal blue, white socks and of course that white stripe down the shorts. Here we see Venables during a rather controversial match against Roma.
This is THE Chelsea kit. No Ifs! No Buts! The essential kit! If you don´t have this version then hang your head in shame! (or get one ASAP at least!).
Part 2 to followThe away equivalent. Nice eh?
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