“Of their Convention League recreation away to Legia Warsaw, Hibernian wore components of all three of this season's kits – third shirt, away shorts and residential socks,” famous Euan Williamson final week. “Has some other group achieved this earlier than?”
As combined kits go, the ensemble worn by Hibs in Poland – black shirt, inexperienced shorts and inexperienced socks – regarded good. Hibs, who had misplaced the primary 2-1 at Easter Street, got here inside seconds of a well-known triumph earlier than ultimately shedding in extra-time.
“Liverpool wore their crimson residence shirt, black away shorts and the yellow socks from their third package away to Watford again in March 1984,” writes Graeme Coleman. Kenny Dalglish and co did indeed wear a three-kit mashup, though the socks have been from their away package and the black shorts got here from a previous change strip.
Liverpool wore this mix at Vicarage Street for video games in Could 1983, March 1984 and January 1985. If switching to their hosts' actual color mixture looks like an odd alternative, it needs to be famous that the Hornets wore crimson shorts and socks with yellow shirts in that period.
Gavin Hope has some more moderen examples: “Luton wore their away shirt, residence shorts and third-kit socks in opposition to Sheffield United final October,” he notes. “The Hatters did the package treble twice of their Premier League marketing campaign, at Bramall Lane once more and at Brentford, sporting their third shirt, away shorts and residential socks.”
“Lincoln Metropolis wore their away shirt, residence shorts and third-choice socks in opposition to Wrexham in November final 12 months,” continues Gavin, whose website Kitgeek is stuffed with this form of fantastic trivia. “Additionally within the 2021-22 season, Walsall used 10 completely different combos of their three kits, though just one used all three: residence shirt, third shorts, away socks, which paradoxically made for an all-red look.”
Lastly, it could be remiss for us to not direct you in direction of the Museum of Jerseys web site, which has a whole archive of examples from Morocco to Middlesbrough.
The Soviet Saints
Final week, we checked out gamers who represented nations within the outdated First Division that haven't but featured within the Premier League – and readers acquired in contact with a pair extra examples.
Martin Ryle suggests one other Soviet worldwide, Sergey Gotsmanov, who joined Brighton from Dinamo Minsk in February 1990. The USSR midfielder, named the Belarusian participant of the 12 months 4 occasions between 1983 and 1989, scored 4 objectives in 16 video games for Albion – on one event, Gotsmanov rounded the keeper and paused to salute the house followers earlier than tapping the ball into the empty web.
Brighton weren't within the high division then – they acquired shut, shedding in that season's playoff ultimate to Notts County – however Gotsmanov's abilities caught the attention of Southampton, who lured him alongside the coast. He joined one other Soviet worldwide, defender Oleksiy Cherednyk, on the Dell. Cherednyk had arrived from Ukrainian facet Dnipro in 1990, however neither participant caught round for the beginning of the Premier League period.
In response to Southampton's Daily Echo, Cherednyk was pursued by Saints supervisor Chris Nicholl after profitable Olympic gold with the USSR group in 1988. He didn't adapt to English soccer although, and returned to Ukraine in 1993 after a spell caught within the reserves. Cherednyk is now a scout for Shakhtar Donetsk; it's additionally price noting he was born in Tajikistan, one other nation but to be represented within the Premier League.
Right here's Tom Pinder, suggesting a extra acquainted title: “If we're counting Jack Butler, who performed for England however was born in Ceylon, we also needs to embody England defender Terry Butcher, who was born in Singapore. He performed for Ipswich and Coventry within the First Division however by no means featured within the Premier League.”
Butcher retired in 1991 to turn out to be Coventry supervisor, was sacked in January 1992 after which got here out of retirement to play for Sunderland within the second tier within the 1992-93 season. Singapore-born full again Harry Birtwistle spent eight years at Wolves however left in January of this 12 months with out making a first-team look for the membership.
Star energy
“I seen after Aberdeen's Europa League loss to FCSB that each membership crests characteristic two stars, representing European trophies,” famous Dave Watson. “However who have been the primary group to place a star on their badge to mark a trophy or trophies?”
Marcello Barisonzi has the reply. “The primary group to do it in Italy, and I feel the world generally, was Juventus. After profitable their tenth league title in 1958, Juventus petitioned the Italian FA so as to add a star to their package to have a good time their achievement. The request was granted and prolonged to all Italian groups.”
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“Juve first wore the gold star on their shirts within the 1958-59 season,” Marcello provides. “At this time, Juventus put on three stars, Inter two and Milan one star above their membership crests to have a good time the achievement of profitable 30+, 20+ and 10+ Italian titles, respectively.”
Information archive
“Lately international locations draw their squads from everywhere in the world,” requested Rick Porter in 2010. “Nigeria, for instance, don't have a home-based participant of their squad for this 12 months's event. It by no means was the case, I'm positive, however who was the primary participant at a World Cup finals to play exterior his residence nation?”
You need to go all the best way again to the very first World Cup in 1930, when the Yugoslavia squad boasted a trio of gamers from France. Ivan Bek and Ljubisa Stefanovic performed for FC Sète, whereas Branislav Sekulic was with Montpellier. Bek would later play for France beneath the title Yvan Beck and was concerned with the French resistance through the second world struggle.
The primary British-based participant not enjoying for one of many residence nations at a World Cup was George Robledo in 1950. Robledo had been born in Iquique on the Pacific coast of Chile in 1926, however emigrated to Brampton, close to Rotherham in South Yorkshire, on the age of seven. After becoming a member of Barnsley in 1943 after which Newcastle in 1949, Robledo joined Chile for the 1950 event in Brazil. It could be fascinating to know what his teammates manufactured from his Yorkshire accent. Extra on Robledo, and his brother Ted, can be found here.
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“Neom SC have simply began their first season within the Saudi Professional League, having been promoted final season,” notes Oliver Jameston. “They're named after a metropolis which is able to supposedly have been constructed by 2030, although at the moment solely two buildings have been completed and plenty of are sceptical of it assembly this date. Is that this the primary time a top-flight facet has represented a metropolis or place that was but to exist?”
“The highest 10 objective scorers for the Hungarian national team all ended their careers within the twentieth century,” notes Cameron McGlone. “Which different nationwide groups don't have a top-10 scorer who has performed within the twenty first century?”
“I noticed somebody on X ‘repping' (as the youngsters say) Kepa Arrizabalaga for having two Champions League winners' medals, however he didn't play in both Chelsea's 2021 or Actual Madrid's 2024 ultimate triumphs,” notes Michael Pilcher. “It acquired me considering: who has probably the most European Cup or Champions League medals with out showing for a single minute in a ultimate?”
“Within the Denmark v Scotland World Cup qualifier, each goalkeepers (Kasper Schmeichel and Angus Gunn) have been the sons of keepers additionally capped for a similar international locations (Peter Schmeichel and Bryan Gunn). Are there some other cases of this occurring?” wonders Richard A'Brook.
