Well worn debate
There’s more than a hint of controversy about this week’s Away Kit Battle – but it’s up to our supporters to determine the outcome of this delicate situation.
The Green reverse worn between 2000-2003 has been pitted against an ensemble that was only ever worn once and which – as Kit Manager Brian Campbell is at pains to point out – does not technically qualify as an authentic away strip.
It was back in July 2010 that the Reds travelled to Bulgaria for a Europa League encounter with CSKA Sofia bedecked in all-black to avoid a clash with the hosts’ own red regalia, but whether that’s enough to merit a place in the last 16 of our competition is entirely up to you (while, as a point of order, it’s worth noting that the other black strip worn against Kalmar two years later will not be involved in these battles as it was technically a European kit as opposed to one worn solely due to a colour collision away from home).
In our bid to determine Cliftonville’s best and worst change strips of the last 30 years, we’re sending our fans to the polls to decide which weekly nomination makes progress to the competition’s next round – although the most recent addition to the collection will not be included.
The motivation behind your vote rests entirely with you. Perhaps it was the away strip the Reds wore in your first season following them across the land, or maybe there’s a favourite player from that era who’s synonymous with a particular kit in your mind’s eye.
Did the team surge to trophy success while bedecked in a certain top or, from a purely aesthetical point of view, do you just happen to like the colour and design more than the others?
Whatever your reason, we want supporters young and old to play their part in helping us compile a definitive list that stretches all the way back to 1990.
As part of the draw process, all of the jerseys in contention were divided into colour-coordinated pots (thus ensuring, for example, that no yellow kit would face off against another in the opening phase) before random pairings were conducted to produce 10 head-to-head battles – the most recent of which you can vote on below.
Our poll closes at noon on Monday, so you’ve got the whole weekend to take your time and make a considered decision before clicking the button.
Graceful Green
Supplier: Uhlsport
Sponsor: MDS
Worn: 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03
Notes: A straightforward design which mimicked Cliftonville’s home strip at the time, this was the only reverse kit worn throughout the duration of Uhlsport’s association with the Club in the early 2000s.
Bulgarian Black
Supplier: Puma
Sponsor: fonaCAB
Worn: v CSKA Sofia (July 27, 2010)
Notes: Sported just once due to a kit clash in the Europa League Third Qualifying Round First Leg tie with CSKA Sofia in the summer of 2010, this all-black number may not carry the same classification as a bona fide away strip but was a nevertheless popular ensemble among fans.
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