Latin matter
There’s a distinctly South American flavour to the third installment of our Away Kit Battle as we pit another two strips against one another this weekend.
The Argentina-style Blue & White Stripes that Cliftonville sported on the road during the 1996/97 season goes head-to-head with the Yellow Shirt & Blue Shorts combination worn from 1990-1993 and which is more commonly associated with their Clásico del Atlántico rivals Brazil
In our bid to determine the Reds’ 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 – with a special second-chance saloon offered to all of the shirts which lose out in the opening phase, just to be absolutely sure that none are discarded through sheer misfortune of the draw.
The motivation behind your vote rests entirely with you. Perhaps it was the away strip Cliftonville 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 Reds 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 second of which you can vote on below.
The shirts worn during both the 1997/98 and 2003/04 seasons have already made safe progress and now it’s time to determine their next companion from this Latin American offering – but there’s no need to rush. 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.
Argentina Stripes
Supplier: Le Coq Sportif
Sponsor: KitKat
Worn: 1996/97
Notes: Sported during a campaign that saw Cliftonville reach their first Irish Cup Final since 1979, this strip is already known to have split opinion among our fanbase, many of whom regard it as an under-appreciated classic, while others have done everything in their power to erase it from the memory bank.
Brazilian Simplicity
Supplier: Spall
Sponsor: Total Haulage
Worn: 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93
Notes: One of the first away kits produced for fans to buy in replica, this is the oldest kit in our poll but can it maintain the 100% record of yellow-shirted representation in our Round of 16?
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