Historical Football Kits

 

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Burton Albion

Formed 1950

Promoted to League Two 2009

Kit History

burton albion fc 1950-51

1950-1951 m

Also worn with hooped socks
burton albion 1951-52

1951-1955 a m

burton albion 1955-56

1955-1956 a

burton albion fc 1956-57

1956-1957 m

burton albion 1957

1957-1958 a

burton albion fc 1958-60

1958-1960 m

burton albion fc 1960-62

1960-1962 m

burton albion 1963

1963-1967 a m

burton albion fc 1967-69

1967-1969 m

burton albion fc 1969-71

1969-1971 m

burton albion fc 1971-72

1971-1972 i m

burton albion 1972-73

1972-1973 f m

burton albion 1974-75

1973-1975 e j m

burton albion 1975-76

1975-1976 f

Adidas
burton albion fc 1976-77

1976-1977 m

burton albion fc 1977

Aug-Oct 1977 m

burton albion fc 1977-78

Nov 77-Jan 78 m

burton albion fc 1978-79

Feb 78-1979

Umbro
burton albion 1979

1979-1980 a l m

78-79 shirts also used
Umbro
burton albion fc 1981-83

1981-1982 l

Umbro
burton albion fc 1982-83

1982-1983 k m

Umbro
burton albion fc 1983-84

1983-1984 m

Detailing of shorts & socks not confirmed
Umbro
burton albion fc aug-december 1984

Aug-Dec 1984 m

Umbro
burton albion 1984

Dec 1984-1985 a m

Umbro
burton albion fc 1985-86

1985-1986 m

See notes
burton albion 1986

1986-1988 a h m

New Olympic (Shirt)
burton albion 1987-88

1987 FA Trophy Final h m

New Olympic
burton albion 1988-89

1988-1989 h l m

New Olympic
burton albion 1989-90

1989-1990 h l m

Spall
burton albion fc 1990-91

1990-1991 m

Spall
burton albion fc 1991-92

1991-1992 m

Hero
burton albion fc 1992

Aug-Dec 1992 m

Hero
burton albion fc 1993

Jan-May 1993 m

ACE
burton albion fc 1993-94

1993-1994 i m

Tag
burton albion 1994-95

1994-1995 c h i

Tag
burton albion 1995-96

1995-1996 e i m

Tag
burton albion 1997

1996-1998 a i

Tag
burton albion 1999

1999-2000 a g i

Tag
burton albion 2001

2000-2002 b m

Also plain black socks
Tag
burton albion 2002

2002-2004 Home b c i

Tag
burton albion 2002-04

2002-2004 Away b c i

Tag
burton albion 2004

2004-2005 Home c g i

Tag
burton albion 2004-05 away kit

2004-2005 Away c g i

Tag
burton albion 2005-06

2005-2006 Home i

Tag
burton albion 2005-06 away

2005-2006 Away i

Tag
burton albion 2006 v man utd

'06 FA Cup 3rd Rd i

v Manchester Utd
Tag
burton albion 2006

2006-2008 c i m

Tag
burton albion 2008-10

2008-2010 d

Tag
burton albion 2010-11 home kit

2010-2011 d

Tag
burton albion 2011-12 home kit

2011-2013 d

Tag
burton albion fc 2013-14 home kit

2013-2015 d

Tag
burton albion 2015-16 kit

2015-2016 d

Tag
burton albion 2016-17 1st kit

2016-2017 d

Tag
burton albion 2017-18

2017-2018 d

Tag
burton albion 2018-19

2018-2019 d

Tag
burton albion 2019-20 1st

2019-2020 d

Tag
burton albion 2020-21

2020-2021 d

Tag
burton albion 2021-22

2021-2022 d

Tag
burton albion 2022-23

2022-2023 d

 

Background

burton albion fc 1951-52 team groupWhen Burton Albion were 19 points clear at the top of the Blue Square National Conference in December 2008, promotion to the Football League seemed a formality but over the next four months they managed to squander their lead and might have conceded the championship when they lost at Torquay in their final game. Fortunately for them, Cambridge United, now only three points behind, failed to win their last game against Altrincham. Albion's elevation meant that the brewing centre of Burton on Trent had a team in the Football League for the first time since Burton United failed re-election in 1907.

Burton United, formed by the merger of Burton Swifts and Burton Wanderers, went out of business in 1910. burton albion programme 1950-51During the inter-war years, the town's senior team was Burton Town but they also closed down during the Second World War. Burton Albion, who are inevitably known as "The Brewers," were formed in 1950 to fill the gap. The brand new team played at the Lloyds Foundry Ground, attracting 5,000 spectators for their inaugural game against Gloucester City. Although the team did not wear a badge the rather clever graphic on the front of their programmes would reappear as their official crest some 44 years later.

Over the next few years the team became established in the Birmingham League and reached the third round of the FA Cup in 1956.

In the Spring of 1958 Albion were admitted to the Southern League and in September they moved into their new home, Eton Park, which had been built on a plot of land bought for £2,000 by their supporters' club. The team struggled at this higher level and the cost of their new ground left them in a precarious financial position, with crowds rarely rising above 300. In October 1962 a young Peter Taylor was appointed manager, consolidating the team and leading them to win the Southern League Cup in 1964. Taylor left to become burton albion crest 1971assistant manager to Brian Clough at Hartlepools United but the team he built won promotion to the Southern Premier league in 1966.

For the 1972-73 season, the coat of arms of the County Borough of Burton on Trent appeared on the team's shirts. In 1974 the borough was subsumed into East Staffordshire District Council.

The Brewers moved between the Southern Premier and First Divisions during the 70s and 80s but when the Alliance Premier League was formed in 1979, they were invited to join the Northern Premier League. With the top teams now competing in the APL, the standard in the feeder leagues was somewhat lower and Albion's results and attendances improved considerably. During Neil Warnock's period as manager in the early 80s, the Northern Premier League Cup was won and the club produced a steady stream of promising young players. In January 1985, Albion reached the FA Cup Third Round for the second time with a plum fixture against Leicester City. To accommodate the enormous crowd, the match was played at Derby's Baseball Ground: after Albion equalised burton albion crest 1987 fa trophy finalelements of the crowd rioted and Albion's goalkeeper was struck on the head by a piece of wooden seating. He spent the rest of the game in a dazed state as Leicester ran out 6-1 winners. The FA ordered the game to be replayed behind closed doors, Leicester winning 1-0. The shirts ordered from Umbro for this tie became the regular first choice the following season, 1985-86.

burton albion crest 1988In January 1987 Burton Albion travelled to Wembley to play Kidderminster Harriers in the FA Challenge Trophy final. A new crest was designed for the occasion inspired by the town's traditional brewing industry. The match ended 0-0 and was replayed the following week at The Hawthornes: Albion were beaten 1-2, the Harriers' goalkeeper having saved a penalty in the 86th minute.

After this high point, managers came and went in rapid succession before the team sunk into mid-table mediocrity after the club rejoined the Southern League in 1987-88. The burton albion crest 1992brewer crest reappeared the following season.

For the 1992-93 season the playing strips were provided by Hero with the club's name simply printed on until a new crest was introduced in January. A modified version that looked less like a beermat appeared the next season.

burton albion crest 1993Perhaps the brewer crest did not go down too well with supporters burton albion crest 1993-94because in 1994 the tubby footballer drawn around the club's initials which had originally appeared in 1950 was reinstated and worn on the team's shirts for the first time.

A new chairman, Ben Robinson launched a share issue in 1997 that helped fund improvements to bring Eton Park up to Conference requirements but playing standards failed to match up to the raised expectations of supporters. A few weeks into the 1998-99 season Nigel Clough was appointed player-manager, a coup that captured national headlines. Over the following years, and despite burton albion fc crest 1994being courted by a number of top level clubs, Clough built a highly successful team. After finishing as Southern Premier Division runners up in 2000 and 2001, Albion switched back to the Northern Premier League, burton albion crest 2006winning the championship at the first attempt and moving up to the National Conference.

In 2005 Burton Albion moved to the new Pirelli Stadium and the crest was updated to coincide with this move, now appearing out of a shield that included the teams third colour, white. Pirelli's logotype was placed just below the new badge.

The following season Albion took Manchester United to a replay in the FA Cup third round, for which a special kit was commissioned.

In 2008 the team reached the play-offs for the first time. Clough was finally tempted away in January 2009 to manage Derby County, the club where his father had made his reputation, and his place as manager was taken by Roy MacFarland, another of Clough Senior's protégés. Albion secured promotion to the Football League at the end of the season.

The 2014-15 season ended with Albion as champions of League Two followed immediately by promotion to the Championship but in 2018 they dropped back into the third tier.

You are welcome to Contact Me with corrections and additions.

Sources

  • (a) brewersnet
  • (b) Alliance to Conference (John Harman 2004)
  • (c) Oldfootballshirts.com
  • (d) Burton Albion Official website
  • (e) Clive Nicholson
  • (f) Richard Ralph
  • (g) Keith Ellis (HFK Research Associate)
  • (h) Mark E Mosedale
  • (i) Dan Bower
  • (j) Keith Ellis
  • (k) Mark Monk
  • (l) Mark Alton
  • (m) Dan & Rob Bower
  • (n) Michael Gluck

Photograph courtesy of Burton Albion Football Club, The Birmingham League Years (Chris Wood 2013) available from Burton Albion's club shop and the Magic Attic.

Crests are the property of Burton Albion FC. I am grateful to Dan and Rob Bower who supplied comprehensive details of missing kits for this section as well as details of Albion's early crests. Mark Alton discovered the 1950-51 programme with the original tubby footballer.