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(This article was originally published in the WFC Programme in the 2001-02 season. It has not been changed, and may no longer be fully up-to date)
Sartorial sage, Paul Allison, gives his unwanted opinions on other peoples’ clothes
Watching your team run out in a kit you can be proud of is a key part of being a football fan, particularly if you are gullible enough to wear a replica shirt yourself. With the Rebels now on the their third season of respectable kits, and the dark days of the white and blue shoulder slashes on a sponsor-less and badge-less red shirt thankfully behind us now, we can concentrate on taking the mickey out of those teams less fortunate than ourselves.
First in the firing line has to be Bognor, who up until now have had a relatively easy time from this column. Their green and white abomination has scarcely changed in years, and is hardly the epitome of terrace cool. The away kit is obviously a rip-off of Pompey, which only serves to irritate me even more! Lewes have also taken the less classier option, downgrading from their stylish black and red Nike “Ajax” kit to a less well-know kit manufacturer. Further up in mid-Sussex, Crawley have gone for a classy Liverpool vibe this season, but their badge looks like it was drawn by an 8-year old.
Staines have a subtle yellow Nike home kit, which would be right up there were it not for the “Exchange Nite Spot” splashed across the front, invoking images of Ali G larging it with his massive on a “nite” out – their neighbours Slough must take the prize for a yellow kit with their classy design. Uxbridge play in a drab and sponsorless plain red shirt, Aylesbury are guilty of Bognor’s crime of little variety, and nearby Thame have gone for the safe option – surely the most common non-league colourway of “AC Milan-esque” red and white stripes (e.g. Yeading, Saltdean, Southwick and so on). Windsor & Eton’s red and green home kit may not be to everyone’s taste, but they do a nice line in away shirts. And at least Dulwich’s masculine pink and blue number dares to be a little different from the norm!
Back in Sussex, our County League neighbours Worthing United play in an eye catching Argentina strip of sky and white stripes with navy shorts – next seasons away kit? Along the A259, Wick also sport a Nike kit, almost plain red version of the Staines kit. This is particularly classy, and I would not mind seeing this as the next Worthing kit. Just one thing though, lets get rid of our jinxed all blue away colours next season!
7th Feb 2004