Sky Bet League One 2017 - 2018
The brands associated with JD Sports (Fila, Carbrini and Diadora) that were popular in the third and fourth tier have disappeared this season while Sondico are now trading as part of Sports Direct. Given that these two are bitter rivals (in 2011 Mike Ashley promised to crush JD Sports after he had finished off JJB Sports) this is something of a puzzle. JD Sports have consistently outperformed Ashley's company and are now valued £4.3bn while Sports Direct is worth a mere £1.7bn and has been beset by trouble over their working practices. It seems likely that JD Sports has dropped technical sponsorship in favour of larger profits in the sports leisure wear market (especially trainers). This is a shame as their brands consistently provided innovative and original designs to clubs in the lower divisions.
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Premier League | Championship | League One | League Two
First
Second
Designer: Umbro
Sponsor: Dafabet
Chronic mismanagement by Rover's owners, Venkeys (the chicken people) have brought the team into the third tier for the first time in 37 years and supporters to the limit of their patience. At least their team will be wearing decent kit this season. The change strip is a novel interpretation of an old favourite, the red and black stripes first seen in the Seventies and has already proved a big hit with supporters.
(Diamond One, Roger Whiteside)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Errea
Sponsor: TP
Blackpool have bounced straight back into League One but their win in the play-off final was marked by a continuing fan boycott, part of the orchestrated campaign to force the Oyston family to sell the club.
(Colin Russell, Thomas Howcroft)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Avec
Sponsor: JCT600
Bradford's distinctive blood and custard colours have appeared as broad stripes several times as far back as the 1930s. Teaming them with claret shorts is a more modern innovation, first seen in 1985. Black always appears, to honour the victims of the Bradford Fire and is now applied as detailing on the socks as well as the usual ribbon printed into the back of the shirt. The change strips look especially smart.
(Colin Russell)
First
Second
Designer: Macron
Sponsor: Thornton's Travel, Barrs Court Construction
There are a few minor tweaks to the trim on the first choice strip including sleeves that are reversed rather than simply white. Rovers' traditional colours always look their best when free of fussy detail. The change strip is a nod to the colours of the original Black Arabs FC from which Rovers evolved.
(Robert Healey)
First
Second
Designer: Kappa
Sponsor: Pay Sec, Tappit
After a number of experiments with extra trimmings, Bury have returned to a more traditional plain white shirts with contrasting crew neck, worn with blue shorts and socks. The alternative is very original.
(Diamond One, Robert Healey)
First
Special
v Portsmouth 9 Dec
Second
Third
Designer: Hummel
Sponsor: Betdaq
Danish firm Hummel have taken over from Nike so Charlton will at least stand out from the crowd. The change strip is in textured blue/grey fabric with navy raglan sleeves and shorts trimmed with silver. Now that's a good start. The first kit is straightforward design out of Hummel's catalogue but there's a lot of detailing to commemorate 25 years since the club returned to The Valley. The scroll under the badge, for example, reads "Back at The Valley" while the names of the players who appeared in 1992-93 are printed in the neck band. There's the Charlton sword embossed on the front and even a QR code on replicas that links to the history page on the club website. A one-off commemorative strip was worn when Portsmouth visited the Valley on 9 December for a special celebration match. Pompey were the visitors on 5 December 1992, Charlton's first match back at the Valley
The anticipated white third strip was introduced for the game at Scunthorpe at the end of November.
(Diamond One, Paul Clayton, Al Gordon)
First
Aug-Dec
First
Dec-May
Second
Aug-Dec
Dec-May
Charity
v Northampton 26 Dec
Designer: FBT
Sponsor: Virgin Trains
Chosen by supporters, Donny's new kits may be tough on the eye but they do have the virtue of originality. The red hoops on the first choice shirt are embossed with quotations from press reports that describe key moments from the last ten years that Rovers have been based at the Keepmoat Stadium. The change strip has ten bright green hoops on the front, one for each year. The charity shirt is in the colours of the Campaign Against Living Miserably.
The players did not like the
hooped socks so after Boxing Day the white set from the charity strip was worn with both 1st and 2nd kits.
(Bill Craven)
First
Second
Designer: Puma
Sponsor: BES Commercial Gas
Fleetwood have simply updated their red and white strip to incorporate the latest Puma trim.
(Alex Morris, Bill Craven)
First
Second
Third
Designer: GFC (Own Brand)
Sponsor: MEMS Power Generation
The Gills keep their kits for two seasons so all three sets are being used again.
First
Second
Third
Designer: Errea
Sponsor: Suzuki
As usual MK Dons have ordered matching strips in white, red and black.
(James Curtis, Sytse Korts)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Nike
Sponsor: University of Northampton
The very simple Striker IV design looks well combined with contrasting socks for the change strip. The first strip appears to be the latest Park VI template but six narrow vertical stripes have been added to give it some individuality. Full marks to the Cobblers' management for that but points deducted for the third strip.
(Diamond One, Colin Russell, Bill Craven)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Sondico
Sponsor: PFE Express Ltd
Sondico was a JD Sports brand but has now been acquired by Sports Direct. The new shirts have the club badge sublimated into the fabric and the shorts trim has an unpleasant jazz pattern printed into it. The choice of tangerine for the change kit is a popular one as it recalls the late sixties and early seventies when the Latics played in tangerine and blue. The white outfit is held over from last season.
(Natalie Seaton, Diamond One)
First
Second
Designer: Starter
Sponsor: Liontrust
Starter have come up with a straightforward take on the standard Oxford look with some navy panels added to the shirt for good measure. We also have a smart black alternative with silver trim.
(Diamond One)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Nike
Sponsor: Mick George
The Posh wore red socks with blue shirts and shorts in the Seventies and have decided to revive the look. The alternative has very narrow horizontal lines that fade towards black. Last season's bright yellow kit is recycled as third choice.
(Bruce E Bailey, Diamond One)
First
Second
Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Ginsters
Last season's dark green kit rendered the players virtually invisible so this term management have ensured there is plenty of contrast in the first choice strip. The citrus and black change kit is unspeakably, insanely, defiantly awful and supporters love it.
(Michael Grimley)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Sondico
Sponsor: Jobsite.co.uk
Ever since their supporters' trust rescued the club four years ago there has been steady progress, culminating in the League Two title last May. Supporters have chosen their team's three strips from a shortlist. The third choice features pink trim, a popular reference to their very first colours. The first choice references a favourite from the early 1970s.
(Andy McCallum)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Errea
Sponsor: Crown Oil
'Dales' latest first choice adds black and white trim to their customary blue shirts, white shorts combination. The striped second choice reproduces the team's original colours. Third choice is Errea's Athens shirt.
(Henry France, Mark Wilbraham, Daniel Mann)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Hodge Clemco, Mears
I certainly prefer these Puma designs to the new Striker template. Very smart, as are the alternatives, the new Dominate design.
(Diamond One,
Zachary Lewis, Neil Adamson)
First
Second
Special
2 Feb v Rotherham
Designer: FBT
Sponsor: British Steel
FBT have replaced Carbrini. The "home" strip is similar to last season but with the colours reversed while the alternative is in the same template but in the now established green and black change colours. A special strip in the corporate colours of British Steel was commissioned to celebrate British Steel Family Day. These were then auctioned off in support of British Steel's chosen charity.
(Richard Young)
First
Second
Designer: Errea
Sponsor: The Energy Check, Shropshire Homes
As usual the Shrews are wearing an interesting shirt in their amber and blue colours. The alternative is orange with a delicate diagonal graphic in white and blue across the shirt. After ten years Greenhous are no longer sponsoring Shrewsbury's shirts.
(Alex Morris, Jack Henderson)
First
August
First
From September
Second
August
From September
Designer: Nike
Sponsor: Martin Dawn, The Amy May Trust
No surprises here: Southend have updated to one of Nike's latest template as they usually do each season. The navy strip always looks smart with white stockings and the tonal effect on the sleeves and side trim works quite well. From the beginning of September the front of shirt logo was changed to support a charitable trust that raises awareness of the dangers of nut allergies. The trust is named after the chairman's niece who suffered a catastrophic allergic reaction in 2014 that left her with permanent brain damage.
(Alec Hitchman)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Errea
Sponsor: Homeserve
The Saddlers have switched from Carbrini to Errea this term and have gone with two simple designs with some bold touches. All-red has featured in the kit hamper before and here is set off by white trim and black detailing at the collar. The all-black alternative features white piping along the edge of the red trim and narrow sublimated diagonal lines on the front of the shirt.
(Zachary Lewis, Jamie Boot)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Kappa
Sponsor: Inter Sport
The Latics are back in the third tier once again after just one season in the Championship. Kappa have come up with a new interpretation of the traditional blue and white stripes with the addition of some pinstripes. The alternatives are beautifully simple single colour outfits trimmed with metallic gold. All three sets feature skin-tight jerseys.
(George Chilvers, Diamond One)
First
Second
Third
Designer: Admiral/Puma
Sponsor: SI Games
The "Jolly Green Giant" third kit is retired in accordance with the club's two-year kit rotation policy. The club has signed a deal with Puma who make their new third strip and training gear. Puma will replace the first and second kits next season.
(Mark Randall, Leo Howard, Diamond One)
