It seems right now that West Ham fans are just in a bad place. They’ve had a tough season and had to endure woeful football, three managers inside twelve months, continuing criticism of the ‘soulless bowl’ which is called ‘home’ and the usual nonsense come transfer-window time. But the kit release comments were quite surprising: As one who currently has eleven shirts from various era – and counting – I do find myself drawn to the damn’ things despite every ounce of common sense suggesting they’re a waste of money.
From all of the negativity surrounding the new kit you’d think it was some kind of Millwall – Spurs pastiche. Admittedly this is all one opinion – and you know what people say about opinions – everyone has one – but from the image below there’s surely more than an echo of the AVCO 1986 kit. Which is surely one of the most fondly remembered.
AVCO kit ’86: spot the difference
And at least it isn’t orange!
Is there just such a malaise amongst Hammers’ fans at the moment that pretty much every piece of news is seized on for worse rather than for better?
This is not a suggestion that we all go out and buy one – far from it: Eighty quid for any design which will be ‘history’ in twelve months time seems outrageous and a continual indictment of the commercialisation which every football fan has to endure these days ( I sound like my Dad).
But it is Claret, it still bears more than a passing resemblance to the shirt Cottee, McAvennie and Co graced Upton Park with in 1986, and you can buy one of those for about £25 on e-bay if you’d rather. It also goes to show how poor West Ham’s PR skills are, instead of announcing an ‘homage to 86’ it’s just been thrown onto the market without much thought.
Now if only we can find a couple of young strikers to emulate the Cottee -McAvennie combination. Forty six goals between the two in 1985-6. The whole team managed 49 last season.
How can you compare the two kits in anyway ?. the latest kit is terrible and it does make me wonder if the away fans who sing your not West Ham anymore really have a point, i do not recognize the team i love anymore, wrong ground, wrong kit.
Nod to the past maybe, but the new home shirt is awful.
It looks like a pyjama top.
There again, I won’t be buying it so I’m no longer the target market.
That kits gonner look just fine with white shirts and white socks. Which is the intention. Mind you it does look a bit like Burnley. Maybe we will get a mostly blue away strip and look like Manchester City.
Personally,I want a proper orange away shirt. All those crying about the one we wore when we won in Prague when it was 90% white anyway will similarly cry about anything we wear nowadays
Thank you for the picture of Frank it brought a smile to face for the first time in a while. Lovely memories.
Hmm, a homage to 86, not really. That’s been done before anyway when were kitted out by Adidas and it has a better resemblance to those shirts as it featured similar sky blue pinstripe hoops.
I don’t like this shirt but I’m not getting het up about it either. As long as the shorts and socks are white! 😉
Yes Stuart, apparently white and white
I agree. It did remind me of the 86 shirt. We have more to worry about than a lack of blue sleeves!
It’s an opinion piece so obviously can’t be wrong and I can absolutely understand the comparison being made but have to disagree.
The 85/86 Adidas one at least used the three stripes as a “replacement” for the typical blue sleeves and the whole shirt had blue pinstripes (I guess) running through it so the shirt was still essentially a “claret and blue” shirt.
This new Umbro one is solid claret with minimal blue on it. The fact it’s the last (for now at least) home shirt from the deal with them and you’d expect them to put out something which made a statement, especially with how fans haven’t exactly been thrilled with a lot they’ve done over the years. Unfortunately, the statement seems to be “Aren’t you glad to be seeing the back of us?”
Big difference Martin, the 85-86 shirt was classy, made by Adidas and had those three stripes down the arm. Plus the trefoil, the pinstripe and a proper West Ham badge not Brady’s tacky ‘West Ham London’ eyesore. Also the 85-86 didn’t have an oversized ‘Boyle bloody Sports’ plastered all over it & an awful green blob on the sleeve🤮
Each to their own though👍
I think you might be on to something there… West Ham could sign Erling Haarland and someone would complain about his a) goal scoring record. b) Injury record. c) Price West Ham paid. d) haircut.
Personally, I like the new West Ham top, we’ll see how it looks with shorts & socks, but it looks good to me.