Replica kits

[roversdude]

Anyone have any idea when these first became available, who has the oldest/most
I seem to have loads in loft
When I first started watching rovers I don't seem to recall replica shirts being the norm  (without giving my age away Brian Usher was my favourite player at the time)

[Filo]

When I were a kid, the only place you could buy a Rovers shirt from was Harrison Sports on East Laith Gate

[1879Rovers]

My old man ran a team at Peglers and we knew people at Rovers. We were given the squad kit from the late 70's. Red shirt-white shorts. If I could put a picture up I would as I have the team squad in a photo album that was sent to me by my old man.

First kit I had was from 1981, white shirt with red sleeves. My favourite ever rovers shirt was the one from around 1984/85, red shirt with shadow stripes (Pilkington Glass sponsors). I also liked the red and white hooped shirt before that when we were sponsored by CIL.

I haven't bothered for years now. They change every season and hardly look any different.

[Al4475]

I had the red shirt with the white sleeves, made by Hoboit, with Pilkington Glass being the Sponsers.

I think the first away shirt I bought was lquite a bit later than the that one. It was, I think, the one with the seaweed effect across the shoulder, although I may have had one from before then but don't recall as that particular one was my first real favourite away shirt!

[IDM]

My first was the green with white sleeves circa 1980/81...

[craigdrfc]

My first was the green/white away kit from the 83/84 season, my old man got it from Harrisons and had the CIL and number 9 printed on the back.

[DonnyNoel]

My first was the very dark red "Doncaster Star" shirt (worn by "the likes of" Ryan Kirby and Gary Brabin) from the mid 90's. I bought most shirts between 2002 and 2008 but stopped of late due to high cost/low differences in the kits. I will probably get next seasons away shirt though as it looks quite good.

Ones that also stand out from my collection are an East Riding Sacks home shirt, the home shirt from the first season in the conference (pre-sponsor) and the #4 shirt (so mainly worn be Lee Warren) from the end of the 97/98 season - the dark red one, not the lighter red one with white on the sleeves from earlier in the season).

[andysly]

First one I had was from about 77/78. Red shirt, white collar with V. Broad white stripe down the arms.
It didnt have a makers name or even a club badge and only available from a sport shop upstairs in Arndale centre who's name escapes me.
Don Valley sports ?

[DonnyNoel]

First one I had was from about 77/78. Red shirt, white collar with V. Broad white stripe down the arms.
It didnt have a makers name or even a club badge and only available from a sport shop upstairs in Arndale centre who's name escapes me.
Don Valley sports ?

Think my first one came from Sugg Sports in the Frenchgate, but they used to be tricky to get hold of for a while!

[RobTheRover]

My first was the green/white away kit from the 83/84 season, my old man got it from Harrisons and had the CIL and number 9 printed on the back.

As worn by Ernie Moss.  That is a classic shirt.

[hoolahoop]

Started going to Rovers in 67/8 but can't remember many wearing replica shirts up until the late 70's am I  mistaken ?
If I'm not mistaken they were almost impossible to get hold of in the 60's and certainly not de rigeur.

[Dagenham Rover]

I don't think you are mistaken it was rosettes, rattles, hand knitted scarves and bobble hats in those days

[hoolahoop]

I don't think you are mistaken it was rosettes, rattles, hand knitted scarves and bobble hats in those days

Scarves tied at the wrist for me and a bobble hat. I think you had the rattles in your era

[Dagenham Rover]

I don't think you are mistaken it was rosettes, rattles, hand knitted scarves and bobble hats in those days

Scarves tied at the wrist for me and a bobble hat. I think you had the rattles in your era

I just love you sometimes .......................you old git

[not on facebook]

Only rovers shirt i ever had was the home one,white with two red thin bands round the mid drift.

God knows where it came from as me old man got it for us.

[RobTheRover]

Only rovers shirt i ever had was the home one,white with two red thin bands round the mid drift.

God knows where it came from as me old man got it for us.

Dont forget Billy Sharp's shirt you won in the draw, Oslo.

[andysly]

Sugg Sports it was, well done that man.

[Mr1Croft]

Anyone have any idea when these first became available, who has the oldest/most
I seem to have loads in loft
When I first started watching rovers I don't seem to recall replica shirts being the norm  (without giving my age away Brian Usher was my favourite player at the time)

Being only 21 I don't have the history of the first DRFC shirt that came available to buy, but Leeds United are often quoted as the first club to start selling official replica shirts in 1975. In actual fact the whole story about clubs making money out of commercialization and other areas other than subscription fees and match day sales is a funny story. It was admiral who came up with the money making scheme, the clubs themselves would never have thought of it; selling shirts to the general public? It'll never catch on.

Clubs went from selling shirts to the public, to selling space on the shirts when after pursuing sponsorship deals to increase revenue there was increasing pressure for these logo's to be placed on the copyright shirts, for some reason or another, with the likes of Leeds and Manchester United now selling replica shirts to thousands of fans it never occurred to the clubs just how much that space on the middle of the shirt was worth to some companies. But for some reason or another the broadcasters such as ITV and BBC wouldn't televise games with shirts wearing sponsors logo. Ironic really as these two television companies would have to pay over the odds years later for TV rights for shows such as "Match of the Day" after the commercial industry of football inflated during the 90's.

When the penny finally began to drop, clubs started to realize they didn't have to pay for the shirts from the sponsors either, for the likes of Umbro and Admiral, their logo appearing on the shirt was advertising the clubs were paying for. The same story applies to the boots. In fact in the 70's there was a guy whose specific job was to enter the England dressing room a few hours before kick off and paint the stripes on the boots in luminous colors and when the game was broadcasted the company would watch the game to ensure the stripes were visible and if they weren't he didn't get paid.

For some, the start of replica kits being sold to the public (for sometimes thrice the cost) was the beginning of the commercial leg of football beginning to stand on its own, it allowed extra revenue for clubs at the top with huge followings but those lower down the pyramid weren't as successful, the beginning of inequality in football.

[River Don]

What with the new Nike England shirts just being released there was a piece about the history of the England shirt in the paper.

The first shirt they did that they really marketed to the public was the first Admiral one. It had a thick red and blue stripe down the arm, this was back in the days when England fans thought the English flag was a union jack.

It wasn't popular with the FA, one comment being it looks like they're wearing pyjamas. Admiral knew what they were doing though and understood that kids would want to wear the shirt of their heroes.

Before then the FA used to buy the plain kit for the team from their supplier Umbro!

It's sad how despite their head start Umbro and Admiral have largely fallen by the wayside and the Market has become dominated by Adidas and Nike.

[River Don]

Just to add to that, I remember being a fan of Sugg Sport in the Arndale as a kid. A proper sports shop that sold not casual wear but sports equipment! You could for instance buy cricket pads, running spikes or a snooker table there.

I particularly liked it because they did replica football kits but they also had tons of Subbuteo stuff.

[graingrover]

River Don ... subbuteo... I still have my first cloth pitch which of course was called Belle Vue .. I couldn't afford floodlights but had two torches and  re played the first match I saw Rovers play at Belle Vue underfloodlights .. I think it was against Hibernian. I had quite a few different teams .. the most exotic kit in those days was the gold and black shirts which represented only one club I seem to recall.I don't think there were any hooped teams available. All from Harrisons' Sports as Filo says.

[Drover]

Anyone remember what the sports shop in the waterdale was called?It was near where Greggs is now.Thats where I used to get most of my Subbuteo.I often browse Ebay to reminisce,theres loads on there and a good price paid for some of it.

[River Don]

I didn't go in Harrisons so much mainly because our bus came into the North bus station and Suggs was closer.

Did Harrisons have an upstairs? I do remember buying a pair of Nike waffle running trainers, from a small shop with an upstairs. I bought them for running in but by that time my obsession with trainers had started and I probably wore them as a fashion item as much as a sporting one.
 

[RobTheRover]

Yes, Harrisons had an upstairs.  It was a positive Aladdin's cave for cool trainers in the 80s.  I bought my Adidas ZX250s and Diadora Papa Borg from there

[roversdude]

Was there a large sports shop on spring gardens

[River Don]

Yes, Harrisons had an upstairs.  It was a positive Aladdin's cave for cool trainers in the 80s.  I bought my Adidas ZX250s and Diadora Papa Borg from there

They have had a limited re-release of Borg Elite in the expensivo kangaroo skin.

http://www.80scasualclassics.co.uk/p0/diadora-trainers/233545.htm

Still not as good as the original. Missing the slimmer hand stitched sole, the signature on the side and the little Italian flag near the back.

[IDM]

Thanks for the history Mr Croft

I remember in the late 70's actually having the catalogues for Admiral and Umbro.  This was at the time when the "trim" on shirts often had the manufacturer's logo running repeatedly down the sleeves.  Umbro and Admiral appeared to have the lion's share of the leading clubs, only a few like Forest seemed to use Admiral, with their 3 stripes running down the sleeve.

[roversdude]

Remember Leeds walking into middle of pitch with track suit tops on to wave to crowd
Also those stupid things that attached to socks with players number on
As much as you knock them they were professional money making gits

[donnymiles]

Remember my gran buying a shirt from the 65/66 season for me, then somehow buying a Doncaster Town crest badge and sewing it on for me, felt like the DB's in it. White shirt with red collar and cuffs. I must have about 10-12 different shirts including a Doncaster Free Press one. Maybe Im looking in the wrong place, but apart from the green shirt from Brentford, I haven't seen any pics of next season's shirts.

[1879Rovers]

Remember Leeds walking into middle of pitch with track suit tops on to wave to crowd
Also those stupid things that attached to socks with players number on
As much as you knock them they were professional money making gits

Also Don Revie had something to do with Admiral. As soon as he got the England job, they were suddenly wearing Admiral as well.

Some great memories of the sports shops in Donny. As a kid, I could spend ages in Harrisons and Suggs. Are either of them still about?

Suggs was the only sports shop I could get the stems I liked for my darts. Whenever I returned home I used to stock up.