Laced crew necks all but
disappeared aside from a few die-hard traditionalist clubs
in favour of collared shirts. Hooped stockings became
extremely popular. During the early Fifties most clubs
stuck to their traditional designs with only minor
alterations to shirt and stocking trims.
In 1953 Bolton Wanderers played in the FA Cup Final in a
novel kit made from shiny material, the first time that
artificial fabric had been used in the manufacture of shirts
and shorts. The first predominantly pale stockings
appeared in the early 1950s and by the end of the decade
white socks became widely available.
Continental influences
were seen in new lightweight strips that began to appear in
1955, featuring bold V-necks, short sleeves and more
streamlined shorts. There were several innovations in
design, perhaps most notably the “candy-stripes” first worn
as change strips by Manchester City and Aston Villa in
successive FA Cup finals (1956 and 1957 respectively). This
design enjoyed a vogue that lasted until the mid Sixties.
By the end of the
Fifties the heavy playing kits and boots of previous eras
had disappeared.
click on a kit icon below
to go direct to details for that season
45-46
47-48
48-49
49-50
50-51
52-53
53-54
57-58
1945-46
Orange shirts with blue sleeves
Home kit
'Away' kit
1945-46 Senior
Cup Final
1947-48 Joined Spartan
League.
Home kit
'Away' kit
1947-48 click to enlarge
1948-49
Orange & blue
Home kit
'Away' kit
1949-50 Joined Southern
League. First professional season.
Home kit
'Away' kit
1949-50,
selection notice
(colours differ from that used in the League
match photo - right)
The club badge,
as worn on shirts in this season
(colours are estimated)
Sep 1949,
first
home game
in Southern League
1950-51
For the first match at the Manor played under
floodlights, v Banbury Spencer (18 Dec 1950), United played
in white shirts and blue shorts, because of the clash with
Banbury's gold shirts and red shorts -even though it was a
home game. They also played in the same colours in the
next floodlit match, v Swindon Town (31 Jan 1951), so
whether these were actually the official 'away' kit colours,
or just a strip played in under floodlights is uncertain.
White shirts
Blue shorts
Home kit
'Away' kit
18-12-50 v Banbury Spencer
31-01-51 v Swindon Town
1950-51 first &
reserve teams click to enlarge
1952-53 Southern League
Champions.
Home kit
'Away' kit
1952-53 click to enlarge
A new badge
design had been introduced by this season, and
was also worn on the shirt
(colours are estimated)
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