The marketing of replica
kits now exploded and everyone who considered him or her
self to be a supporter was expected to turn out on match day
wearing the current replica kit. The leading clubs
faced increasing criticism for exploiting their fans by
changing strips too frequently. As a result of this
pressure, most top Premier League clubs entered into a
voluntary agreement to retain their kits for two seasons. By
the end of the decade clubs were required to include a “sell
by” date.
In the FA Cup final of
1991 Tottenham Hotspur, once again set the trend by turning
out in long, baggy shorts. Many sniggered at the time but
within no time at all, every team in the Football League was
turning out in similar kit.
With the launch of the
Premier League in 1992 there came a vogue for generously cut
retro strips. The wave of nostalgia led to the success
of companies like “Toffs” who marketed replica cotton shirts
to fans. In contrast there was also a thoroughly
modern trend for varied patterns, vivid colours, paint
flecks and abstract designs. The typical kit of the
period was a cluttered, busy affair with complicated
collars, contrasting trims, elaborate shadow stripes and
piping. Players' names were now printed out on the
back of their shirts, ostensibly to aid recognition.
It was also a smart marketing move, as fans could now pay
for the privilege of having their idol's name - or indeed
their own - printed on their expensive new replica shirts.
Towards the end of the
decade styles became more minimal and the emphasis was on
the technology of the material as much as the design.
Reversed seams appeared for a more comfortable fit without
rubbing the skin while lightweight, hi-tech fabrics promised
to keep the wearer cool (or warm) and draw moisture away
from the body. Each company introduced its own new
fabric, enhanced with mesh panels, integral undershirts and
other features that would enable peak performance, or so it
was claimed.
click on a kit icon below
to go direct to details for that season
90-91
91-92
92-93
93-94
94-95
95-96
96-97
97-98
98-99
99-2000
1990-91 Second
Division
The same Scoreline design as used in 89-90
was used for both home & 'away' kits this season, but the
sponsor design was changed by placing the company logo
above "PERGAMON".
8 Sep 1990,
Les Phillips
West Bromwich Albion v OUFC
1 Sep 1990,
Les Robinson
Notts County v OUFC
1 Apr 1991,
Les Robinson
Sheffield Wednesday v OUFC
1991-92 Second Division
The Matchwinner produced kit used in this
season, and the next, featured an asymmetrical design on
both the shoulder and shorts patterning. The away
strip was in the same design as the home kit, but was in
all red with blue patterning. This was the first
of eight seasons that Unipart were the shirt sponsors.
1993-94Finished 23rd in Division One (level 2),
relegated to Division Two.
This term saw the use of a home and an away
kit, made by Matchwinner, that were played in for just this
season only. The home shirt had a very complicated
yellow and white stripped patterning on dark blue sleeves,
and the away kit used the infamous 'deckchair' shirt, which
was a red, white and blue psychedelic affair! The ox head
badge on this 'away' shirt was yellow on the match used
version, but white on the replica tops - while on the home
shirts a new badge, to commemorate the centenary of the
club, was used for this season only.
Alternative kit
20-11-93 @ Leicester City
(Lge)
18-12-93 @ Portsmouth (Lge)
'Away' kit
05-02-94 @ Luton Town (Lge)
1993-94 Home shirt
1993-94 'Away' shirt
click on the shirt for a
close-up of the badge
click on the shirt for a
close-up of the badge
The centenary badge, as used on
home shirts for this season only
Micky Lewis
18
Dec 1993, Joey Beauchamp Portsmouth v OUFC
5
Feb 1994, Jim Magilton Luton Town v OUFC
5
Feb 1994, Matt Elliott Luton Town v OUFC
1994-95 Division Two
(level 3)
Another change of strip, and another new
manufacturer in Manor Leisure, saw the kit follow on from
the previous seasons style in having blue sleeves, but of a
much simpler design. The ox head club badge was also
used on the chest of the shirt in a pale, very large,
repeating diagonal pattern. Another completely new 'away' kit was also used, this being
the red & black stripped 'AC Milan' style top, used with
black shorts and socks.
1994-96 Home shirt (long sleeved version) match
worn
click on the shirt for a
close-up of the badge
click on the shirt for a
close-up of the badge
1994-95 & 96-97 'Away' shirt
click on the shirt for a
close-up of the badge
1994-95 Squad click to enlarge
David Smith
14 Jan 1995, Alex Dyer & Mark Druce Bristol
Rovers v OUFC
17 Sep 1994,
John Byrne
Brighton & Hove Alb. v OUFC
11 Mar 1995, Paul Moody
Cambridge United v OUFC
13
Nov 1994 Marlow v
OUFC
Pre-season - Stuart Massey OUFC v Aston Villa
1995-96Runners-up in Division Two (level 3), promoted to Division
One.
The home kit for this season was identical to
that of the previous one, apart from a change to the yellow
trim on the shorts, which now consisted of two yellow
flashes on either side of the hips and not the single yellow
hoop on the leg as in 94-95. The 'away' strip, once again, proved to be an unpopular
choice, being a silver/grey patterned shirt and shorts, used
with either yellow or the blue home socks. The
previous season's away kit was used as a third choice during
this campaign.
The season saw a return to a home strip that
was very basic in design, having a plain yellow shirt with
just the addition of thin blue banding at the cuffs and neck
(which was also a return to a collarless type). There was also the introduction of a new club badge on the
shirt, which featured the previously used ox head, this time
placed over water, and inside a shield shape. No
wording was written within the badge, but the copperplate
lettering of "O.U.F.C." was stitched in the opposite side of
the chest. The unpopular silver/grey away kit was also dropped in
favour of a return to the red and black stripped design of
94-95, but with the "O.U.F.C." lettering taking the place of
the Manor Leisure logo.
Early in 1997,
during a period of financial trouble at OUFC,
there were rumours that the club were having
discussions with Flavio Briatore (of Renault F1
fame), the owner of Juventus, about a possible
take-over, or some kind of link between the two
clubs. This shirt was apparently a prototype that was
made up at the time, and it was proposed that if
the deal went through this would be United's
second strip. The take-over, or link, never happened, and
consequently this kit was never adopted.
The home
kit this year was designed by a fan after a
competition in the Oxford Mail. It was, apparently, based the
yellow
Liverpool change kit used from 93-96.
This prototype
(label date 3-5-96) incorporated the ox head
motif of the previous season, but was not used
on the final shirt design.
The new design of badge, first used in this season
Matt Elliott
5
Nov 1996, Nigel Jemson OUFC v Port Vale
8 Sep 1996, Matt Elliott Reading v OUFC
18 Dec 1996, Bobby Ford Southampton v OUFC
31 Aug 1996, Joey Beauchamp Port Vale v OUFC
21 Jan 1997, Martin Aldridge
Watford v OUFC
1997-98 Division One
(level 2)
The home kit remained the same as in the
previous season. A new, all white (with blue & yellow
trim) 'away' strip was used, with the new badge centrally
positioned.
1998-99Finished 23rd in Division One (level 2),
relegated to Division Two.
Minimal change took place in the kits for
this season. A slightly modified home shirt that had a
v neck and slightly different trim was used, and the badge
on the shirt was changed with the addition of "OXFORD United
F.C." within the shield. The new maker's logo
(New Balance) was now on both home and away shirts - in the
place of "O.U.F.C." on the home shirt, and above the central
badge on the 'away' top.
1997-99 'Away' shirt ('New Balance' above badge for this season)
click on the shirt for a
close-up of the badge
click on the shirt for a
close-up of the badge
3
Oct 1998, Phil Gilchrist Huddersfield v OUFC
3
Feb 1999, Jamie Cook Chelsea v OUFC
6
Feb 1999, Brian Wilsterman Wolves v OUFC
7
Nov 1998, Watford v OUFC Oxford had to use
Watford's pale blue
away shirt in this match after only
taking their home shirts to the game.
Oxford United v Chelsea, 25 Jan 1999, F.A. Cup.
Part 1 -
Part 2 -
Part 3
1999-2000 Division Two
(level 3)
The team continued with the same home kit for
this season, but a new 'away' strip was used: consisting of
a blue top with white sleeves, with white shorts and socks.
The wording within the badge was changed (at least on the
new 'away' shirt) to just "OXFORD UNITED".
This was the final season with Unipart as the shirt sponsor.
The White away shirt of the previous two seasons was also
used as a third option.
This season saw the introduction of specific
squad numbers for players, and was also the first in which
players' names were shown on the shirt.
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