(Guest contributor: Owen Kelleher)
Every season, about a month or so before it all comes to an end, everyone starts planning
their summer vacations or what to watch on TV now that football is leaving us
for a few months; but not me. Other than the football season itself, new shirt
release season has to be my favorite time of year! Seeing what designs the big
boys bring out (Adidas, Nike , Umbro, Puma etc.) and comparing it to the more
extravagant designs from the smaller companies (Macron and Warrior among others).
Then you get the
world cup years. Every 4 years you get an extra stack of jerseys to drool all
over, but that really is only the case if you come from Brazil, Germany, Spain
or any of the big boys that are almost always guaranteed to be in the world
cup. But what about us folks from the small island countries, or gigantic
countries who just don’t care enough about football? Well we just have to wait
and hope that we make it next time, so with that being said I’m going to do a
rundown of my all time favorite Republic of Ireland jerseys.
In no special order
of course…
Post 1994 World Cup
This one was Umbro’s
first go at an Ireland jersey in 1994 and they did not disappoint! It was released
after the 1994 world cup, and like other 90’s kits it was filled with patterns
and shapes, things that made 90’s jerseys probably the most entertaining. Now,
I love Umbro (despite their partnership with Manchester United in the 90’s),
their kits are almost always pleasant and they’re very detail oriented, which (in
my opinion) is something that can make or break a jersey design. And for all
the Irishmen (or women) reading, who might disagree with my love-affair with
this particular jersey, I have just one thing to say:
2002 World Cup Qualifying
This jersey is a
beaut! Released in 2000/2001 for the 2002 World Cup qualifiers (yes THAT world
cup). Another classic design with beautiful small details by Umbro. It was a
lovely soft cotton a nice change from the silky shiny jerseys that were doing
the rounds just prior to this one. Simple clean design with the white trim on
the sleeves and white collar.
World Cup 1994
This is a big
one! This Irelands away kit from USA ’94 is a spectacular piece from Adidas. A
great design if you ask me. The Irish flags on both sleeves, the green stripes
fading to a V on the stomach of the shirt with the orange pin striping- PURE
CLASS! And with a great collar design as well. Oh, and lets not forget that if
your wearing this shirt you can re-create this moment of world cup greatness:
Packie Bonner
What can I say
about this jersey? Worn by THE GREATEST goalkeeper of all time (in my opinion)
Packie Bonner. The 6ft 2in beast from Co. Donegal spent his entire senior
career at Celtic (20 seasons) in the Scottish Premier League, in which he
helped them win 4 Scottish titles (and he made it on to a postage stamp). This
is also the only time I have ever liked a yellow kit. Bonner became the
Republic of Ireland's most capped goalkeeper with 80 appearances for his
country. He held this record until it was surpassed in 2007 by fellow Donegal
native Shay Given, who by the end of 2011 had achieved 120 caps. Bonner remains
a cultural icon in Ireland for his role in some of the most memorable moments
in Irish sporting history, including the win over England at Euro 88, the draws
with England and the Netherlands at Italy 90, and of course, the penalty save
that sent Ireland to the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first and to
date, the only time. Now who could hate on that?
2010-2012
The home kit
worn between 2010 and 2012 is another impressive simple Umbro design. Nothing
special really happened for Ireland
2008-2009
I was delighted
when this jersey was released; with this home kit for 2008/09 Umbro smashed it
out of the park once again! (that’s right, a baseball analogy for a footy piece).
The template was used on hundreds of jerseys and I loved it. I know people get
upset about the lack of imagination some brands have when designing jerseys (I
personally don’t think Nike have designed a jersey in years they’re almost
always the same) but it is once again Umbro who are the champions of detail.
The white and orange on the sides of the stomach and chest is fantastic! The
white and orange collar…beautiful!
HONORABLE MENTION:
These jerseys
were never actually released. Adidas made them as a sample for Ireland, using
the very popular template that was made famous for being on Liverpool and
Germanys jerseys at the time. They are also the last jerseys to feature the
shield and 4 shamrocks crest on the chest.
(Written by guest contributor: Owen Kelleher, Edited by FootyFair's: Kon Rabinovich)
(Written by guest contributor: Owen Kelleher, Edited by FootyFair's: Kon Rabinovich)
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