Ultra-Rare Old Umbro Prototype Kits Revealed - Ajax, Manchester City & Rangers
May 15, 2021, by Khoi
Ever wondered what your favourite team's kit might have looked like before going on sales? Let us take you through some of the old Umbro prototypes of the late 80s' that never made it to the production phase. Big thanks to @VFshirts for getting their hands on them.
Ajax Amsterdam 89-90
These are the pre-production home & away jerseys.
The home shirt is not too far off from the final one with no red hoops on the cuffs. Also, instead of having the Umbro diamonds printed everywhere, the prototype had subtle diagonal stripes.
However, the away jersey is a totally different story. Initially, Umbro wanted to use a rather conventional look (for the 80s that was) with lines of horizontal diamonds running around the shirt, sparing the shoulders. But that was too simple for a team like Ajax, so they drastically changed the design.
Umbro decided to go wild. Geometric shapes, in red, white and blue, are placed almost everywhere all over the jersey. The only trace of the prototype is on the shoulder and part of the left chest with vertical white lines and blue background.
Depends on your taste, this is either out of this world or outright awful. But one thing for sure, the classic Ajax logo coming back to the 21-22 season is a welcoming sight.
While Ajax didn't adopt the Umbro away prototype, other teams did, notably Chelsea and Luton Town.
Manchester City 88-90
From one champion to another, take a look at the away Manchester City prototype.
In this instance, not much was changed except for a lighter colour scheme as the one on the pre-production shirt might have looked too similar to West Ham.
Derby County was supposed to get this template as well, but they chose to go for a, well, more radical approach and also way less red.
Rangers FC 87-90
Compare to the above prototypes, this one definitely has a more simplistic styling to it. Predominantly white with thin verticle blue stripes.
Across the chest are two horizontal red and lines with the latter dips down to make a V-shape on the right chest.
Rangers ultimately picked the diagonally split red and white design which resembles nowadays AS Monaco home jersey. Both the official and prototype shirts are great, though, we wonder what might have happened if Rangers went for the latter.
What do you think of these prototypes? Let us know what is/are your favourite design(s) in the comment section.
Vitesse 26-27 Away Kit Released
Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem have officially launched their new 26-27 away kit. Made by Robey, the away uniform was released today and is available to purchase immediately via the official club store.
The Robey Vitesse 26-27 away shirt draws its design inspiration from the club's classic kits worn during the 1997-1999 era. By looking back at the late 1990s, Robey has created a modern aesthetic that pays homage to Vitesse's past for the upcoming campaign.
Slavia Praha 26-27 Home & Away Kits Released
Slavia Praha and Castore have officially unveiled the club's new home and away kits for the 26-27 season. The designs are the result of a special collaboration with Czech graphic designer and illustrator Pavel Fuksa.
The Castore Slavia Praha 26-27 home kit stays true to tradition, featuring the club's classic red and white halved design. The Castore Slavia Praha 26-27 away kit introduces a black base, accented with contrasting gold and red elements. The club has also confirmed that a third kit will be released in September.
The launch campaign for the new Castore Slavia Praha 26-27 kits included a teaser video featuring the phrase "Kde je naše doma" (Where our home is), accompanied by the exact coordinates of the club's Eden Arena (50.0674458 N, 14.4715114 E).
Viktoria Plzeň 26-27 Home Kit Released
The new FC Viktoria Plzeň home kit for the 26-27 season has been officially released. Made by Macron, the new jersey was launched under the campaign theme 'Our rivers, our forests, our CLUB' (Naše řeky, naše lesy, náš KLUB).
The Macron Viktoria Plzeň 26-27 home shirt features the club's traditional red and blue colors. The design is inspired by the natural landscape of the local region, incorporating subtle visual elements that represent the rivers and forests mentioned in the launch motto.
The Macron FC Viktoria Plzeň 26-27 home jersey is available to purchase through the club's official retail channels.
Krasnodar 26-27 In-House Home & Away Kits Released
FC Krasnodar has revealed its new home and away kits for the 26-27 season. Continuing a recent trend for the Russian Premier League club, the new jerseys are made in-house and do not feature a prominent sportswear manufacturer logo.
The 26-27 home and away shirts follow the precedent set during the 24-25 and 25-26 campaigns, where Krasnodar also opted for unbranded gear. By keeping production internal, the club maintains full control over the design and manufacturing processes for their matchday equipment.
Both the new in-house home and away kits will be worn throughout the 26-27 Russian Premier League season. It remains to be seen if the club will eventually return to a recognized technical sponsor or continue with their own bespoke production.
1. FC Slovácko 26-27 Home Kit Released
Czech First League club 1. FC Slovácko have officially unveiled their new home kit for the 26-27 season. Made by Puma, the new shirt was presented in a joint announcement that also introduced the club's latest signing, Lukáš Vorlický.
The Puma 1. FC Slovácko 26-27 home jersey was revealed through an official launch video on the club's social media channels. Rather than a traditional standalone kit launch, the club used the opportunity to simultaneously showcase their new player and the latest Puma equipment for the upcoming campaign.
The 1. FC Slovácko 26-27 home kit will be worn by the team during the upcoming domestic season. Fans can view the new design in the promotional photos and announcement video shared by the club.
Juventus 26-27 Away Kit - Spotted for Sale Again
The Juventus 2026-27 away kit & the shorts have once again been spotted on sale at a retail store. Its official release is expected soon. Thanks to @La_Bianconera for the photos.
The kit includes speckled embossed details on the front, which are most likely drawn from zebra-inspired motifs.
No More Phantom 6: Cole Palmer Back to the Mercurial Vapor 17 Boots?
Chelsea star Cole Palmer has been spotted wearing the new Nike Mercurial Vapor 17 boots during the club's 26-27 preseason training. This marks a surprising shift, as Nike has prominently positioned the attacking midfielder as a leading face of the Phantom boot line. Images from the training session show him testing the latest generation of the Mercurial Vapor, raising questions about a potential change in his footwear preference ahead of the new season. Thanks to Bootsclub.
Palmer previously favored the Mercurial line earlier in his career before becoming one of the main athletes for the Phantom series. It remains to be seen whether this is just a temporary test of the new Nike Mercurial Vapor 17 or a permanent return to his former boot of choice. As Chelsea continues their preparations for the 26-27 campaign, we will keep a close eye on Palmer's boots in upcoming preseason matches.