West Ham United handed a Premier League debut to their retro-inspired away kit on New Year’s Day, as David Moyes’ boys beat Crystal Palace 3-2 at Selhurst Park.
West Ham’s 2021-22 away shirt by Umbro has a wonderful, vintage feel about it.
The light blue and white stripes with claret details recalls the “Argentina” colours worn by Billy Bonds’ 1992-93 side that sealed the club’s first promotion to the Premier League.
Almost 30 years on, that design is still considered a fans’ favourite.
Hammers fans have happy memories of players like Trevor Morley, Alvin Martin, Ian Bishop and Julian Dicks, as well as cousins Clive and Martin Allen; all wearing those Dagenham Motors sponsored Bukta shirts.
Umbro’s update faithfully captures the essence of the source material, and the best bit of all, is that they’ve made it available without Betway’s logo, so you can buy one and probably get “Dagenham Motors” printed across the middle if that’s your thing.
The Hammers enjoyed a stellar 2021 and enter the new year just outside the Champions League places in 5th place, with manager David Moyes building something quite special at the London Stadium.
Let’s hope we see more of this before the season’s end so stories of this modern take can be passed down to future generations of West Ham United fans.
Sartorial Soccer 