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Northern Ireland's World Cup of Kits 2022 - Group E & F

By jcd

Through November and December 2022, to coincide with the FIFA World Cup, NIFG will be running polls to definitively select Northern Ireland’s greatest ever kits.

Starting with a daily group stage, the best kit from each group will proceed to the knock-out rounds, with the final two facing off and the ultimate winner to be crowned on the day of the World Cup Final.

Kits are being judged in their default format, with minor variations ignored. Voters can use whatever criteria they wish to identify their greatest - whether that is style, a favoured match, or a childhood memory.

[unless otherwise stated, stats are based on senior men’s matches and are based on “best guesses”*]

To vote, please visit and follow on Twitter. Group polls will be open for two days, with a new one unveiled every other day.

GROUP E

GROUP F

1967 Home

Just a slight evolution to the Irish FA crest in 1967, a trimmed down patch used instead of a big square patch. This would further evolve to a badge embroidered directly onto the jersey. This is perhaps the classic Best-era shirt, the one worn as he chipped the ball out of Banks’ hands. There were other enhancements in this period, as numbers appeared on the player’s shorts for the first time in 1973.

Bukta/Umbro

(1967-1974)

Debut:

22-11-1967 vs England

L 0-2 (A)

(Euro 1968 Qualifier / British International Championship)

Pl: -

W: -

D: -

L: -

1882 Home

The jersey worn in Ireland’s first international. All we have are grainy photos and etchings of the earliest kits, but thankfully we have a detailed description “the costume of the Irish team consisted of royal blue jersey and hose, with white knickers, each player wearing his international badge on left breast, consisting of an Irish cross, with harp in centre, surrounded with a wreath of shamrocks, the whole embroidered with golden floss on a blue silk ground”. As to exactly how many matches this outfit was worn in, we can only guess.

-

(1882-1891)

Debut:

18-02-1882 vs England

L 0-13 (H)

(International Friendly International)

Pl: 22*

W: 2

D: 1

L: 19

2009 Away

This white-navy kit was unveiled in a home friendly against Israel in 2009. A template also employed by several other Umbro teams, including Sweden, it was the first time this particular colour combination had been used by Northern Ireland. In terms of results, the debut home draw with Israel was a highlight as Northern Ireland suffered defeats in its appearances against Albania and Turkey (in the USA).

Umbro

(2009-2010)

Debut:

12-08-2009 vs Israel

D 1-1 (H)

(International Friendly)

Pl: 3

W: 0

D: 1

L: 2

1999 Home

When Northern Ireland took to the field to face France (the World Cup holders) in 1999, it was a surprise to many that they were wearing this classically simple Patrick kit, rather than the expected garish Olympic efforts that had preceded it. It was in this kit that David Healy came to the fore, first in an Under-21 victory over the French, then at senior level.

Patrick

(1999-2001)

Debut:

18-08-1999 vs France

L 0-1 (H)

(International Friendly)

Pl: 18

W: 4

D: 2

L: 12

1919 Amateur

With Scotland unquestionably dark blue, Ireland were faced with the regular need to use an alternative colour, and the green jerseys used by the amateur side were an obvious option – and would soon become a permanent solution. In 1928 green was also used for a rare sojourn outside the British Isles as Ireland visited Paris to face France.

-

(1920-1930)

Debut:

*13-03-1920 vs Scotland

L 0-3 (A)

(British International Championship)

Pl: 6*

W: 0

D: 0

L: 6

2012 Away

Black had rarely even been considered for football shirts until the early-90s when referees were no longer exclusively the “*expletive* in the black”, but it took Northern Ireland a further two decades to first wear the colour. It was an unexpected but popular edition to the palette, and although results were mostly poor, it was worn in a battling 1-1 draw with Portugal in Porto.

Adidas

(2012-2013)

Debut:

07-09-2012 vs Russia

L 0-2 (A)

(2014 World Cup Qualifier)

Pl: 2

W: 0

D: 1

L: 1

1977 Home

Things were changing in football kits in the 1970s. Admirals aggressive branding was being mimicked by Umbro, but it was the three-stripes of Adidas that opened up a stylishly exotic new world to British football fans and Northern Ireland were issued this winged collared classic - a template also used by Ipswich and Man United. That it was the kit used as the 1980 British Championship was won and at Espana 82 secured its place as a classic, even if the collar V-inset had the odd colour change.

Adidas

(1977-1982)

Debut:

21-09-1977 vs Iceland

W 2-0 (H)

(1978 World Cup Qualifier)

Pl: 41

W: 15

D: 12

L: 14

1974 Home

The Umbro badge first slipped on to the Northern Ireland goalkeeper kit in 1972. This kit was sans-branding for the first have of its life, but the double diamond logo was affixed as England returned to Belfast in 1975 for the first time in four years. Over the following year the diamonds further spread to the shorts and socks.

Umbro

(1974-1976)

Debut:

26-09-1973 vs Bulgaria

D 0-0 (N)

(1974 World Cup Qualifier)

Pl: 18

W: 5

D: 4

L: 9

Results:

-

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