What If...? Northern Ireland Kits

What If...? Northern Ireland Kits - Adidas 1990-2012

From 1977-1990 Northern Ireland exclusively wore Adidas kits. If they had remained with the Germans, here are some potential Northern Ireland shirts based on those produced up to 2012 when the Irish FA were once again supplied three-striped attire.

Sincere thanks to Tribal Colours from Football Shirts History for supplying many of the illustrations below.

1986

These were the final kits of the era supplied to the Irish FA by Adidas. They were issued for the 1986 World Cup Finals and were retained through to the change to Umbro in 1990...

From here-on we enter fantasy territory.

1988

Real life saw Northern Ireland retain their Mexico 86 kits for what now seems a spendthrift four years. How about they entered a 2-year cycle and were issued with this kit based on the one worn by Liverpool from 1987-89. The away is in a template used by both Germanys, Netherlands and USSR.

1990

As the 1990s dawned Adidas's kit designs made a startling change. The home kit shown here is based on one actually used by West Germany in Euro 88 and Italia 90 - a green version was only introduced in 1991 by which time Germany had been united. The fantasy away was popular at the 1990 World Cup.

1991

The Equipment era began in 1991, but there were a few years of overlap with the trefoil, as witnessed with these two Arsenal inspired numbers.

1992

Euro 92 saw France and CIS use this home kit and it was also familiar with Rangers. The away was worn by the hosts in Sweden and also saw action with Liverpool and the Republic of Ireland among many others.

1993

Liverpool again prove the inspiration for this home kit which was also particularly popular at the USA World Cup in 1994. The away shirt was used by the likes of Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

1994

A recoloured version of the away above is promoted to home. The away is inspired by the USA's 1994 "Stars" kit, with Norn Iron appropriate icons replacing the stars!

1995

Another German inspired home kit which arrived at Windsor Park on the backs of Latvia. The away is based on a template worn by the Republic of Ireland at the 1994 World Cup and was later used by Turkey.

1996

Inspired by Newcastle's 1995/96 away kit, in reality Northern Ireland introduced lots of blue, but here we switch the quarters for stripes. The quarters arrive on the imagined away in a design worn by Liverpool in the 1996 FA Cup final.

1997

Inspired by the kit in which France won the 1998 World Cup, aside from the chest bands, it bares a resemblance to Northern Ireland's 1999-2002 Patrick kit. The away was another popular template, seeing action with France, Rangers, Crystal Palace, Romania and many others.

1998

Two kits based on a template worn by Spain, Crystal Palace and Wigan.

1999

A popular template worn by the likes of Romania, Argentina and Yugoslavia for the home.

2000

German kits with only minor re-colouring here. The home would later be used by Portadown.

2001

A Fulham away for the home and a negative of Germany's 1998 away.

2002

Germany and Real Madrid homes here.

2003

Club Bolivar wore this chequered kit in blue, which echoes an Umbro template from the late-80s. The away is a white version of Real Madrid's 2003/04 away.

2004

A very simple looking templates as worn by Spain and Argentina, with the design more interested in Clima-Cooling the wearer.

2005

The home kit was a popular template throughout Europe, including the likes of Strasbourg and Legia Warsaw. An away kit based on Spain's away.

2006

Spain's World Cup shirt, which arrived at Windsor Park for a humbling shortly thereafter. The away, an evolved version of the one above, is based on that worn by Zinedine Zidane as he used his head in the World Cup final.