The golden era of football and football kits

Growing up in the north of Scotland in the 1980s and 1990s, I feel extremely fortunate to have lived what many believe to be the golden era of football and football kits.  As the Premier League moved behind the paywall in 1992, young fans like me embraced, championed and developed a deep love for all things Italian Football.

For many in Britain at the time, foreign travel remained a pipedream (myself included) and so Channel 4s coverage offered an exotic view into not only Italian Football but also the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Italy. Gazzetta and the sister show Football Italia, presented by James Richardson, were delivered in a fresh, fun and colourful way that proved a stark contrast to the traditional coverage offered up in Britain at the time; and the perfect distraction from school work!

Those two elements coupled with the best players, stadiums and kits made Football Italia a must watch. I was hooked from the first game in September 1992 as British viewers were treated to a 3-3 draw between Lazio and Sampdoria. The globalization of Football was in its infancy and gaining access to the shirts was nearly impossible. I had to wait until 1994 to get my first Italian shirt. The Juventus away kit in bright yellow with blue shoulders and the Danone sponsor in glorious long sleeve. A shirt I still have and can just about still fit into.

With the rise of Italian Football popularity the shirts started to make their way to the British high street and the following year I added the Juventus black and white home kit with iconic Sony sponsor. A kit which i proceeded to apply a homemade, badly cut out, number 9 / Vialli to. A very 90s tradition, up there with Oasis, CK1 aftershave and Kappa trackie bottoms. Sadly the addition of the nameset did little to improve my effectiveness in front of goal. As the years passed I added shirts from every team that played in Serie A during 1992-2002; the period Italian Football was broadcast on Channel 4. At last count, I have 160+ shirts in my collection from Serie A teams of that era. 

During the covid lockdown period I decided to write a book about shirt collecting and the associated community. Whilst there were other books detailing the "the best and worst shirts" of all time, I didn't feel like they explained what made a shirt a classic, why people collect, why some shirts become valuable and where the industry goes from here. Football is about people and I wanted to showcase that in a big, bright colourful way. A Culture of Kits was released in 2024 and i was blown away by the reaction. Whilst the award recognition and media coverage was incredible, the best bit has been receiving messages on social media most days from people all over the world who love the book. They also all pestered me daily for updates on when the second one was coming out so I felt compelled to pen a sequel of sorts. Given my love of the era and expansive collection of Serie A kits it became the obvious choice for book 2.   

Whilst Serie A in the 90s has been written about previously, i felt it deserved a more colourful exploration, almost mirroring the vibrancy of the original show. What better way to tell the story than via football shirts? Football Kit Italia, a large coffee table style book is a celebration of that golden era. It contains glossy pictures of over 100 shirts spanning all teams that featured in the Channel 4 coverage. It includes interviews with the original production team, James Richardson and even guests from the show such as Paul Heaton from the Beautiful South. Its ultimately a joyous celebration of Gazzetta and Football Italia with a focus on the best shirts, the 11 manufacturers that dominated the scene - including insight from a legendary kit designer of the era - a spotlight on 45 iconic players and managers, the best games and goals and also relives some of the Channel 4 show's best sketches. For people who loved Gazzetta Football Italia as much as me, this book is for you. 

John Blair is a football enthusiast who has collected shirts for 30 years. He is an active member of the classic football shirt community, showcasing his 500-plus shirt collection under his handle @CollarUpKits*. His debut book A Culture of Kits: The Definitive Guide to Classic Shirt Collecting was longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2024 and Won the William Hill Sport Book Front Cover of the Year 2024 award. His second book, Football Kit Italia, the Greatest Kits and Characters of the Golazzo Era is a a fascinating and beautifully illustrated account of the glorious decade of 1992–2002, when Italian football reigned supreme on the world footballing stage.

*Follow John Blair here:
Twitter/X: @CollarUpKits
Instagram: @collarupkits