Football is not only played in the present, it is also lived in history.

English football, the birthplace of football, has shaped the history of the game and given it an unrivalled prestige with its clubs and competitions. Its legacy is reflected in the global passion for the Premier League and admiration for its historic teams.
In this journey through the football nostalgia of some of England's football teams, we look back at the clubs that have made English football a global benchmark.

The stadiums today have become a tidal wave of shirts worn by supporters in the stands, bringing together a sense of fraternity among the fans and a bond with the symbols of the clubs. With their long history and tradition, the retro shirts of English teams are among the most sought-after in the world. More than just a piece of clothing, they represent England's football identity and global power. To wear a vintage shirt of an English club is to carry with you the essence of the game in its purest form.

That's why today we invite you to travel with us through the history of English football through the history of its teams and some of its shirts.  Let yourself be carried away and enjoy what he wants to tell us. We start with several teams and we will be expanding. So, stay tuned :)

An important note: as we are going to talk about different teams, we include the most important English clubs in order of number of National, European and World titles won as of 10 August 2024: In first position is Liverpool, followed by Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland, Leeds United and all those that come after.

ASTON VILLA

Aston Villa, founded in 1874 - come to think of it, we're talking about the late 19th century! - is one of the oldest clubs in England and is a symbol of the city of Birmingham. Known as the ‘Villans’, their supporters are passionate and loyal, creating a vibrant atmosphere at Villa Park. Its hallmark is its rich tradition, having been one of the founding clubs of the Football League in 1888 and then the Premier League in 1992.


Villa Park has been their home stadium since 1897 - almost 130 years! Imagine the atmosphere and all the memories the stadium holds for the fans.  Aston Villa's greatest achievements include the 1982 European Cup, seven League titles and seven FA Cups, most of them before the First World War. For all these reasons, their history and legacy make them a pillar of English football.


Aston Villa re-emerged into the elite of English football first in the 1950s when they won the FA Cup again in 1956-57 and then in the 1970s, under Ron Saunders, they won the League in 1981, their first League title since 1910. The 1980s were their golden era, and shortly afterwards, in 1982, they achieved their greatest glory by winning the European Cup with a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam, followed by the European Super Cup against Barcelona.

It was its last major achievement before ups and downs that included relegation in 2016, although the club managed to return to the Premier League in 2020 from where it has not been relegated since.

As we have seen above they rank seventh in terms of major trophies won after Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Aston Villa's retro shirts combine the legendary claret and light blue colours of ‘The Villains’. And as they all recall the iconic players from their most glorious eras, from the 80's in particular like the Aston Villa 1984-85 Classic footbal shirt

Aston Villa 1984-85 Classic football shirt

Or the beautiful Aston Villa shirt from the 1987-88 season worn by players Tony Daley, Gary Shaw or Stephen Hunt with their legendary Mita Copiers brand.

Aston Villa 1987-88 Classic shirt

And also the Aston Villa polo shirt from the 1980-81 season worn by Ken McNaught, Allan Evans, Denis Mortimer or the prolific Gordons Cowans, who played 527 games for the club and scored 59 goals.

Aston Villa 1980 Away shirt

And why not the Aston Villa shirt with the Müller logo worn by Paul McGrath, who played for Aston Villa between 1989 and 1996, earning the status of an idol among the fans. His talent as a defender led to him being recognised with the Premier League Player of the Year award, and his leadership at the back ensured that the team had one of the most impenetrable defences of its time..

Aston Villa 1994 Classic shirt

CHELSEA

Chelsea FC, founded in 1905, is competing for the top spots among the biggest clubs in England and is the fifth biggest. It is based in the London Borough of Fulham. Their home ground, Stamford Bridge, has been their stadium since its formation and is known for its vibrant atmosphere. Although it went through seasons without major titles, the club began to excel in the 1950s and experienced a resurgence in the 1970s and 1990s with the arrival of international stars. The golden era, however, came with Roman Abramovich's purchase of the club in 2003, which propelled the team to multiple trophies. Their greatest achievements include six league titles, eight FA Cups and two Champions League titles, as well as numerous domestic and international cups. Their identity is based on a combination of investment and talent and a loyal fan base known as ‘The Blues’. Today, Chelsea remains a benchmark in European football.

Chelsea have worn blue since its foundation, a colour that symbolises its identity and gives it the nickname ‘The Blues’. Over the years, their crest has evolved; Chelsea's first crest featured the figure of a ‘Pensioner’, in honour of the war veterans of the Royal Chelsea Hospital. This image was later removed and, for a time, the club's emblem consisted solely of its initials. Subsequently, the current design was adopted with a lion rampant, a heraldic symbol taken from the coat of arms of the borough of Chelsea, representing power and tradition.

Kerry Dixon 1988 Chelsea shirt

Pictured above and bellow is the iconic Chelsea shirt sponsored by Commodore, and we love it. It's the home kit from the 1988 Chelsea shirt season with its distinctive cross stripes design. It was a difficult time for the team, as they were relegated to the second division, but they won promotion at the first attempt..

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Chelsea 1988 Classic shirt

Chelsea 1983-84 Classic shirt In the 1983-1984 season, Chelsea were crowned Second Division champions. With this achievement, the team secured promotion to the First Division.

Chelsea 1970 Classic shirt We love the simplicity of this shirt, it represents very well the spartan spirit of the 70's, a football stripped of all the trappings of today. And yet it has all the distinctive signs of the Club; the blue colour, the Lion Rampant and of course the symbol of the FA Cup they won that year..

Chelsea 1978 Classic shirt  A distinctive white polo neck shirt, a classic Chelsea shirt.

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool FC, founded in 1892, is today England's most successful club. Its stadium, Anfield, is a symbol of world football, famous for its legendary ‘The Kop’ stand and its passionate fans. Throughout its history, the club has dominated both English and European football, especially in the 1970s and 1980s under the leadership of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. With 19 league titles and 6 Champions League titles, it is also one of the most successful teams in Europe. One of its most memorable moments for fans came in 2005 when it staged the epic ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ comeback in the Champions League final against Milan.


After years of drought in the Premier League, they won it again in 2020 under manager Jürgen Klopp. Its legacy and its motto ‘You'll Never Walk Alone’ make it a unique club in the world.

Liverpool FC adopted the colour red on their shirt in 1894, reflecting the identity of the city. In the early days, they combined the red shirt with white shorts and socks of different shades. In 1964, Bill Shankly, as manager, had a brilliant idea and the team started wearing all red to convey a more powerful image.

Liverpool's crest bears the ‘Liver Bird’, a mythological bird symbolising the city, which first appeared on the club's emblem in 1901. This badge reinforces the link between the team and its community.

Like this Liverpool FC 1996-1998 Classic shirt with the iconic Carlsberg brand as sponsor.

Liverpool 1996-1998 Classic shirt

We love away shirts, where designers can take risks in both style and colour. Many fans ask us for these shirts, they are a treasure for collectors and if you think about it if you wear them you will feel like you stand out from the crowd, isn't this what we all want?

Liverpool away shirt 2003-2004 This is a very contemporary white shirt, it could be a shirt of today. It's from the season when the Miracle of Istanbul was simmering with players like Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher.

Liverpool FC 1997-98 Away shirt worn with a young Michel Owen showing off his youthful joy on the pitch that reminds us of today's young stars. hoy.

Michael Owen with Liverpool 1997-98 away football shirt

And we don't want to forget the children, who know more about football than adults, hahaha, and they love Liverpool shirts. Children are not only the most knowledgeable but also the best football fans; they learn very early to follow their teams, and in fact they usually have several, which makes them, as we have said, the best experts in the game.

Liverpool FC 1989-90 Away kid football shirt

Liverpool FC 1986 kid football shirt

STOKE CITY

Stoke City FC, the team of the city of Stoke-on-Trent, founded in 1863, is the second oldest professional football club in English football and therefore we include it among the greats because we are talking about tradition and long life. Its greatest achievement was winning the League Cup in 1972, its only major title to date. It has alternated its participation between the Premier League and the Championship, highlighting its time in the elite between 2008 and 2018.


Stoke City's crest began with a stylised ‘S’ in 1882, but over the years adopted elements of the Stoke-on-Trent coat of arms. In 2001, it incorporated its nickname ‘The Potters’, after the city's pottery industry and, in 2012, launched a special 150th anniversary version. The club motto is  ‘Vis Unita Fortior’, ‘Strength united is stronger’. We love club mottos, we will do an article on them one day, it's worthwhile.


As for the design of the shirts, they have kept the local symbols and the red and white stripes, an unmistakable symbol of the team like this Stoke City FC shirt from the 1981-83 season.

Stoke City FC 1981-83 Classic shirt

Stoke City FC  1981-83 Classic shirt

MANCHESTER CITY

Manchester City was founded in 1880 as St. Mark's and adopted its current name in 1894. After winning their first FA Cup in 1904, they went through different stages until their first great era in the 1960s, when they won the English Premier League in 1968, the FA Cup in 1969 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1970. It then experienced irregular decades, even being relegated to the third division in the 1990s, although from the 2002-03 season it returned to the Premier League, from where it has not been relegated since. Its rebirth came with the purchase of the club in 2008, which transformed it into a powerhouse, winning multiple Premier Leagues, several domestic cups and, finally, the Champions League in 2023 under Guardiola. It is the fourth most successful club in English football.

Manchester City have played in their classic light blue shirt since 1894, a colour that has become a symbol of the club. Their crest has changed several times, but has always maintained references to the city of Manchester, including the white bands representing the three rivers, the year 1894, the red rose and the ship of commerce. Today, its crest combines modernity and tradition, reflecting its history and evolution.

On this occasion we have chosen two shirts: the Manchester City 1996 Classic Shirt with the sponsor brother which was very popular in the 90's and its light blue colour. We particularly like the polo neck with the stripes representing the rivers of Manchester and a crest very similar to the current one. . 

Manchester City 1996 Classic shirt

We also propose you this away shirt with yellow-navy blue stripes, a shirt of the club from 1999 that symbolizes the moment when the club left the second division, with a goal by Paul Dickov, then in the 2000-2001 season the club reached the Premier League again. Manchester City 1999 Wembley Classic Shirt

EVERTON FC

Everton, founded in 1878 in the city of Liverpool, is the eighth most successful club in England. Like many others, it began life under a different name, in this case Sto. Domingo FC, before acquiring its current name. It shares the city's footballing representation with its great rivals, Liverpool FC, with whom it plays the exciting Merseyside derby. With the exception of two seasons in the 1950s, it has spent its entire history playing in the First Division and the Premier League of English football, something that not even many of the big teams can boast of. They have won 9 leagues, the last one in 1987, 5 FA Cups, the last one in 1995 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1985. Their golden era as we can see was in the 1980s.

Everton have played in their iconic blue colour since their early years, specifically since 1913. Their crest has evolved, but has always included the Prince Rupert's Tower, a symbol of the city of Liverpool. Its classic identity and passionate supporters make it a special club..

We suggest the Everton FC Classic Shirt 1987 when they last won the championship, before the Premier League was created, with the likes of Graeme Sharp and Kevin Ratcliffe..

Everton FC 1987 shirt

ARSENAL

Arsenal, this English football giant from the sprawling British capital, was founded in 1886 in the south-east London borough of Woolwich, now plays in the borough of Holloway and is England's third biggest club in terms of titles. It has won 13 league titles and 14 FA Cups. It holds the record of number of Cups won in the latter competition. Their golden era included the unbeaten 2003-04 season under Arsène Wenger. They played intense derbies against other London clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur (North London Derby) and also Chelsea.

From its beginnings Arsenal wore red shirts and in 1933 white sleeves were added, an identity that has been maintained with minor variations. Their crest has evolved, with the iconic cannon always standing out, a symbol of the military history of Woolwich, the district in which the club was founded, as we have seen. Nowadays, its emblem maintains a modern design, but faithful to its roots.

We propose a very symbolic shirt, the Arsenal 1985-86 Centenary football shirt 

Arsenal 1985-86 Centenary classic football shirt

Or this Arsenal Classic shirt 1982-83. The Gunners kit from the 1982-83 season worn by Tony Woodcock or Brian Talbot, . .

MANCHESTER UNITED

Manchester United, founded in 1878, is the second most successful club in English football and also one of the most followed in world football. It has won an English record 20 league titles, along with 13 FA Cups, 3 Champions League titles and numerous domestic and international trophies.

Their era of greatest dominance began with the arrival of Sir Alex Ferguson in 1986, who transformed the team into an unstoppable powerhouse. Under his stewardship, the Red Devils won 13 Premier League titles, cementing their hegemony in English football.

One of his most iconic moments was the treble of the 1998-99 season, when they won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, dramatically beating Bayern Munich in the final with two stoppage-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær..

The club remains a global benchmark, although in recent years it has faced challenges in the face of resurgent rivals such as Klopp's Liverpool and Manchester City. Despite this, their legacy and impact on football remains unrivalled.

Manchester United have worn their iconic red shirt since 1902, when the club changed its name from Newton Heath. Their traditional kit is completed with white shorts and black socks. The club's crest has evolved considerably and since 1973 has retained the red devil symbol, representing their nickname ‘Red Devils’. Over the years, the design of the shirt has varied, but its identity remains one of the most recognisable in world football, such as the Manchester United 1958 FA Cup Final Classic Shirt..

Manchester United 1958 FA Cup Final classic shirt

This edition of the FA Cup is remembered for Manchester United's heroic performance following the tragedy of the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958, in which they lost much of their team. Despite the devastating blow, the club managed to advance three more rounds in the competition before being defeated in the final.

Manchester United 1968 European Cup Final football shirt This shirt is a replica of the shirt worn by the Manchester United heroes who won the first Champions League in 1968 in a final against Benfica. They were heroes as this victory was the first Champions League victory for an English team..

LEEDS UNITED

For today we finish with the team from the city of West Yorkshire. Leeds United, founded in 1919, is a historic English football club with a great fan base and a strong competitive spirit. They have won 3 league titles, 1 FA Cup and 1 League Cup, as well as being runners-up in the Champions League in 1975. Known for their intense rivalry - called Roses rivalry - with Manchester United, which apparently stems from disputes between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire in the 15th century, that's nothing! It is noted for its feisty style of play and passionate supporters. They currently compete in the Championship, England's second division, after relegation in 2023. Their iconic white shirt reflects the club's identity since the 1960s.

From Leeds United we show you two visitor's shirts that you will find in the links below:

Leeds United 1992 away shirt

Leeds United 1994 awau shirt

We hope you liked the tour. As we have seen you don't need to travel to any of these club cities to feel the passion of English football. With one of these classic shirts that we have presented you, you can relive the history of the most emblematic clubs from wherever you are.

Wear the colours of the legendary teams and carry the essence of British football with you. Whether you're playing, collecting or cheering on your favourite English team, each shirt is a symbol of tradition and glory - choose yours and experience the thrill of football from the birthplace of the game!

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