[Albion] Did Brighton have a red Arsenal-style kit in the early 1970s?

[Goldstone Rapper]

I always assumed it was a shirt with blue body with white sleeves in this 1971/72 photo, but on closer inspection, the tone looks different from the blue on the stripes....

Also, when Brighton were at Bristol Rovers that season (with Bristol Rovers playing in plain blue home shirts at the time), the Albion wore this shirt and I'm guessing it wasn't mainly blue...

So, does anyone remember?

I'm also trying to list all Albion away kits from 1970/71 to 1978/79. So far, I have:

1970/71
Away: Red shirts, white shorts, red socks
3rd: Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks

1971/72
Away: Red shirts with white sleeves, white shorts, red socks?

1972/73
Away: Red and blue striped shirts, black shorts, black socks

1973/74
Away: ?

1974/75
Away: All yellow?

1975/76
Away: Green shirts, black shorts, green socks

1976/77
Away: Red shirts, blue shorts, red socks

1977/78
Away: Blue shirts, white socks, red socks?
3rd: All red

1978/79
Away: All yellow
3rd: Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks?

1979/90
Away: All yellow
3rd: Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks?

Anyway, if anyone remembers, or can find a reference in any football books (sadly, I don't own Rothmans Football Yearbooks and the clubs' handbooks in the 1970s give the change colours of all other sides except the Albion!), it'd be appreciated!

 

[el punal]

I always assumed it was a shirt with blue body with white sleeves in this 1971/72 photo, but on closer inspection, the tone looks different from the blue on the stripes....

Also, when Brighton were at Bristol Rovers that season (with Bristol Rovers playing in plain blue home shirts at the time), the Albion wore this shirt and I'm guessing it wasn't mainly blue...

So, does anyone remember?

I'm also trying to list all Albion away kits from 1970/71 to 1978/79. So far, I have:

1970/71
Away: Red shirts, white shorts, red socks
3rd: Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks

1971/72
Away: Red shirts with white sleeves, white shorts, red socks?

1972/73
Away: Red and blue striped shirts, black shorts, black socks

1973/74
Away: ?

1974/75
Away: All yellow?

1975/76
Away: Green shirts, black shorts, green socks

1976/77
Away: Red shirts, blue shorts, red socks

1977/78
Away: Blue shirts, white socks, red socks?
3rd: All red

1978/79
Away: All yellow
3rd: Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks?

1979/90
Away: All yellow
3rd: Blue shirts, white shorts, blue socks?

Anyway, if anyone remembers, or can find a reference in any football books (sadly, I don't own Rothmans Football Yearbooks and the clubs' handbooks in the 1970s give the change colours of all other sides except the Albion!), it'd be appreciated!

The only time that I can remember the Albion " Arsenal " kit was the 4th round FA cup tie in 1967 against Chelsea. Even though it was a home tie both teams had to change. Chelsea played in white shirts and blue shorts.

When we played QPR at Loftus Road at the end of 1972/73 season we played in (I'm pretty sure) yellow shirts and blue shorts. We lost 2-0 but were already relegated and QPR were celebrating promotion to Div.1.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

The only time that I can remember the Albion " Arsenal " kit was the 4th round FA cup tie in 1967 against Chelsea. Even though it was a home tie both teams had to change. Chelsea played in white shirts and blue shorts.

When we played QPR at Loftus Road at the end of 1972/73 season we played in (I'm pretty sure) yellow shirts and blue shorts. We lost 2-0 but were already relegated and QPR were celebrating promotion to Div.1.

I wonder if the yellow kit you mention here was the yellow kit that Bristol Rovers played in the following season when they whipped us 8-2? It may have been the Albion away kit for that season. Rovers certainly borrowed it from the Albion as their red and white didn't offer enough contrast for ITV viewers watching in black and white....

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

We did play in an 'Arsenal' kit and very smart it was too.

I was also at that Bristol Rovers game at Eastville. It was a very northern division with no London teams and was one of only 3 away gasmes I could manage, the others being Bournemouth & Villa.

The picture shows John Napier up (or defending) a corner. It was an entertaining game but Willie Irvine had a mare, until scoring in the last min! We scored so many last min goals that season & won 12 away.

 

[Hiney]

Rothmans lists our 'second' kits as follows:

70/71 - All red
71/72 - All red
72/73 - All red
73/74 - All red
74/75 - All red
75/76 - Yellow Shirts, Blue Shorts, Yellow Socks
76/77 - Green Shirts, White Shorts, Green Stockings
77/78 - Red or Blue Shirts with White trim, White Shorts, Red Stockings
78/79 - Red or Blue Shirts with White trim, White Shorts, Red Stockings
79/80 - Yellow

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Rothmans lists our 'second' kits as follows:

70/71 - All red
71/72 - All red
72/73 - All red
73/74 - All red
74/75 - All red
75/76 - Yellow Shirts, Blue Shorts, Yellow Socks
76/77 - Green Shirts, White Shorts, Green Stockings
77/78 - Red or Blue Shirts with White trim, White Shorts, Red Stockings
78/79 - Red or Blue Shirts with White trim, White Shorts, Red Stockings
79/80 - Yellow

Thanks, Hiney! That's saved me from having to buy them to find out. Strangely, I haven't found any photos of the Albion playing which could have been an all red kit from those first seasons. I'll keep digging...

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

We did play in an 'Arsenal' kit and very smart it was too.

I was also at that Bristol Rovers game at Eastville. It was a very northern division with no London teams and was one of only 3 away gasmes I could manage, the others being Bournemouth & Villa.

The picture shows John Napier up (or defending) a corner. It was an entertaining game but Willie Irvine had a mare, until scoring in the last min! We scored so many last min goals that season & won 12 away.

Thank you, so a red Arsenal style kit did exist for that season!

I can't remember exactly, but I remember someone saying that Brighton played at Highbury against Rotherham in Arsenal-style kit in the early 1960s. I wonder if that was a blue or red-bodied kit...

 

[surrey jim]

Have you seen @superphil website? Oldfootbsllshirts.com

 

[Brovion]

We did play in an 'Arsenal' kit and very smart it was too.

It was Arsenal style, yes, but was it ever red? Certainly I don't remember a red Arsenal style kit at home games. (I didn't go to an away game until 1975).

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

It was Arsenal style, yes, but was it ever red? Certainly I don't remember a red Arsenal style kit at home games. (I didn't go to an away game until 1975).

It must have been a different colour to blue, when played away from home against a Bristol Rovers plain blue shirt....

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

So far, I have drawn these. I wonder if the badge for the Arsenal-style kit is correct or whether the inside bit inside the frame of the badge was red rather than blue....