Back to the 70s – Are these Pompey’s New Kits?

Images have leaked onto the Internet of what could be the two shirts worn by Pompey’s outfield squad next season.

The images first appeared on an Australian website, who are said to be ‘reliable’ when launching shirt designs by kit-maker Canterbury. The site itself and many others in Australia are allowing Pompey fans Down Under to even pre-order their new shirts.

The club have yet to confirm whether the images are true or if they are false, suggesting they are not immediate fakes produced on Adobe Photoshop.

The launch of a new kit is enough to keep fans excited during the close season where many websites take great responsibility in informing fans of the latest kit deals and rumoured shirt-sponsors.

Whereas the launch of a new line of kits should schedule every few seasons, for Portsmouth F.C it has become an annual event in the past five seasons. Pompey have had home kit, after home kit, after home kit as well as away kit, after away kit, after away kit. Don’t forget the odd third kit too!

Pompey do not even have the excuse of the ‘change of sponsor’. OKI Printing Solutions has remained our sponsor for the past five seasons with their sponsorship deal set to run out before the start of next season.

Fans however may be relieved to know that next season’s home kit will return to the more ‘traditional’ colours of the blue shirt, white shorts and red socks.

Last season saw Pompey sporting an all-blue number, to commemorate the club’s 110-year anniversary. It raised mixed views upon release; however the club tried to sell it as ‘the all-blue kit that won us the F.A Cup’.

Speaking to The News, Pompey’s head of operations Lucius Peart stated: ‘Some of the range that will be announced does have a retro feel to it, which reflects trends both in the high street and on the pitch.

‘Fans will be delighted to hear that the traditional home kit of blue shirts, white shorts and red socks will be returning.’

Pompey’s new home shirt has a simple design but one that easily can be identifiable as a Canterbury design. It features the classic ‘Canterbury circles’ on the side of the shirt, as well as the enlarged Canterbury logos on each sleeve. The use of white suggests for the first time in three seasons, Pompey could have ‘white’ and ‘black’ Premier League lettering and numbering on the back of their shirts.

The white shirt pictured is suggested to be the club’s new away shirt for the 2009/2010 season. Interestingly enough, the away shirt resembles a supposed controversial home kit from the 1970s.

History states the club ditched its infamous blue shirts for three years, from 1973 to 1976, giving the fans the opportunity to design a shirt in a competition through The News.

The entry that won was a white shirt featuring two blue vertical bars. It caused concern amongst supporters however, as many associated it with failure. At the time, Pompey were underperforming on the pitch, slowly sinking towards the bottom of the Football League hierarchy.

Both shirts currently remain sponsor less, however if ‘Dr.’ Al-Fahim’s expected takeover goes through, there are rumours that his UN associated charity will appear on the shirt. His associated UN charity/cause group are the Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM).