Loose Fit (Other Mondays collaborations)

 As promised here's the (not so much) good, the bad and the ugly of some of Happy Mondays other designer collaborations.

I wrote once upon a time on this blog about 1999's surprising link up with Admiral. The 1970s football shirt supremos had been bust for about a decade and hoped their big come back would be boosted by Mondays reformation in 99. I can't really say that worked for them as the last time I saw any Admiral gear was in the TU section of Sainsbury's. 

That said they made some smart tour tees, plus back stage crew specials, in a Mondays yellow. And also they stuck to what they knew, producing an awesome red football shirt sold at gigs - a few years ago I spied one on eBay for 40 quid and passed on it. The one I found on Google images was over £300. Sigh.

Next up was last year's Palarse effort. The skateboarding crew went a long way to beat the competition, namely COVID19, to be the worst thing to come out of 2020. Perhaps slightly unfair, the overpriced tees are ok, using central stations design but changing the P for Palaces slant. And there's a crazed Bez.

But the hats, shirts and jacket? Dam, kuff. Decent on a record sleeve but on your person? Yes please? No thanks.

Premier League 90s Kits

 Todays Premier League clubs in their best 90s kit (in my humble opinion). Bonus points if you can name all the players...

Summer Swag

With the summer fast approaching and with me dropping a fair bit of weight, I've had a massive clear out of big baggy XL numbers and replacing with slightly slimmer, almost trimmer larges.

First up a few Madras check shirts. A Barbour sample with double chest pockets and hidden button down collar, a staple Ralph Lauren short sleeve Yarmouth and a modern classic L/S by favourite British shirtsmiths tuktuk. All in a pleasing array of summeresque blues, reds and greens...

Summer wouldn't be summer without some cool as Connoisseur bits and pieces. The already iconic Mary Pigeon polo and Heron bucket hat. Also some pinbadges, for FREE, courtesy of Hess the Horse. Sharing some pinbadgelove indeed...

After a spell of weighing up whether to go Stan Smith or Reebok Classic for a cool white summer trainer, have opted for the Exofit Lo Clean. Boks won it being that theyre unlikely to be seen on instagram with the hashtag casuallyobsessed preluding it. #ThatsNotCasual...

Didn't really need another Jacket if I'm honest, but then do we ever need another one? An Oi Polloi issue Armor Lux parka for a criminally low £13 off eBay. In a lovely hue of Francais Bleu (French Blue) and also includes the Frenchies other favourite colour inside the hood and as the lining - white. Anyway 'Lux' like a decent parka anyway...

I'm away this week. In Scotland. And apparently it's going to start raining later today. And not stop until we come back next Saturday. So I've packed a mac...

And finally, with the Gascoigne film out in June (for one night only) a replica version of the 1990 England shirt, complete with his trademark number 19. Perfect for flinging a bit of garden furniture round when on tour in Scotland...

Holy Grail

What's yours? CP Company 1500 Mille Miglia? Stone Island snowflake? Berghaus Ice cap? Mine is not as highly rated, and certainly not in the same circles, as these (although in my opinion it's still a decent bit of retro kit - literally)... Hartlepool United's home shirt from 1995-1997.

I'll explain. Yes I despise the replica shirt wearing masses, paying 40 odd quid to corporates, in order to wander round wearing their clubs colours, complete another corporate's logo on the front. Stupidity. However this shirt is special to me. My first ever match at Pools saw us take to the pitch in this classy affair. Wigan Athletic, complete with their 'Three Amigos' Spanish contingent (Martinez, Seba and one other?), were the opposition back in 1996 and heading on to better things.

Truth be told I don't remember much about the match. I was a timid and frightened youth in awe of what was happing around me on the terrace. Loud mouthed skinheads in Crombie jackets smoking their roll ups, cloth capped granddad's showing disgust and derision at any Pools move good or bad, intoxicated and inebriated burly lads singing their love about the club who's town couldn't even offer them a decent upbringing, schooling or employment. And plenty of young lads like myself shatting their pants at the above.

It was a draw. Wigan scored on the 89th to lead, Pools equalised 90th to send me bumping back and forth, ebbing and flowing with the Town End tide of joy. Mark Cooper smashed a long range drive onto the bar as the ref was blowing for full time. Oooh. I'd seen enough and knew I wanted the shirt...

It's taken some sourcing via CFS.com but I finally got my grail. To be honest it's never going to get worn, but as I approach thirty with my second born due any day soon, and as I become nostalgic for my childhood years (1990NiceOne) it was a purchase just as necessary as yet another bit of vintage Osti or Ralph shirting.

True Colours - Part Two

For those of you have followed this blog for some time, you may remember a post about the truly appalling kits that have graced Hartlepool United over the years. For those of you didn't then play catch up here. As someone who doesn't really care for replica kits, I sometimes see one and have to grudgingly admit that they're wearing a fine looking shirt - and it's time to celebrate them here (instead of me bloody moaning all the time...)

1991 Home - Promotion Special
This simplistic looking kit is fondly remembered as it was worn during the 1990-91 promotion triumph, only the second in Pools history since Brian Clough guided United to second place in the 60s. This all white affair looked very classy and although I don't know who made it, I know for certain it wasn't Hummel, even though the arrows on the sleeve are certainly a rip of Denmarks finest. The photo below is a special version worn at the Brian Honour testimonial in 1996.

Don Hutchison

1995-98 Home - Argy Bargy
This is my favourite Pools kit of all time as it was the one they were wearing as I started following them. A superb blend of light blue and white meant that I could compare Hartlepool with Argentina (in colours at least, not playing style). Made by 1908 Gold this classy kit ended up spanning nearly three seasons (and just as many managers). In 1998 local rivals Middlesbrough wore a similar design as an away kit - they do say imitation is the best form of flattery.

Stephen Halliday

1998-99 Away - Striking Gold
New makers Super League struck gold with this superb retro looking kit. Gold/amber in colour with black trim this kit looked very much like a subbuteo kit from days gone by. Seldom worn it was sadly never brought out in replica form - very disappointing for two young early teen fans in me and my step brother - we loved this so much we wanted it to become the new home kit.

Tommy Miller

1999-00 Home - Times They are A Changing
With new owners and manager Chris Turner at the helm it was out with the old and in with the new. The new millennium saw United throw off the shackles of forever being relegation fodder, and become a professionally run outfit that was ready to challenge for promotion. And we did so in this quality looking shirt, sponsored by local brewery Cameron's. Pools got to the playoffs for the first time in their history in this, only to get beat in the semis by bitter local rivals Darlington. Only lasted one year this kit. A shame.

Paul Stephenson

2004-06 Away - Nice Nike
Hartlepool were riding the crest of a wave in 2004. Promoted the year before and consolidated by finishing in the playoffs, a superb array of new Nike kits were brought out in 2004. All of them, including the keepers superb. The home affair simple blue and white stripes, the keepers plain green or black, the third kit (worn in Playoff final defeat to Sheff Wed) was basically Man United's home kit and my personal favourite was the all navy blue away one. With the Nike being based in neighboring town Peterlee, they probably thought it was best to supply us with decent kits or risk have the factory burned down by angry Hartlepudians.

Humphreys and Konstantopolous

2006-2008 Home - Half and Half
Too be honest Pools kits have been made by Nike since and the home one sees very little change to it. Thin stripes to thick and back but with a zig zag edge etc. but the American firm know not to tinker with the classic royal and white combination. This half and half effort was a smart one although linked with dark days at Pools. The club were relegated in 2006 and found themselves in the basement division, but also in 2007, having won promotion again, joy turned to dispair when winger Michael Maidens was tradigically killed in the car accident...

Maidens RIP

 2008 Home - Centenary
Nike went back to basics with plain white with blue shorts for the clubs centenary season in 07/08. A simple kit in the colours as the original club in 1908, and coincidentally similar to the 91 promotion kit, Poolies snapped this up with gusto and talk of more triumph to follow. However united struggled to produce in it, despite a bright start, and narrowly avoided relegation. Remembered best for the giant killing of Premiership Stoke City with a two nil victory in the FA Cup 3rd round.

Stoke Who?