I thought this may be of interest?

[vorpal blade]

http://www.shirtsofexcellence.co.uk/shop/signed-admiral-sheffield-united-home-shirt-75-76-squad-signed

Someone may know about this shirt as apparently it was in a pub. Given all the chat about SUFC shirt design recently, I'm interested to know what this is? I think it may be a pre-production sample of the Admiral® kit from 1976 (ish?). The collar is different from the one that I remember the first season we had this pattern (that had black, white and red rings forming the crew-neck). I have seen few early season photos of Admiral SUFC kits and they did vary in detail.

Anyway, I just thought someone might be interested in buying it, (though I haven't checked whether its still on offer or not). I reckon its the best shirt we ever had.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

It aint a club shirt of the time, because the shirts worn didn't have a red collar and cuffs.



I've seen a few variants, but never one with a plain red collar. As you say, could be a prototype that was rejected, the signatures would verify authenticity.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Just noticed the signatures. Where's Darren? Was Steve McKee with us that season and Bobby Campbell?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Just noticed the signatures. Where's Darren? Was Steve McKee with us that season and Bobby Campbell?

Bobby Campbell was with us for one season 77-78 and that seasons shirt had an open collar

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Bobby Campbell was with us for one season 77-78 and that seasons shirt had an open collar

Well that's his signature to the left on the white stripe. My guess is it's an old shirt somebody got signed by the squad of the 1977-78 season.

 

[Darren]

Well that's his signature to the left on the white stripe. My guess is it's an old shirt somebody got signed by the squad of the 1977-78 season.

We never played in a shirt like that. Maybe it was just some knock off that someone got signed.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

We never played in a shirt like that. Maybe it was just some knock off that someone got signed.

See post 2. The 75-76 is nearest to the shirt, the next season had a white collar. But the names on the shirt are more likely 1977-78. Like you say, a knock-off shirt signed by a later squad.

 

[vorpal blade]

No, I don't think it was a knock off for this reason, the cloth. The genuine article was a nylon 'airtex' type material as is the above example. The stripes seem to be in the weave and I find it hard to believe that anyone would go to the trouble of faking it, after all we aren't Real Madrid are we? If you visit the website I linked in, there is a photo of the label but its washed out (unless someone has the technology to read it?).
When Toffs brought out a copy of the same shirt, even they didn't seem to have the wherewith all to produce it in the original cloth, their's is cotton isn't it? and btw Admiral did do variations as mentioned above, for instance that photo of Tony Currie from Essex Blade shows a non standard patch badge rather than an embroidered one which was usual that year........

 

[Silent Blade]

Just noticed the signatures. Where's Darren? Was Steve McKee with us that season and Bobby Campbell?

Steve McKee was signed in Nov or Dec 1976. Peter Dornan joined us not long after and then quit to go back to Linfield cos he didnt enjoy being a professional footballer

 

[Darren]

No, I don't think it was a knock off for this reason, the cloth. The genuine article was a nylon 'airtex' type material as is the above example. The stripes seem to be in the weave and I find it hard to believe that anyone would go to the trouble of faking it, after all we aren't Real Madrid are we? If you visit the website I linked in, there is a photo of the label but its washed out (unless someone has the technology to read it?).
When Toffs brought out a copy of the same shirt, even they didn't seem to have the wherewith all to produce it in the original cloth, their's is cotton isn't it? and btw Admiral did do variations as mentioned above, for instance that photo of Tony Currie from Essex Blade shows a non standard patch badge rather than an embroidered one which was usual that year........

The only season United wore a kit with the thin black stripe and a round collar was 75-6. I have just checked every programme for that season and in all the pics from all the games the collar on the shirt is white with thin red and black stripes. Never solid red.

This shirt is either a knock off or a prototype that was rejected (as you and SEB said). One possibility is that it is a prototype that they used in training and were still using in 77-8 (hence the signatures of players from that season).