Author: thekitrail

A Motherwell FC fan and a football shirt blogger showing off my collection.

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British International Tops

Willie Pettigrew – Scotland 75′

Regular subscribers to The Kit Rail will know that we’ve already covered Willie Pettigrew with his stunning Dundee United 1981 Scottish Cup Final Jersey. For that reason we are covering Willie’s full Scotland international career, from the under 23’s through to his last full cap.

Scotland Under 23’s

He made his international debut for the under 23 side, at the age of 21, in a friendly match in Sweden that was played on the 16th of April 1975. Scotland won this fixture 2-1.

A European Championship clash in Romania would see Willie score his first international goal in another 2-1 win coming on the 31st of May 1975.

Next up would be a double header against Denmark with Scotland securing a crucial 1-0 win away, on the 2nd of September 1975, and adding yet another victory, this time beating the Danish 4-1 on the 28th of October 1975.

Pettigrew ended the international calendar year with another European Championship Victory, grabbing himself a brace in a 4-0 destruction of Romania at Brockville on the 16th of December 1975. This result saw Scotland top their group and continue through the tournament.

Willie’s sixth and penultimate under 23 cap would come against Wales at Wrexhams Racecourse Ground on the 4th of February. During this game, Willie would score another brace to secure a narrow 3-2 victory for the Scots. We covered this match when we featured the Joey Jones jersey not too long ago.

The last cap to come for Willie Pettigrew would be in the second leg of the Under 23 European Championship Quarter Finals as Scotland took on The Netherlands in front of an amazing 32,000 fans at Easter Road, home of Hibernian, on the 24th of March 1976. Scotland lost the first game 2-0 (a game that Willie missed due to injury). Scotland would win the second game 2-0 but would lose on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate score. You can find more details on this match as we covered it during the Jan Everse jersey.

In all Willie started 7 games at under 23 level winning all seven and grabbing himself five goals in the process.

Full International Career

2 weeks after his last under 23 cap, Willie would make his full international debut and what a debut it would be.

A home friendly versus Switzerland on the 7th of April 1976 would see Willie net his first goal after only 2 minutes. This would be the only goal of the game as Scotland would win the game 1-0. This game has also been covered as we featured Rene Hasler earlier this week.

Cap number two would again see Willie find the net, scoring the first goal in a 3-1 win over Wales at Hampden Park on the 6th of May 1976. You can see more of this game and jersey on Terry Yorath’s page on the The Kit Rail.

A few days later would come cap number three which would see Scotland beat Northern Ireland convincingly in a 3-0 win at Hampden Park with goals from Gemmill, Masson and Dalglish.

Willie would have to wait six months for cap number four which would be a world cup qualifier against Wales. We would see another victory for Scotland and Pettigrew as the Scots would beat Wales 1-0.

Willie’s fifth and final cap would come on the 27th of April 1977 and would see Scotland run out as winners in a 3-1 victory against Sweden with goals coming from Hartford, Dalglish and Joe Crag.

Willie would play five times for his country, scoring two goals in the process and would be in the winning team on all five occasions. If you add Willie’s under 23 appearances, you end up with an impressive 12 games representing Scotland, 12 victories and a highly commendable 7 goals.

Willie Pettigrew, take a bow.

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British International Tops

Trevor Cherry – England 76′

Trevor Cherry was an English full back that could be played anywhere along the back line. Starting his career with Huddersfield Town, Cherry would make the move to Leeds for £100,000 where he would play 399 games and go onto captain the club.

Winning his first cap in 1976 against Wales with this jersey coming from his game against Scotland the same year in the Home Championship.

Cherry would go down as the first England player to be sent off in an international friendly as England played Argentina in 1977 with Cherry getting two teeth knocked out after the rash challenge on Daniel Bertoni who then decided to punch Cherry in the mouth.

Cherry was part of the England squad for the 1980 European Championships in Italy but was restricted to a single substitute appearance against Spain which would be his last international cap.

This top comes from the 1976 Home Championships where Scotland Hosted England at Hampden. Scotland would win the game with goals coming from centre half Gordon McQueen and clinical striker Kenny Dalglish with a penalty from Mick Channon giving England a goal back in the 87th minute.

Admiral only produced two England home kits with this being the first and the last being the 1982 jersey that also features on The Kit Rail under Terry Butcher.

As for this top, it’s a classic England home top using the main three colour red, white and blue with red and blue stripes travelling down the sleeve and also around the collar.

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European International Tops

Rene Hasler – Switzerland 76′

As Switzerland begin to face up against Italy on matchday two of Euro 2020, we’re going back in time to show off this golden oldie from when Scotland hosted the Swiss back in 1976.

Rene Hasler was a 5ft 7′ defender who played his full career in Switzerland with FC Zurich, FC Basel for two separate spells and Neuchâtel Xamax FCS.

Starting his career way back in 1969 at FC Zurich, where he would win the Swiss Cup before moving onto FC Basel. It is during his time in Basel Hasler would earn his first cap for Switzerland which would be on the 21st of October 1972 against Italy in a 0-0 draw. Rene’s last international appearance would end with a 2-1 defeat to Spain.

This jersey is from Switzerland’s clash with Scotland from the 7th of April 1976. The game ended 1-0 to Scotland with Willie Pettigrew scoring on his debut for his country inside the first two minutes of the game.

Rene Hasler, Second up on the right column.

This Adidas classic is similar to many from around that time with a simple two colour combination with one being the main body, white, and the other being used for the collar and Adidas stripes, red. The colours used being from the Swiss flag as shown as the badge.

This top also features a black Adidas branding which other Adidas made kits did not during this time. One such case would be the Netherlands top which is featured on the website that is Adidas but only shows the stripes with no branding.

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British International Tops

Terry Yorath – Wales 76′

With Euro 2020 about to begin, we have been holding off sharing this beauty of a top but now we can with Wales’ first game against Switzerland quickly approaching we can finally talk about it.

Making 59 appearances for Wales from 1969 all the way to 1981 while captaining the team for 42 games. Yorath also managing the team for five years guiding them to wins over Brazil and then European champions West Germany while almost qualifying for the 1994 World Cup.

Yorath was also the first Welshman to play in a European Cup final as Leeds were beaten off Bayern Munich in the 73/74 final.

This jersey is from Yorath’s games against Scotland in the Home Championships from the 6th of May 1976 where Scotland got the better of the Welsh 3-1 thanks to an opener from Motherwell favourite Willie Pettigrew.

Yorath seen having a tussle with Scotland number 10 Archie Gemmill. Can be seen around the 7:30 minute mark. 06/05/1976 Scotland v Wales – Bing video

Probably one of Wales most iconic kits, this symmetrical beauty uses the bright red of the dragon as the main colour with the green and yellow coming from the Royal Badge of Wales. The best thing about this kit may be the yellow Admiral branding on the collar matching the stripes down the side. No Wales kit would be complete without the badge and this one is a beauty, showing the dragon off in all its glory surrounded by the green shield with yellow stars.

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Leagues

Hyundai A-League

As the international stage is being set, I thought to look at how the current club football scene has been doing, with the first league that we look at being the Hyundai A-League which is the top league of Australian football. Just as it is concluding with some great fixtures up ahead, it will be worth a watch if you’re looking to watch even more football than the Euros.

Drawing similarities to Scottish football, the A-League only consists of 12 teams with this season 11 being from Australia and one from New Zealand, Wellington Phoenix. Each team plays each other three times and the winner is presented with the Premiers’ Plate and qualify for the Asian Champions League. There is no relegation for the bottom team in the league.

However the top 6 teams break away from the others and play a knockout tournament called the Finals Series with the top two teams getting a bye in the first round. The winner of Finals Series is crowned champions of the A-League and also qualify for the ACL.

That’s the rules out the way, now onto the teams and who you should be supporting:

At the top of the tree we have Melbourne City FC who have just won their first Premier Plate after finishing runners up last season. Not only do they sound similar but they wear the same colour, share the same shirt sponsor and are also owned by Manchester City owners City Football Group. Although all their transfers this season have joined for nothing, it is reported that Melbourne City have the highest wages in the league. If you are a fan wanting to watch a team grow and could possibly take over the A-League, Melbourne City are for you.

Melbourne City FC and PUMA reveal new 2020/21 season kits | Melbourne City FC

Second in the league are Sydney FC who are looking to build on their success of last season and reclaim their A-League trophy. Sydney FC are the most decorated team in the division with 4 Premiership Plates and 5 A-League Trophies. Glory hunters, Sydney FC are the team to follow. Also to note that former Premier League striker Adam Le Fondre is currently on their books but was loaned out to Mumbai City for this season.

UA TEAMWEAR – Sydney FC Store

A team for the outsiders would be 4th placed side Brisbane Roar. Winners of 2 Premier Plates and 3 A-League titles while also being the first team to win back to back titles, the roar are looking for success with their last piece of silverware coming way back in 2014. Ex-Motherwell favourite and centre half Tom Aldred is the current captain of Brisbane Roar and will be looking to lift something by the end of the season. Sporting a bright orange home kit with a lion as their crest, they are definitely a team you cannot miss.

If you just like the look of a team based on their badge and kits then look no further than Perth Glory who may have finished 9th in the table but they looked good doing it. Winning trophies is the last thing on their mind with only one title since the beginning of the A-League in 04/05, it’s the kits that you’ll be embracing as the white and purple mixes perfectly and you can’t forget about the Perth badge which I would put up there with the best designed in world football.

Shout out the other teams in the division include Melbourne City FC rivals Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC rivals Western Sydney Wanderers, Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners, Newcastle Jets, Western United, new boys to the league MacArthur FC and the only New Zealand side Wellington Phoenix.

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International Tops Rest of the World

Scott McDonald – Australia 02′

Aussie forward Scott McDonald would start his career off playing for semi-professional outfits Gippsland Falcons and Casey Comets, where he would become to youngest ever National Soccer League player at 15 years of age, before getting his move to to the south coast of England with Southampton. After a couple of loan spells at Huddersfield Town and Bournemouth and a permanent move to Wimbledon FC, it was his next move up to Scotland that would make everyone remember his name.

Signing for Motherwell in 2004, McDonald would make over 100 appearances in claret and amber while scoring over forty goals in his first stint at Fir Park. The Aussie can be most remembered for famously scoring a brace against Celtic on the last day of the season of the 04/05 season to deny Celtic the title, giving it to city rivals Rangers.

Scott McDonald scoring against Celtic on ‘Helicopter Sunday’ – Scott McDonald reveals how Helicopter Sunday caused rifts with his family – Daily Record

Motherwell would accept a bid of £700,000 from Celtic at the end of the 06/07 season where he would spend the next three years of his career making 88 appearances and scoring 51 goals. McDonald would win the league in his first season with the bhoys while being named the leagues top scorer and adding a league cup winners medal to his collection in the 08/09 season. During the Champions League group stage in November 2008, McDonald would famously score against Manchester United, holding them to a 1-1 draw. Scott would move on from Celtic on the 1st of February 2010, deadline day, to Middlesbrough for £3.5 million to join up with previous manager Gordon Strachan.

McDonald (right) celebrating his goal against Manchester United. https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/australia-international-scott-mcdonald-becomes-western-uniteds-latest-signing

After Middlesbrough, McDonald would have a successful career playing for Millwall, Motherwell again, Dundee Utd and Partick Thistle before moving back to his homeland of Australia where he’s played with Western Utd, Brisbane Roar and most currently Western Sydney Wanderers. McDonald managed to feature 26 times for his country.

This jersey is one of McDonald’s early tops from his time with the Australia under 20’s where he would play 24 times, playing under coach Ange Postecoglou, who at the moment is being heavily linked to the vacant Celtic managerial position.

This Adidas branded kit bolsters Australia’s classic Green and Yellow, displaying a small felt number in the centre of the jersey front and the normal larger size template on the back. As it’s a under 20’s top, no names were printed on the back.

Instead of the badge showing the Football Australia logo, it shows the Australian coat of arms which bolsters a shield with the badges of states New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania while being supported by a kangaroo and an emu.

Categories
Club Tops European

Michael Higdon – NEC Nijmegen 13′

NEC Nijmegen badge

Englishman Michael Higdon started his career at Crewe Alexandra before making his move to Scotland where he would play with Falkirk and St Mirren, scoring 15 and 18 goals respectively before finding his form for with Motherwell.

Higdon (right) celebrating with Humphrey (left). Motherwell Legend Michael Higdon retires from football. : MotherwellFC (reddit.com)

It is with The Steelmen where Higdon would become a cult hero as he would score 13 goals in his first season and then a massive 26 league goals in the 12/13 season, where he would become Motherwell’s top goal scorer in a season since the Second World War. As a result of Higdon being so important to Motherwell’s 2nd place finish in the league, he was voted PFA Scotland’s Player’s Player of the Year.

Higdon with his PFA PPOTY award. Tam Cowan: My hero Higdon had the Mother of all hangovers – Tam Cowan – Daily Record

After leaving the Scottish side on a free, Higdon would move across the English Channel to Dutch side NEC Nijmegen. The Scouser would only play in Holland for one season but he would continue to be as prolific abroad, scoring 14 goals but this was not enough to keep Nijmegen in the Eredivise. After the season, Higdon would get his move back to England with a bid coming in from Sheffield United.

Higdon with NEC Nijmegen. Higdon leads NEC to victory — Nijmegenleeft.nl

As for this beauty, Jako have produced an instantly recognisable kit for NEC Nijmegen as the use of their classic three colours are used through this iconic shirt, with the main torso being split in two with the contrasting red and green while using the last colour, black, as the sleeves. The clubs double headed eagle is replicated from the badge and can be seen spread out over the bottom of the jersey.

At the bottom on the back, there is also a skyline of the city of Nijmegen, which is also the oldest city in Holland. This cityscape features the Nijmegen Railway Bridge, which was demolished twice during the Second World War, once by the Dutch to defend against the attacking German’s which was then rebuilt and destroyed again by the German’s as they fled the American’s. The bridge was nicknamed “Little Omaha” due to the casualties suffered on the bridge.

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British Club Tops

Steven Naismith – Everton 15′

Starting his career off at Kilmarnock in 2004, Naismith would make 71 appearances while scoring 24 goals that would help secure a move to Glasgow to join Rangers in 2007. After spending five years with the Gers’, winning three league titles, a Scottish Cup and two League Cups, Steven would make a move down south to Premier league outfit Everton. Three and a half years at the Toffee’s and 123 appearances later, Naismith would move to Norwich in a fight to keep them in the top division. Unfortunately his talents were not enough to help the fight and Norwich were relegated and after a full season in the English Championship, a move to Hearts on loan would help secure them a top six finish in the Scottish Premiership and a permanent move was made for just over one million pounds.

We will be having a look into his time at Everton and then diving deep into this jersey from Everton’s 15-16 campaign where Naismith made ten appearances before making the switch to Norwich in January 2016.

Credit – Steven Naismith with the perfect hat-trick vs…. – Squawka Football (tumblr.com)

During the 15-16 campaign, Naismith’s three goals would all come in the same game as Everton overcame Chelsea 3-1 as Naismith came on as a substitute in the ninth minute due to an injury on Bosnian midfielder Muhamed Besic.

This top is very similar to most Everton kits around this time as most use the blue and white template and sport the synonymous Chang beer. However Umbro have placed a lot of small details to be found within it such as the Latin under the badge, ‘Nil Satis Nisi Optimum’, which translates to only the best is good enough. An NSNO can also be found on the back of the neck.

The top would not be complete without the Barclays Premier League patches on the sleeves and the lion on the Barclays lion on the bottom of each number.

Categories
Club Tops European

Radovan Krivokapić – Red Star Belgrade 05′

Ex-Yugoslavian international Radovan Krivokapić would start his career with Serbian side Vojvadina before making his move to the most successful club in Yugoslavia, Red Star Belgrade (Crvena zvedzda). During his time at Red Star Radovan would win the First League of Serbia and Montenegro in 03-04 and in 05-06 which is the season which featured this kit.

Red Star are the current champions of the Serbian Superliga having beaten rivals Partizan to the league title, winning their 7th league title since the league was founded in 2006. Since the leagues inception, Partizan and Red Star are the only teams to have secured the title with Partizan on 8 league titles, one ahead of their fierce rivals.

Red Star Belgrade vs Partizan Belgrade in the 05-06 season. Credit – https://alchetron.com/Radovan-Krivokapić

During the currents season, Red Star broke the league records of most points won in a single season (108), most team goals in a single season (114) and the highest goal difference in a single season (+94). This had helped them gain the ranking of 50th in UEFA’s current team rankings as of April 2021.

Red Star Belgrade lifting the European Cup in 1991 Credit- (7) Pinterest

It is also to be remembered that Crvena Zvedzda also won the 1991 European Cup in Bari after beating Olympique de Marseille 5-3 on penalties after 120 minutes without a goal.

The kit features the famous red and white stripes of the Belgrade side along with Adidas branding on the front of the shirt and also a small Adidas logo on the sleeves instead of the famous three stripes. The right sleeve also features the old Serbian and Montenegrin league badge before the current league began.

The back of the top features the name, number and a sponsor on a bit of fabric that has been sewn on to the top separately instead of the more modern approach of names and numbers being pressed onto tops.

Categories
British Club Tops

Willie Pettigrew – Dundee United 81′

Arriving from Motherwell for £100,000, in 1979, after scoring 80 goals in 166 appearances, Pettigrew was known as one of the most clinical finishers in Scotland. It is during his time at Motherwell where he would be called up by the national team, earing five caps, where he would be competing for a place against the likes of Kenny Dalgleish, Joe Jordan and Derek Johnstone.

During his time in Dundee, Willie would lift the Scottish League Cup back to back in his first and second years at the club where United would almost win the cup double in the 80-81 season getting so far as the final before Rangers would beat them 4-1 at Hampden in the replay as the original fixture ended 0-0 after extra time. Davie Dodds would score the only goal for Dundee United during the game.

After the final Dundee United would cash in on Pettigrew, making a profit after selling him to Hearts for £120,000. It is here where Pettigrew would help Hearts gain promotion to the top flight.

This kit resembles the Netherlands 76′ that is also on the website. As both are made by Adidas and use very similar colours although Adidas moved with the times and over the next five years they would introduce their own branding on the front of the shirt and on each of the numbers used on the back. The collar has also changed from a round neck to a more modern ‘V’ neck with a large collar being black to contrast the bright tangerine colour of the top.