Serie A Classics – Acceptable in the 80s

This article was kindly written for us by Museum of Jerseys - one of the internet's greatest founts of football shirt knowledge - and was originally published on their website in February 2021. Visit them for more great articles on football shirt design through the ages.

 

Regular readers of the site will know that we hold the 1990-91 Serie A season dear to our hearts in terms of kits, but it must be said that that campaign was standing on the shoulders of what went before it.

Something that was noticeable among the class of 90-91 was the diversity of brands producing kits – as well as adidas, Kappa and Umbro, there was Ennerre, of course, ABM, Erreà, Gems and Uhlsport. Go back a few years further and there was an even greater sense of democracy.

We have already looked at the kits worn by Hellas Verona as they won their sole Serie A title in 1984-85 and i Gialloblu were part of a strong ensemble cast. While they had adidas, two of the higher-profile clubs, Milan and Napoli, had Rolly Go and Linea Time respectively.

Look at the Milan kits – perhaps we’re biased but we feel that it’s hard to improve on either. We don’t know who Oscar Mondadori was or what he did and we don’t want to, but it’s a logo that sits perfectly on the stripes. The away has similarities with the France kits worn as Euro 84 was won, but the continuing of the narrow stripes down the torso is a lovely extra flourish.

 

Napoli, who had just signed Diego Maradona from Barcelona and so were making national waves, were on a gap year, breaking what was otherwise an 11-year spell with Ennerre. Their outfits were beautifully simple and simply beautiful, with subtle striping around the neck and cuffs. Bonus marks of course for having a straight-reversal change kit. <

 

 

Milan’s city rivals Internazionale also dabbled with a lesser-known name in the early 1980s, following a stint with Puma in kits made by Mec Sport, who distinctive logo featured a stylised butterfly.

Having won the league in 1980-81, they were carrying a sponsor’s logo for the first time. While their second sponsor, food company Misura, would last from 1982-91, they were preceded by Japanese electronics firm Inno Hit, who graced the Nerazzurri stripes for a single campaign. The overall home kit may looked somewhat ‘un-Inter-like’ with blue shorts and socks, but the shirt on its own was unmistakably Biscione.

 

 

Thankfully, these shirts have been revived by Golazzo Legends, who are bringing back the old trademarks of Rolly Go, Linea Time and Mec Sport and are now offering high-quality replicas, reproduced to pain-staking standards, complete with authentic numbering on the back.