Readers trace replica football kits back to 1950s and 1960s, predating Leeds United 1973 claim

Earlier examples flood in

Last week The Knowledge led with the question: "When did fans first start wearing replica kits?" and came up with the answer of Leeds United in 1973, with the caveat that there were earlier examples of unofficial merchandise.

Readers responded with dozens of pre-1973 examples.

"I had an Umbro Brazil strip in 1970 – I was eight – and a Celtic one before that," add Janette and Brian Kidd. "Even earlier – five or six years old – my brother and I were given football socks to wear when we played football. Strips didn’t seem to exist then. They weren’t sold by clubs. But they did have badges and sometimes numbers of the great players."

The official Brazil kit was not sold commercially during the 1970 World Cup, so it is likely the Umbro garment differed slightly from the one issued to players. As an interesting aside, the Brazil 1970 team wore two different shirts, made by two different companies during that tournament.

"Throughout the tournament, Pelé, Jairzinho and co would wear the Athleta shirt in the first half, then swap to Umbro in the second half – that is except during the final, where they wore the Umbro shirt from the start, all the way to the final whistle."

1970s and 1960s memories

"While I can’t nail down the exact year, it was around 1970 when I had a full (kid’s) Nottingham Forest replica kit for Christmas. This predates Leeds in 1973," declares Andy Wainwright.

"Please find pictures of my Umbro Manchester United child football kit, circa 1967, complete with grass stains," parades Simon Crompton. "It may not have had any official branding but when I wore it I was, of course, George Best."

"I bought a replica Chelsea 1965 shirt from Frank Blunstone’s sports shop in Lavender Hill, Battersea, that same year. He was, of course, a former Chelsea player [and aged 91, the current longest-surviving England senior international]."

"I had my first Liverpool kit in 1969," writes Keith Foster. "John Bennett’s on the Old Kent Road had all the top teams’ kits, home and away. All probably unofficial."

"In the 1969 film Kes, Brian Glover is wearing his ‘Bobby Charlton kit’ and one of the kids has a Burnley shirt on," notices Roger Kirkby.

"Being a kid myself back then I can remember several eight or nine-year-olds wearing the West Ham away shirt when playing football. They were definitely about it the mid-60s."

1950s origins

"In 1959 as a 14-year-old in Wilmslow, my summer holiday job was packing Manchester United kit into boxes as potential Christmas presents for children," adds Frank Close. "Until today, I hadn’t realised I was part of history."

"I’m reminded of an anecdote recounted by Michael Parkinson (I think in his book Football Daft), in which he tells of a Barnsley FC supporter in the 1950s who faithfully turned up to matches with a full kit of the time under his outdoor clothes," writes David Crowe. "He dreamed of the day when Barnsley would be a man short and would appeal to the crowd to find someone to step in."

"It wasn’t at a match but Alan Hull famously appeared on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1971 wearing a Newcastle shirt," notes John Morrow.