With a fantastic retro-inspired blue away kit for the 2024-25 season, we take a look at Manchester United’s frequent usage of blue kits, and some of the most memorable of all time.
The city of Manchester has always been defined by two colors in football: blue and red.
City have their famous sky blue, while United make up the red half, living up to their nickname of the Red Devils. However, blue is not synonymous with just one side of Manchester.
The Origins
Blue is a rival color for United fans, but it has also featured on some of the best Manchester United jerseys in the modern era. Blue kits aren’t anything new to the club either, and their use dates back over 100 years.
The club first used one in the 1902-03 season, a blue and white striped number that served as an alternate kit. The stripes would be the go-to design for United’s away strips from 1910-22, and the club eventually transitioned into a full blue away kit in 1927, a design that would last nearly 30 years at the club.
Champions League Glory in Blue
Kits are not just symbolized by their aesthetics, but also for specific memories and achievements made while wearing them. For the older generation of United fans, a certain blue kit holds a special place in their hearts, as the club’s first-ever European triumph came with it.
The 1968 Red Devils dominated a Eusebio-led Benfica side that was in their fifth European Cup final in eight years to a tune of 4-1. A trio of United goals in added extra time, including one from Bobby Charlton in the 99th minute to secure his brace, gave the club its first continental title, 10 years after the club’s darkest day with the Munich disaster.
A fan’s attachment to a club is strengthened by memories, and that was one of the first truly special nights in United history. A night that created a path for the club to grow into the football giant it is today. And it was all done in that blue kit.
The ’90s
After the European success in ’68, United still donned the blue, often as their third shirt. However, the memories were not as happy during the ’70s, with a relegation coming after the 1973-74 season. Despite the uncertainty around the club during this period, there were some stellar blue kits, especially in the ’80s when front-of-shirt sponsors became prevalent.
For United, this era would be defined by a partnership with Sharp Electronics, which lasted from 1982-2000. No one loved a blue kit like Sharp, and that became evident during United’s golden age (from both a performance and kit perspective) in the 1990s.
At the turn of the decade, adidas and United created one of the most iconic shirt designs of all time, featuring a light blue base with a snowflake pattern. This would become one of the most coveted shirts in club history, and would inspire future United kits, including the club’s current away strip. Ironically enough, it was worn in the two years United saw the least success in the decade.
Under Alex Ferguson, United would win 16 trophies in the ’90s, utilizing a blue shirt in every season except 1993-94 and 1998-99.
A New Millennium
The 2000s saw United have its two best blue jerseys, each one featuring a different sponsor, the 2002 Vodafone third and the 2008 AIG third. In 2002, the first memory that comes to mind is Ruud Van Nistelrooy dominating the Premier League and helping United claim back their spot on top of the English throne from Arsenal. It’s also remembered by David Beckham wearing it in his final season at the club. It remains one of the most popular United jerseys today.
Six years later, United would add another blue to their collection with the memorable 2008 third kit, which paid tribute to the one from 40 years prior in 1968 when United first tasted European glory. While this kit did not see a European title of its own, it saw one of the most memorable United Champions League goals with Cristiano Ronaldo’s 40-yard free kick screamer against Arsenal in the semifinals.
The Present
United still utilize blue today, and in the early 2010s they would add black accents to their blue shirts to create a different feel. While the club’s performances in the past 10-plus years have not been the greatest, like the 70’s, one of the key constants is United having a blue kit within their repertoire.
2021-22 saw the remake of the famous 1990 snowflake Sharp jersey, this time with TeamViewer as the sponsor, but the memories outside of CR7 scoring in it are not as strong.
This season, United have brought back the blue as well, with the away kit featuring a midnight hue with various ‘Ms’ throughout the design that form a pattern reminiscent of the snowflake one. It also has a polo collar that harkens back to other classic United kits, and silver accents that specifically draw images of the 2002 Vodafone classic. Fans will be hopeful that the 2024-25 season brings more positive memories in a blue kit.
United will always be associated with red, but its safe to say the club has plenty of history in blue as well.
