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I think it would be a fantastic way to commemorate the footballing greats of our club 50 years on. Get the campaign rolling.
Dominic Jackson
Without doubt the kit should be as the championship winning one.
Terry Walton
Strongly agree with this proposition, although have never really liked hooped socks.
I would prefer it if BFC always maintained a strong traditional element to the shirt design, both home and away - have not liked some of the recent designs for this reason. Other clubs, including Lancashire rivals, seem to have maintained closer links to their traditional designs. I appreciate the need to maintain revenue streams but some things are more important still.
Best of luck with your attempt to get the club to respond to fans' wishes.
Steve Tyler
I think the kit would be a great idea. I have always been one for traditional kits and so am fully in favour of the idea and feel the prospect of returning to the kits we wore as champions of the country is an exciting one. Great idea and I hope something comes of it.
Ben Redman
Fantastic idea for the kits - if we do it, it should be the whole shebang; sponsorless shirts and, like you say, the old badge.
Marc Fretwell
I think the strip suggestion is excellent, a really fitting tribute to such a wonderful team. I would only hope the current team could do it proud. Like you said in the article, the last significant anniversary! Retro design with modern materials, really hope the club listens, I would buy both!
Lee Cronshaw
I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments regarding a return to a traditional kit and especially the claret and blue hooped socks!
I have loved the club since my first match, the FA Cup final with Spurs, when I was a very young lad going with his dad (a Spurs fanatic) and have witnessed BFC through the thick and very thin years, including those dark days in Div 4 visiting the likes of Gillingham, Hereford and Lincoln. I regularly go to many away matches as far north as Stoke/Sheffield (the Luton match was best and the Brighton night the worst in recent seasons) and make at least one pilgrimage to the Turf each season.
To conclude, I feel that it is essential that such a proud, traditional club, with a fine history, should demonstrate these facets with a return to a traditional kit for next season and the future, as a statement to others in the current climate of business over sport!
Andrew Camp
I think that this is a fantastic idea. By marking such an achievement in this way will let the younger fans realise what a great club they support and how Burnley FC once ruled the game in England and they should be proud to support a club like ours.
Chris Holden
Great Idea, and if you could do away with a sponsor''s logo, spoiling the look, you could put my name down to purchase both home and away shirts.
John Flynn
Strongly agree. This is a milestone which must be marked and I believe that this is the perfect way. Especially if we lift the Premiership title as well!!
Jim Pilling
Just thought I would officially register my support for a 50th anniversary shirt, but am not sure there is a need to change the badge. This has it's own history.
I also don't agree that it should be sponsorless, as many are suggesting. I do agree however with the design of both home and away, although, if Errea still feel the need to use such shabby material, as they have for the past few seasons, I will not be interested in purchasing the shirts like I haven't this year.
Good luck with the campaign!
Simon Chamberlain
This is my first response to Clarets Mad! Believe your suggestion to be an excellent initiative which the board should seriously consider in hopefully which shall be our promotional season. As a Global Ambassador for the Clarets due to working on all Continents and promoting my home town team believe nostalgia would certainly boost sales to unprecedented levels. Go for it Burnley!
Thomas Richards
This is a fantastic idea and one of which everyone should embrace.In this day and age when all we ever hear about in the media is the premiership and the top four,it would be a great reminder to the young people of burnley and the surrounding areas what a great team of champions Burnley once were.
What better way to start life in the premiership with this commemorative strip.
Gary Ingham
Hear Hear. 50 yrs since we put the big pot on the mantle piece and, realisitically, may be another 50 before we do it again, if ever. What better way to celebrate the anniversary than to replicate the kit that got us into the EuropeanCup.
Up The Clarets!
Paul Mulderigg
A classic uncluttered strip that I would love to see adopted for the season or at the very least for one special game. But never did like hooped socks.
Dave Thomas
Yes. I too am a traditionalist. It is the only thing to do to commemorate that amazing season.
Michael Davies
A good idea - need to incorporate the sponsor's logo into the design and also need to ensure the retro style kit would sell in as big numbers as at present including with children. If those two financial conditions are met, it could work and if genuinely unusual would get publicised and remind the whole country of Burnley's history, which we know but others may not, helping our profile in attracting new players and fans alike.
Steve Kelly
I think it is a great idea to play in the Championship winning kit of 59/60 next season. It will mark the 50th anniversary and will be a great tribute to the team members of that time. Let the club know how the fans feel.
Reverend David Alty
I'm sorry but I don't like the idea, and think it wouldn't go down too well with the majority of Burnley supporters, the one's who don't regularly read the ClaretsMad messageboard.
We're just entering a time when the club and the fans are looking to the future with enthusiasm, now isn't the time to look back nostalgically on a time outside the living memory of the majoirty of the fans who buy replica kits. We want to show that we're a force now, not that we were a force 50 years ago.
Matt Lord
What a superb idea. A whole season wearing a replica of the kit. What a great tribute to the championship side.
Bill Mellor
Happy with the home kit but would rather the away had claret shorts rather than the black ones.
Paul Corcoran
What a brilliant idea to commemorate Burnley's greatest ever team.
Steve Helm
This really is a great idea. Everyone I speak to loves the Championship winning shirt. I have not had a new burnley shirt for about 5 years now but if this comes off I would definitely get both the home and away kits.
What a fitting tribute this would be to the team that was not only the best in the country but one of the best in the world.
Dave & James Wynne
The straightforward simplicity of the v neck claret shirts and blue arms cannot be beaten. The badge looks a bit big for current tastes but plain white shorts and striped socks are perfect.
If they reintroduced this kit it would have to be for the whole season (like Arsenal did for their commemorative year) but it looks so perfect that I'd probably wear it for work!
Peter Brunskill
Great idea, just do it, present them with the shirts on the first home/away game as they come out the tunnel.
Philip Heath
As a Burnley exile(S Wales) for nearly 50 years, having watched that great side all those years ago, as a small boy, it would a great tribute to that team to replicate the colours of the kit for next season. Actually, have watched them at least once every season since, except twice.
Colin Mewett
A wonderful idea.
Lee Wilkinson
Brings back fond memories. Would welcome the shirt with claret body and blue sleeves without the gimmick strips of blue that keep appearing. If any change I would add a collar to the shirt. Hooped socks are traditional and ok. Dont suppose the shorts will be silk tho!
Keith Archer
Think it is a great idea to base the kit on the championship season design. Would be a perfect tribute to the team.
However, I'm not convinced the kit should be an exact replica. I suspect the majority of kits are sold to younger fans and it would have to appeal to young and older alike to be commercially viable. I'd be happy with an exact replica myself but I'm not sure that hooped socks would be welcomed by all and I believe there would be a cost to use the town badge instead of the club one.
Other than those small issues, I'm right behind the campaign.
Paul Rowling
Always thought this is what should be done to celebrate that great team and what they achieved. It would be great to see the team coming out onto the pitch in that kit again (I may shed a quiet tear of happiness !). Can I pre-order mine now ?
Steve Ashley
You've got my backing, I think its a great idea, it shows respect too.
Connor Bithell
I've been saying for years to anyone who would listen we won't win anything until we got back to claret and blue hoop socks. I was 10 years old when we won the championship. This is a great idea, good luck.
Steve Thompson
Spot on with the kit idea, I always believe we should stick to the traditional design whenever we can. Good luck with getting this through to the club. Not so sure 'Hollands Pies' would look good on the front though.
Rob Turk
The 50th shirt is great, please no logo on the front, and what about made from decent material not like the crap they are made of now made of something you won''t be freezing in at 1/2 past 3. Long sleeves would be good so everywhere we go we don''t need a coat lets wear our colours with pride once again. And most of all lets get the sizes right (large fits my 9 year old daughter). Please put us down for 4, 2 home and 2 away.
Phil Sagar
What a fantastic idea! Great to bring back some of the old memories of Burnley winning the title. Hopefully it would even bring us luck next season!
Daniel Ward
I think a return to the traditional kit would be a great idea not only for the anniversary season but permanently. Also, the actual shades of both the claret and the blue needs to be looked at. I presume our kit was made by Umbro in 59-60 and the colours were more vibrant not like the brownish claret and the watery blue of Errea.
Steve Harper
I totally agree with the idea of having the same kit we had when we won the Championship, right down to the hooped socks. Would be really nice if the Club would take this idea on board to show that they do listen to the fans.
Meg Fawcett
Re the kits for next season - you must have read my mind. I've been saying this for a while now and I was planning to email the club this week. This is surely a no-brainer - as you say, it would easily break all records for number of shirts sold and would be a simple and easy PR win for the club.
Ben Cairns
Absolutely agree with your suggestion. I would love to see the traditional kit being worn for the 2009/10 season. Please make it happen Burnley. Up the Clarets!
Mark Fawcett
I would like us always to be more traditional with the strip but am not interested in a one game strip. I fully back the choice for next season but for me it must be a sponosored shirt because we arent in a position to sacrifice the revenue that would bring.
Pete Toner
The home shirt should always be as the 59/60 strip, shorts white with or without trim,socks not that important. As for the away kit white with claret and blue trim has always been best - although this seasons away kit is brilliant - but don't like the idea of black shorts with it for a Burnley kit. It is a good proposal but can we afford to lose revenue from sponsors logo?
David Dee
I think that some sort of a gesture to the championship winning side of 50 years ago would be magnificent. However, I don't think that wearing kits that are based on the 1959/60 kits for the entire season is the best way forward. Perhaps a special limited edition kit that could be worn for one specific home game, without sponsors names etc., would be a better idea, rather than having new versions of the old style kits that would undoubtedly be spoiled by having the sponsor's name and logo emblazoned on the chest throughout the season.
Dave Roberts
As for the shirt, and by the looks of the update on the website, I'm going to be controversial and say I don't agree. It maybe that I wasn't around 50 years ago, but I think its about time we had a really smart shirt. Whilst of course they're all good because they're Burnley shirts, there really is no excuse for some of the rubbish design that's been churned out over the years. Some of them have been very poor - badges in the wrong place, random swooshes, no real thought and generally bad fitting. I'd love to see something along the lines of the Italy shirt from Euro 2000, clean and well fitted. And designed to be a bit different.
Suppose it all depends on sales though - we're only really going to sell to Burnley fans so if the retro shirt sells more then that's got to be better for the club. But would a high fashion shirt sell more? Good luck in your quest though, I'm sure whatever happens, I'll be buying the shirt anyway as ever!
Barry Molloy
I am old enough to have gone with my Dad to watch the best team in the country play in Claret and Blue with Jimmy Mac, Ray Pointer, John Connelly and the other illustrious Clarets in that wonderful strip. I moved up from Somerset - I was always Ray Pointer in street games - to Nelson at the age of 15 in 1962 and was privileged to watch the team play in what to me always seemed to be a crowded ground with regular 40-50,000 attendances. Is my memory playing tricks?
It is a marvellous idea to recreate the strip, including the badge, for the 50th anniversary of winning the First division. I also remember, later, Paul Fletcher's performances with pleasure and hope that he, Barry Kilby and Brendan Flood will support this excellent idea by using this classic strip. I am sorry to use all these superlatives but that only reflects the magnificence of the team!
David Hambley
There can be little doubt that the complete 1959/60 strip, including hoop socks, represents the pinnacle of Burnley Football Club's footballing achievements. This strip came to represent high quality football, played by outstandingly talented players who week after week made unfashionable Burnley the envy of English football.
It would be surely an appropriate gesture for Burnley FC to utilise the same distinctive strip for the 2009/10 season in recognition of the team that made Burnley one of the iconic football clubs of the twentieth century. An achievement never to be repeated due to imbalances now created by football funding.
The opportunity of celebrating our greatest team must not be missed. One hopes it will be a fitting return to the senior league of English football !
Patrick Spencer
I am with you on the 59/60 shirt for next season, we are a great club with a great tradition, so let's go with it!
Mark Smith
I have not bought a replica kit for several years, but would have no hesitation in buying both home and away if this idea was taken up by the club.
Brian Taylor
I think that your campaign to introduce kits for the 2009/10 season to reflect those worn fifty years earlier when Burnley won the Football League Championship is a fantastic idea, but why just for 1 game, or 1 year as some have suggested?, keep it going.
A decent shirt is a long time overdue, I believe they had a good shirt last year in appearance at least, however I do agree with the comments that the Errea quality is very poor, the shorts are a joke!, why not Umbro for example or Reebok?, must be better.
We still get parcels sent to us from family for the boys birthdays & Christmas, containing Burnley gear, which the boys wear proudly to their football training here in Melbourne, amongst all the Man U, Liverpool & Arsenal band wagoners.
I know that my boys & myself would be even prouder wearing the Claret & Blue which celebrated the Champions of 50 years ago, (sorry Matt Lord I don't agree with you at all), hopefully no sponsorship, however maybe it can be done in a subtle way. The hooped socks are a must, & I agree that the Clarets shorts may look better on the away kit, as worn in the early 70's by Dobbo, Taffy, & Waldron.
We are hoping to come back to Burnley next August for the first time since we emigrated in 2003, for the in-laws 50th wedding anniversary, & to watch the end of the Ashes, but for me, mainly to see the Clarets run out on the Turf again, hopefully in the Premiership wearing the famous kit worn 50 years earlier, see you all there!
Sean Walshe
50 Years since I watched this great team, Pointer roaming all over the field, stands full and wonderful atmosphere, I was fortunate enough to be one of the Ball Boys during this winning season and think it wonderful that they are thinking of bring back this uniform for next season so everyone can look back on a great team, and a wonderful era.
Steve Young
Like you I am a traditionalist when it comes to kit!! I'll place my order right now for the replica kit. Brings back memories of that glorious season, going with dad to watch the magic we produced on the pitch! Here's hoping the marketing folk see sense!!
John Rigby
Totally agree with you
Ian (Canada)
Amazed to think that the club has not already planned this. Our marketing continues to be appalling - it's unthinkable not to do this. It's a simple, obvious idea that would have lots of commercial spin-offs.
The only two problems to solve are - where to position the sponsor's logo (if any), - how to size the shirts so that customers can buy a size that fits them - the current sizing system loses us plenty of sales.
Neil Duggan
Proper shirts in proper cotton with a traditional design, an absolute must in order to commemorate 50 years of our great club.
Joe Bedford
Sure would welcome this idea, would bring back the memories of the glory days and unite the younger fan base. I am sure it would inspirer a few if not all of the players to be more focused and have them playing with a new found strength.
Nick Harrison
Well done for raising the kit issue. The championship winning shirt is THE Burnley shirt and as well as marking the 50th anniversary of our title by returning to tradition, I think it would be a magnificent gesture if the club decided to keep that shirt for at least three seasons. Money is made from the sale of kits but enough revenue could be brought in by alternating the away-kit for those three seasons - white shirt for the 50th anniversary, then all-yellow and even a season in the Scottish style navy blue that we once wore. Also many fans, such as myself, who refuse to wear non-traditional kits (such as the current one) would buy into the traditional shirt. In any case, I fully back your idea.
Simon Evans
This really has got to happen - no excuses BFC, this is a must!! (First picture I hung on the bedroom wall in 1960).
Rob Cologne
What a brilliant idea! I can't think of a better strip to wear than the good old Claret and Blue with shiny white shorts? The benefits to the club would also be immense - I agree that sales of this strip would probably "go through the roof"! I admit to being old fashioned and do think that kits through the past years have sometimes left a lot to be desired (quarters????). Whichever badge would suit me but would we need Hollands across the front?, they would probably insist on that. Anyway, best of luck in driving this one forward - the best idea that I've heard for ages.
Malcolm Horsfall
I saw my first game at the Turf in 1958. This is the best idea since 1960 Just hope the club takes this on board.
Paul Windle
I am life long supporter and season ticket holder. However I am 30 and not part of the generation who saw the "Glory" years. But my god I have heard about it. I am very proud of our tradition and history but we need to remember that's what it is. History.
I grew up watching the worst period in our history. Imagine the horror I felt when we actually celebrated the 1987 season a couple of years ago?The team came out to a standing ovation. We seemed to forget that this was the single wost team in our history. Why as a club and set of supporters do we celebrate our mediocraty?
Let's mark the anniversary with a one match special kit as we did with the anniversary last year. Rather than celebrate 50 years of underachievement.
I think what this discussion has exposed is that a large set of our supporters, namely the older generation are rooted in the past. Some of the comments about the material, colour and branding of the shirt are laughable. Only a loan of a TARDIS would make them happy.
Let's move on and emrace the idea of a new dawn and put yesterday well and truely to rest. Let's look to future glorys rather than dwell on old ones.
Tom Aldersley
This would be sensational if this were to happen; with the present Board of Directors I feel that they would listen to the Supporters of our Great Club. Lets just hope it can be made possible, what a great idea. UTC onwards and upwards.
Andy Pritchard
I would agree that a home shirt replicating the 1959/60 kit is a great idea. Without a generous benefactor the strip will need to incorporate the name of our shirt sponsor, but other than that, and the use of modern performance enhancing fabrics, its design should ideally be as close to the original as possible. I'm sure we'll be able to use the old badge for at least one season, but I doubt it will be possible to make the strip available at 1959 prices.
John Halton
Claret and Blue hoop socks should be compulsory for home and away kits whatever year it is in my opinion, Alex Elder gave me a pair of his resplendent hoops (I was six years old) when he was living on St Cuthbert Street in the sixties. Nostalgia no,necessity YES.
David Gray
I also think this would be a great idea and a fitting tribute to the Championship winning side of fifty years ago. Well worth considering for next season!
John Downham
It would be a fitting way to honour what would be the last significant anniversary of an incredible achievement. Traditional looking kits usually look good as well and as has already been said, it could get the message of the proud history and achievements of the club across better to the younger fans. I have to say, I imagine I would buy both kits if they were like the championship winning ones and this does sound like an excellent idea.
Chris Stanworth
What brilliant idea to use the old kit, I remember my first kit as an 8 year old and it was definitely a replica of the kit pictured. I could never see the reason for changing the design, I think we should go back to it and keep on using it in future, socks and all!
Peter Clarke
I think it would be a marvellous idea to play in the kit for one match only. Anything else would be a distraction and would represent a season-long celebration of something that happened 50 years ago. Alternatively the season's kit could incorporate elements of the 59/60 kit, e.g. hooped socks, a commemorative badge. I.e. a nod to the past whilst firmly focussing on the present and the future.
Tom Schofield
A great idea - I'm with you!
Niall Murphy
I think it is a great idea and one to be marketed appropriately, should certainly be a cotton classic, not a lightwieght bit of tat, but could perhaps have a cheaper version available if needed. It would be perhaps fitting for the sponsors logo to be more like an internal subtle designer style label, happen a pie even, but It would be even better if various offshoot products were in quality cotton, just for a season, after all were we not once famous in that area. Come on BFC we all need this,believe the hype!
Martin Dempsey
Hi from oz. i remember getting this strip for my 8th birthday and Christmas, my birthday being the 23rd, and even though the snow was knee high i went outside Christmas Day to play in it. Great idea.
I have also had thoughts on other strip ideas, one being stripes. In my time in going down the Turf i always noticed that a team in stripes, like Sunderland and Newcastle, always seemed to have more players on the field, so always seemed to me to play better, this before money won the game over, so my view is of a stripe claret and blue, with white shorts and socks in any order.
But back to your kit, I think the idea is great and it will bring the Premier League something different, yes thats my view with the new signings being a step in the right direction and i say well done on that to all in the boardroom area.
Bring on the season, I am buzzing like no other season for a long while.
Milton Purcell
A cracking idea without doubt...but just a couple of points for all fans to bear in mind. Essentially - although you, I and every fan enjoys wearing the replica kit - it is primarily an item of sports equipment. Therefore, especially in the modern day game where every millimetre and half-second counts, light & breathable kit that enhances and improves player performance in any way possible, is surely the most important issue of all?
Secondly, in support of Errea I have to say without a shadow of a doubt, that they have been the finest kit manufacturers the club has ever had and the current deal MUST continue. I include Adidas in the shoddy list of past kit manufacturers as those who can recall may remember the miserable lead-times imposed upon us Clarets fans as they mass produced every Tom, Dick and Harry team in the lower leagues.
Having the new Burnley shirt in-store in time for the Burnley holidays would have been a dream for the retail operation back then...and unfortunately, this was not-to-be. Yes - some of the Errea designs have been a break from tradition especially as this is the first year that they have featured 'proper' blue arms for us - but the Italian-style cut of the earlier kits was much better than last year's 'traditional' baggier cut...(made for numpties who like to wear their shirts over their Christmas jumpers....come on people...if you wanna show your colours, wear a team sweatshirt/jacket or a scarf!)
It's all well and good suggesting Reebok and Umbro, but our neighbours up the road will testify how shoddy Umbro have been: Whilst us Burnley fans have been wearing our new strips for the last couple of months, their team have been playing pre-season games in makeshift versions of old kit with a new sponsor stuck on... and their away shirt was only released last week...more than two weeks after schedule.
As a keen footballer myself, the Errea training gear is first class and as a Burnley fan who plays and trains in Blackburn, I get plenty of compliments good the Errea gear looks.
In support of the commemorative strip, I agree, like many others that tradition is paramount, although we must also move forward. Can you imagine a scenario where we are promoted this season, to begin our first ever Premier League season in a sponsorless jersey, with the old borough coat of arms upon it? We'd look like a time machine had accidentally dumped us in the world's finest league and an ultra retro kit (with hooped socks!) would only be further bait for 'dingle' chants! We need to have a mix of traditional shirt, with modern cuts and white socks!
De-sponsoring the shirts would be commercial suicide and as the book quite correctly stated "We're Burnley...not Barcelona"! As for the borough badge concept, for me the current badge donned (although I am obviously biased) is one of the finest in the country. Two English Lions holding Two Lancashire/English Roses, the cotton spindle, the borough's bee and the armoury is pure class and defines what we're all about.
I have no doubt that the anniversary of our championship success MUST be celebrated with a commemorative strip that has a claret bodice, blue v-neck collar and blue arms with a claret trim...teamed with traditional white shorts and WHITE socks. (Hooped socks would also be much heavier than white, due to additional material and extended manufacturing processes). The Away shirt should be exactly as it was back then, with white shirts, black shorts and white socks.
But that's just my opinion.....
Good luck!
Jason Taylor
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