In terms of the horror shows that we’ve swerved, how bad are we talking?
Any chance of sneaking a crafty photo on your mobile dan …
I heard the new shirt sponsor isn’t homeserve any longer. Can confirm?
1 Like
The origins of the green being added to the kit in 1977 have different versions.
The one I go for is the Dave Mackay one. He was manager from March 1977 and therefore would have been around the time it was added for the 1977-78 season.
The story i heard is that he wanted Walsall to have a distinct identity rather than just being another team in red and white. He felt that Manchester United’s black socks gave them this. Obviously he didn’t want to go for this so suggested green for a bit of a celtic (small C and pronounced keltic rather than seltic) edge.
But that is where that story flounders a bit. Mackay is definitely a Protestant leaning name as is “David”. He began his career at Hearts, again the more loyalist/unionist side of Edinburgh. Maybe by 1977 he had been out of Scotland for all of that nonsense to be well and truly a distant memory. But with this potential background and this alleged wish for us to be unique, why would he not have gone blue? Red and white with blue socks. Maybe a clash with Aldershot but nobody else at that time?
We had retained the services of Umbro as manufacturer so it wasn’t like it was a new partner looking to make a bit of a splash either. It didn’t stop at socks either. The shorts had a green trim and the badge became green for four years too.
Whatever the story, I’m glad it happened as red, white and green was “us” and us alone and I loved it. Also meant that I adopted Hungry in the 1978 World Cup.
Be good if somebody else could corroborate or have an alternative. What that story does do is show again how much the game has changed. Mackay had managed Derby to the first division title in 1974-75. He was sacked by Derby in the autumn of 1976 then became our manager the following March. Would be like Klopp being potted next season then coming to us six months later.
1 Like
I remember being quite surprised that we got Chris Nicholl as manager, in the 1990s, too. I know that he was a Villa player in the 70s but he made his name as a manager at Southampton in the top division. I also recall him saying that Martin Butler was as good as Alan Shearer had been as a youngster…
Not only played for them, but supported them as a bairn. Many supporters and writers thought he would never leave. Did he really want some Hibernian green in our kit? As you say, perhaps he had been gone long enough for it not to matter, or maybe he thought it too petty to be bothered with, but it would be interesting to have a definitive answer.
Whatever the reason, I thought it looked smart.
1 Like
Good point about Klopp PT, Imagine him becoming Walsall manager. Nowhere near good enough.
1 Like
I like my job 
2 Likes
Definitely HomeServe sponsored, front and back like this year!
1 Like
so that’s why you moved to homeserve :’)
all about the kits lol
1 Like
I think the brown paper envelopes passed over service station tables were more persuasive in those days. (Allegedly)
I heard he bought a bundle of cheap socks from Sports Direct once.
I don’t want that sort of manager at my club thank-you-very-much.
1 Like
The beauty of Red Shirts, White Shorts & Green Socks was that you could buy the Hungary national team squad & use them as WFC when playing Subbuteo!
2 Likes
Looks the dogs from these teasers, can’t wait to see it in a few days
You are right about Mackay in that I remember him making the point that we should have a distinct identity. Where the idea of green came from though I am not sure although like a lot of fans I thought it looked good.
1 Like
Not bad have you seen the away kit?
I was with my Dad at a friendly in 1977 when he asked the Secretary, John Westmancoat, about the green socks and he definitely said it was the manager’s wish.
1 Like
If this is the kit, is the sponsor not Homeserve then?