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This Saturday, Aston Villa are planning what seems like a fun little event. In an effort to create a little more of an atmosphere, Villa are holding a Retro Day at Villa Park. One of the components of this is a call to arms to wear your favourite retro Villa kit. Because of that, I asked the 7500 to Holte staff what some of their favourites were.
Q: Aston Villa want fans to wear their favourite old kits against Everton this Saturday. What's your favourite all-time Villa kit?
(Note: You can follow along with out choices by viewing them here and here.)
RJ
My favorite in recent years -- the advertising-logo-on-kit age -- is probably the 2012-13 Aston Villa home kit. Macron's first effort was our first kit to have a true collar in several years, and I bought it with Christian Benteke's name on the back so it'll always be a memorable one for me.
All time though, I'd probably go with the early 1970s kit, which was about as clean-looking as it gets: claret body, blue sleeves and collar, and white shorts and socks. I'm a big fan of the Lion logo by itself (kind of like how Liverpool now have the Liverbird on their kits). I just like how that looks aesthetically much more than the club's retro or current badge even.
Also, as for away kits, I'll always love the 2008-09 change strip: electric blue body with black sleeves, shorts and socks and Acorns as the sponsor. That was my first Villa away kit I purchased and for me was the pinnacle of Nike's Aston Villa kits, which went steeply downhill in the following years. (I know it's traditional and classy, but I'm just not a fan of white kits.)
James
I'll keep it simple. There's simply no other answer than the 1992-1993 Home Kit with the tie strings. Or you could wear that dastardly green Muller number. I'm not sure why people hate it.
Jack
The 1957 FA Cup Kit may be my favourite. Although they aren't really retro, the 2010-11 black away kit and the lime green shirt we wore from 2012-14 are also great.
Alex
I'm a complete and total kit nerd, so this will be my favourite question ever.
For the most part, all the "traditional" Villa kits are always pretty standard. The 1976-81 and 1981-83 sets are both really solid, though that may be down to our success in them. My favourite line of traditional shirts though come from '24-'57, when black socks were paired with the home shirt. Nike brought black socks back in '11-'12 but didn't quite get that colour balance quite right; those older shirts did for me.
But my overall favourite Villa kits is probably the 1957 FA Cup Final kit, like Jack said. I think the colour balance in it is strikingly gorgeous, and I'd have no issue with Villa wearing it for an entire season, colours and all intact. I'll also give a shout to the Hummel home kits from 1987-89, which I find weirdly gorgeous, and the 1999-2000 striped effort from Reebok, which I think looks great. I like it when Villa deviate from tradition at home. It's my favourite thing aesthetically about German football.
As far as away kits go, give me the back-to-back years of 2007-08 and 2008-09. Both gorgeous ones.
Robert
First off, gotta disagree a bit with RJ that Nike went downhill after 2009. I loved the 2010-11 kit with the checks on the side. So much. (Bonus for having "Pride of Birmingham" stitched on the inside of the shirt under the badge.)
But it's not my favorite ever. That title belongs to the 1981-82 away kit, though I prefer the claret shorts to the white ones worn in the European Cup final (sacrilege, I know, but the all white is a bit much). Some runners up for me include the 1957 FA Cup kit (imagine that with the claret and blue swapped. Swoooon.) and this year's away kit. On the last one, I don't love it that much by itself. Just seeing pictures on the kit makes it kind of boring. But for some reason it looks amazing in action on the pitch. It's one of the sharpest shirts I can ever remember seeing.
Andrew
The vertically striped, white "acorns" Nike kit away was the fucking balls.
Adam
The 81-82 kit is almost perfect - our best crest, clean lines, no branding...and uh, we won a European Cup in it.
I'll also throw in a shout for the strangely loveable 1999-2000 striped effort. That was about the time I was becoming a major Villa fan and it has the invaluable quality of knowing that we're not West Ham with a passing glance - very useful as a Villa fan living in London!
Matt F.
I will totally ride for the lime green away kits from the 2012-13 season. I own one and it is wonderful. I also quite like both kits from the 2010-11 season, the ones with the checkerboard pattern down the sides. I own a Marc Albrighton #12 one of those and I think it looks quite nice. Plus, those kits bring back good memories of when Villa weren't a total dumpsterfire.
Those are our answers and now it's your turn to answer the question. What Villa kit are your favorites and which one will you/would you wear to the Retro Day at Villa Park?