Gary James - City colours history

[Trollsmoan]

I wonder if we will ever go back to our original black shirt?

Would be nice to have for a 3rd strip at least!

 

[Shaelumstash]

Gary James, in his "Manchester: The City Years" suggests that the Masonic link is nothing but conjecture, and the likely reason for picking Cambridge Blue was no other reason than to look distinctive. No other club wore plain shirts in that colour, though Blackburn and Liverpool wore it quartered, which is a completely different look.

Thanks very much for that, it was just the info I was looking for.

I'm sure I read somewhere that Coventry started wearing sky blue as a homage to us. Same as our red and black away kit with AC Milan

 

[Falastur]

Gary James, in his "Manchester: The City Years" suggests that the Masonic link is nothing but conjecture, and the likely reason for picking Cambridge Blue was no other reason than to look distinctive. No other club wore plain shirts in that colour, though Blackburn and Liverpool wore it quartered, which is a completely different look.

Thanks very much for that, it was just the info I was looking for.

I'm sure I read somewhere that Coventry started wearing sky blue as a homage to us. Same as our red and black away kit with AC Milan

Possibly. If they did, though, it's a story I've never heard before.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

Just a question for Gary James, or any others with a good take on City history: What were the reasons behind our initial adoption of sky blue shirts, white shorts and navy blue socks?

I'm interested because as I've said in previous posts, I've never seen any other team in the world ever play in that particular colour scheme. Was there any significance behind it?

I have heard stories the "sky blue" was initially "Cambridge blue" and there was some link to Freemasonry behind the colours. Not having a whinge about our new white socks, just interested to know the history. Thanks

In the Freemasonry Today magazine a few years ago they ran an article which suggested that as most of the board members to manchester City when it was formed were Freemasons, so they adopted "Masonic Colours" for the team. The Sky blue comes from the colour of the ceiling in whats known as "The Blue Lodge" the burgundy/maroon colour comes from whats called "The Holy Royal Arch Of Jerusalem" which is another side branch of regular Freemasonry. Whether that article is true who knows, but thats what was in the Freemasons own publication. Hope this helps.

-- Fri May 24, 2013 1:10 am --

so why did we play in yellow in the 60s

All the colours that Manchester City have played in since our founding most if not all can be found in the various Orders of Freemasonry, back when we were founded the Worshipful Master of the Lodge wore a Yellow jacket and Cambridge blue pants. That was also in the Freemasonry Today magazine.

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

Great new socks with the kit

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

have you never heard of a fucking pm!!!!

just kidding ;-)

Adoption of sky blue

While Manchester City have become almost synonymous with the sky blue shirt/white shorts combination in English football, the club took almost two decades before assuming the use of their classic colours on a constant basis. Indeed, when they first began playing organised football, the club selected a black strip emblazoned with a triangular cross pattée design (frequently referred to as the Maltese Cross) on the left breast. The first known use of the colour blue came in a navy blue and white striped shirt from 1887, while the sky blue was first worn with white on a half-and-half shirt design from 1890. This was followed with a white shirt with a telling return to the navy blue socks which would continue to be used into the 1950s.
It took the bankruptcy and reformation of the club, also the catalyst for the adoption of the name Manchester City F.C. in place of the previous Ardwick A.F.C., to inspire the change to the single-colour sky blue shirt and the return to white shorts in 1894, though this did not stop an experiment with off-black shorts and socks the following season. The reversion to white shorts and navy blue socks shortly after marked the end of City's colour swapping and it would be a further 65 years before another colour would find its way onto the kit - even then only in the form of a maroon trim on the socks. Since 1897, no colour outside of the sky blue/white/navy blue triplet has been used as the main colour for either shirt, shorts or socks.

<a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_City_F.C._strip#Traditional_colours" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester ... al_colours</a>

How times change! We can barely get through 65 minutes before there's another change to summat!!

 

[Challenger1978]

Just a question for Gary James, or any others with a good take on City history: What were the reasons behind our initial adoption of sky blue shirts, white shorts and navy blue socks?

I'm interested because as I've said in previous posts, I've never seen any other team in the world ever play in that particular colour scheme. Was there any significance behind it?

I have heard stories the "sky blue" was initially "Cambridge blue" and there was some link to Freemasonry behind the colours. Not having a whinge about our new white socks, just interested to know the history. Thanks

In the Freemasonry Today magazine a few years ago they ran an article which suggested that as most of the board members to manchester City when it was formed were Freemasons, so they adopted "Masonic Colours" for the team. The Sky blue comes from the colour of the ceiling in whats known as "The Blue Lodge" the burgundy/maroon colour comes from whats called "The Holy Royal Arch Of Jerusalem" which is another side branch of regular Freemasonry. Whether that article is true who knows, but thats what was in the Freemasons own publication. Hope this helps.

-- Fri May 24, 2013 1:10 am --

so why did we play in yellow in the 60s

All the colours that Manchester City have played in since our founding most if not all can be found in the various Orders of Freemasonry, back when we were founded the Worshipful Master of the Lodge wore a Yellow jacket and Cambridge blue pants. That was also in the Freemasonry Today magazine.

Fucking hell I'm having flashbacks to the emails my dad used to get.

Do you take the paddle to then say "thank you sir may i have another" ?

PMSL

 

[BringBackSwales]

Why is this thread titled "Gary James..."?

 

[SWSB]

in 1972 Malcolm Allison wanted our home shirt to be white with a red/blue sash! This was to be our away colours however and Allison went to Palace where they changed to the same shirt(white with red/blue sash).

 

[DuggieCcH]

I wonder if we will ever go back to our original black shirt?

Would be nice to have for a 3rd strip at least!

I've often thought this would be a great idea (2nd or 3rd kit) in an anniversary year as a nod to the past, and am sure it would be wholeheartedly embraced by fans. It's 130 years since 1884 in 2014,
and for the patient sorts 150 in 2034 !