THE People’s Club enlisted people power to launch its latest football strip when hundreds of Everton fans thronging the balconies and walkways of the city’s Liverpool One shopping complex counted down to the Blues’ ‘big reveal.’
And as the crescendo reached a climax, fans who know their history could not help but have been impressed by the historic links between the new team kit for 2009-10 and Everton’s iconic strip from the glory days of the mid-80s.
Back then, manager Howard Kendall led the Blues on a glittering trophy-laden era of league titles and domestic and European cup success.
His pinnacle was 1984-85 when his young side clinched the league title, European Cup Winners’ Cup and narrowly lost out in the FA Cup final to Manchester United.
Everton’s kitmaker back then was Le Coq Sportif and the club has linked up with them once again for its new strip, which has drawn heavily on the kit design the team wore 25 years ago.
Guest of honour Kendall unveiled the new design outside the club’s new city centre store, Everton 2@Liverpool 1, which will open early next month.
He appreciated the new design’s nod to his "dream team"’s fantastic success saying: "It is the anniversary of the 84-85 season and a lot of the original shirt has gone into the design of the new strip. It is nice to see."
He added: "Going to Wembley last week for our FA Cup final and looking at how many people were proud to be wearing our previous strip, it will be the same for this new strip."
