TT BLOG

Tom Elsby – @TorquayShirts

Tom looks back at the famous away shirt from 1991!

AWAY 1991-92

The summer of 1991- Bryan Adam’s was number 1 in the charts, Terminator 2 was in the cinema and newly promoted Torquay United released which, unbeknownst to them at the time, would become one of the most popular and sought after shirts in the club’s history. Of all the shirts that I wear to games from all the different eras of the club’s history, that Purple effort is still the shirt that elicit’s the most stares and conversations.

In general, football shirts tend to become iconic due to the memories that are attached to a particular game, season or tournament. See- Marco Van Basten scoring ‘that volley’ in the Euro 88 final in the beautiful ‘Ipswich template’ or Ronaldo (the original Ronaldo, watch some highlights on YouTube kids, trust me) holding the UEFA Cup in the Inter Milan away kit. All shirts, which at the time weren’t anything to write home about, but in due course gained massive popularity and now fetch quite a significant price on the secondary market.

Torquay United’s 1991-1992 away shirt, manufactured by Matchwinner, completely bucks that trend. A season in which we were relegated, failed to win a game away from home and only recorded 1 (maybe 2??) league cup wins at home whilst wearing that glorious garment. Now, I know we’re not (quite) as big as Inter Milan or boast players that Holland fielded in 1988, but how popular our shirt still remains in 2025, despite the memories that are attached to it, speaks quite highly to the design that Matchwinner produced.

A deep purple with the Mod-Dec Windows sponsor and Matchwinner logo in white, our crest, untouched and left alone (more on that later) a delicate sublimated pattern in the background with a popper buttoned (so 90’s!) white colour with a purple trim.

Beautiful.

Now you may have seen the latest concept designs by our current kit suppliers VX3, who are leaving it down to us yet again to decide on next seasons away kit. Amongst the choices – a kit inspired by our 1991-1992 away shirt. Have VX3 paid homage and at the same time put there own unique spin on the shirt?

Yes!

Does it look as good as the original?

Kind of hard to tell at the moment. As with the current seasons shirts, the final designs looked a lot better in person then it did on a digital screen. Some early criticism of the shirt suggest that it is strikingly similar to Harchester United’s effort (remember them? Again, YouTube kids) from the mid 00’s.

Personally- I’m not a fan of the modern approach of integrating the design of the shirt in to the clubs crest. The clubs crest is sacred and should be left to stand on its own. But what do I know? Oh, and if I could make just one other suggestion? if VX3 could lose the white trimming on the shoulders, it would make the shirt look less Harchestery’ and more TUFC.

With all this being said, ‘the people’ might choose to vote for the new ‘blue out’ or the ‘ocean blue and pink’ effort.

Whichever one we end up getting we’ll still always have our glorious original we can still wear, or for some, hunt down on the secondary market and haggle for an affordable price. Either way let’s hope that next seasons away shirt performs better on the pitch then it did in 1991/1992.