Colours and Badge
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (home) | Shirt sponsor (away) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1979 | Umbro | ||
| 1979–1980 | Adidas | ||
| 1980–1982 | Royal London Insurance | ||
| 1982–1986 | Le Coq Sportif | ||
| 1986–1987 | 0800 Linkline | ||
| 1987–1988 | Olympic | Norcross Estates | |
| 1988–1990 | Spall | ||
| 1990–1991 | Scoreline | Holimarine | |
| 1991–1992 | Ribero | Colchester Hippodrome | |
| 1992–1993 | The Sun | ||
| 1993–1994 | Spall | Strovers | |
| 1994–1995 | SGR Colchester | ||
| 1995–1996 | Vandanel | ||
| 1996–1997 | Goldstar Fabrications | ||
| 1997–1999 | Patrick | Guardian Direct | |
| 1999–2000 | East Anglian Daily Times | Ashby's Tea & Coffee | |
| 2000–2002 | Strike Force | JobServe | Ridley's Brewery |
| 2002–2004 | Tiptree Jam | ||
| 2004–2005 | Admiral | ICS Triplex | |
| 2005–2006 | Easy-Skip | 188trades.com | |
| 2006–2007 | Diadora | MutualPoints.com | Smart Energy |
| 2007–2008 | Haart | ||
| 2008–2009 | Puma | Weston Homes | |
| 2009–2010 | JobServe | ||
| 2010–2012 | Reader Offers Limited | ||
| 2012– | Various | JobServe | |
Colchester United play in the same blue and white stripes as Colchester Town originally did, and chose the nickname "The U's" to distinguish themselves from the older club, who had been known as "The Oystermen", before they folded. The town crest was worn on United kits for the first time in the 1947–48 season, which dates back to a royal charter granted by Henry V in 1413.
The traditional shirts were changed to the newly fashionable candy stripes: white on blue in 1967 and blue on white in 1968. In 1969, when stripes of any kind were out of favour, the club adopted a strip modelled on that worn by Chelsea, with blue shirts and shorts trimmed in white together with white socks. The crest was also modified the following season and now featured a white background.
For the 1972–73 season the management decided to relaunch the club with a new badge (a Roman eagle standard), new nickname (The Eagles) and an all-white kit worn with red boots. The season was a disaster – the manager resigned and Colchester had to apply for re-election. Traditional stripes were reinstated in 1973 (without a crest of any kind) worn with blue shorts, and in 1979, the club adopted the popular striped Adidas shirt of the period, on which the stripes on the body echoed the trademarked three-stripe trim. These shirts were adorned with a simple monogramme.
Another version of the roman eagle crest was introduced in 1993 and used for two seasons. The 1994–95 version was white and placed against a blue stripe. In 1995 the crest was modified to place the eagle (now in gold) against a shield in Colchester's traditional stiped motif. This proved more durable and popular than its predecessors and was used until 2004. An amended (and the current) crest was introduced in 2004 with a modernised look.
For the 2012–13 season, the U's marked their 75th anniversary with special kit. The shirt was coloured in the usual blue and white stripes, however it did not have a main sponsorship logo, as the club looked to promote local businesses on a game-by-game basis and to reflect on the club's early days without a sponsor.
Read more about this topic: Colchester United F.C.
Famous quotes containing the words colours and, colours and/or badge:
“The sounding cataract
Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock,
The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood,
Their colours and their forms, were then to me
An appetite: a feeling and a love,
That had no need of a remoter charm,
By thought supplied, or any interest
Unborrowed from the eye.—”
—William Wordsworth (1770–1850)
“My faith is the grand drama of my life. I’m a believer, so I sing words of God to those who have no faith. I give bird songs to those who dwell in cities and have never heard them, make rhythms for those who know only military marches or jazz, and paint colours for those who see none.”
—Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992)
“Repose and cheerfulness are the badge of the gentleman,—repose in energy.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)