Cardiff City Kit History

Given their triumphant efforts in 1927, Cardiff City is the only club based outside of England to have won the FA Cup. Time to look through their kit manufacturing and sponsorship history.

Cardiff City Shirt History - Free Download

Cardiff City Kit Manufacturing History

2022 – present – New Balance

New Balance had a strong start to life as Cardiff’s suppliers with an eye-catching home strip that paraded the clubs traditional blue and embossed bluebirds splattered across the base. In the same season, the bluebirds also donned a striking light pink third strip.

A distorted stripe pattern was in place on both the home and away tops in 2023/24, albeit to different extents. The grandad collared home top had ‘all-over’ patterning consisting of three shades of blue, while the maroon away top had only black diagonal stripes towards its left. 

The 2024/25 campaign celebrates the clubs 125th anniversary, so to honour the landmark ‘Est. 1899 125’ has been imprinted on all three of the shirts’ base. The home top continued its commemorations in several ways, such as featuring a club crest that was active between 1969 and 1980, and by including chevron patterning in a nod to when the club was known as Riverside A.F.C

The away top also referred to the Riverside A.F.C days by incorporating a grey and green chequered pattern, albeit this is also thought to pay tribute to the Cardiff’s coal mining heritage. Further homage was paid to the city through the uniquely patterned third kit, which takes inspiration from its exports and waters of the Tiger Bay Area.

2015 – 2022 – Adidas

The 2015/16 campaign signified relief for Cardiff supporters, with the club returning to their traditional colour of blue for the first time since 2011/12. Interestingly, in 2015/16, Cardiff wore a yellow and black vertically striped third kit that was never made available for fans to buy.

A vibrant alternate shirt came in 2017/18, with the away kit boasting a bright green that contrasted with a melange print effect. The shirt was used for two seasons, but it became the third top in 2018/19, and it’ll be one to look back on with fondness for supporters given their 2017/18 Premier League promotion.

The vibrancy continued in 2019/20, as the away top that year combined both blue and orange. A clean home top that paired blue and navy was used alongside it. 

Adidas attempted their own pink alternate shirt in 2021/22, albeit the tonal hoops unfortunately didn’t have the desired effect.

2014 – 2015 – Cosway Sports

Cosway Sports manufactured bland designs in 2014/15, albeit things weren’t helped by the clubs controversial rebrand in 2012/13. The rebrand not only ditched blue for red, but it also saw rid of the bluebird in the club crest for the introduction of the Welsh dragon. 

2009 – 2014 – Puma

Puma were the brand that worked with Cardiff to release their new red identity and it was a move that was sold to supporters as an attempt to ‘grow the club’. However, despite the fact it was an initial unpopular move, supporters can be forgiven if they ended up warming to it given that they achieved promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 50 years while primarily donning the colour. 

Prior to this move, Puma enjoyed a smooth time of being the Bluebirds’ manufacturers and this was typified by the final blue home top which the brand designed, albeit it incorporated small white and yellow touches. The away top was designed similarly in reversing colours.

Puma attempted a bit of a hit or miss move in the first campaign with unmissable bright yellow side panels running down the home top – a feature that looked much better on the black 2010/11 away strip.

2005 – 2009 – Joma

A centralised club crest became the theme of this Joma era, with all the shirts in three out of the four campaigns incorporating this concept. The 2007/08 home top was a particularly striking edition, albeit it was perhaps outclassed by the away shirt used alongside it which mixed black, a golden yellow and white. Coincidentally, Cardiff enjoyed a historic FA Cup run in this campaign, albeit it ended in a 1-0 final defeat to Portsmouth. 

Although, it must be said that the 2005/06 yellow and blue away strip does rival the above shirts in terms of catching the eye.

2002 – 2005 – Puma

The Puma branding was fantastically on point in 2002/03 and 2003/04, with the former collection shining the most. In 2002/03, the Bluebirds donned a brilliant polo home top and a striking yellow and green Brazil-like away strip.  

1998 – 2002 – Xara

With its white sleeves and collar being paired with a tonally striped, blue base, the first Xara home strip was quite the hit. 

However, things turned out to further improve in the second campaign, which was rather timely given it was the clubs centenary year.  Both shirts in the 1999/00 season incorporated commemorative centenary stitching beneath the club crest and, like in the previous year, the home top was also decorated with tonal effects. 

In terms of kit branding, a little confusion struck after the 1999/00 season with Strikeforce being labelled on the away top, despite Xara keeping the home strip. Furthermore, in the 2000/01 campaign, Welsh flags appeared where you would usually find the manufacturers logo, despite Xara producing them.

It must be said that Strikeforce did a great job with the shirt that they did do, as a central club crest was joined by a white and blue conjoined vertical stripe which ran down the right of its yellow base. 

1997 – 1998 -Errea 

The 1997/98 Erra campaign was a particularly interesting collection. The home top featured an attractive pattern which ran down the shirt’s sleeves, as well as tonal patterning across its base. It was joined by quite an outrageous yellow away jersey, given random blue and black touches throughout. 

Topping off the collection was a smart polo third strip that was only used in the FA Welsh Cup. It was striped vertically with blue and maroon. 

1996 – 1997 – Lotto

Lotto opted for a fade effect for the 1996/97 campaign, which undoubtedly looked better on the home shirt.

The home top seamlessly faded from blue to white as you reached the top of the shirt, whereas the away strip hopped from yellow, to black and then to white.

1995 – 1996 – Influence

A remarkable home top that paid homage to the club’s nickname of the Bluebirds was the headline of this campaign. 

An elegant bluebird was stitched into its polo neckline and tonal bluebird features were embossed throughout its base.

1994 – 1995 – Strika

Despite the imprinted Cardiff crests on the home top perhaps being the most interesting feature of this campaign, it is the predominantly yellow away jersey that is perhaps the most attractive strip.

1992 – 1994 – Bluebirds

Cardiff wore jerseys manufactured by ‘Bluebirds’ between 1992 and 1994 and it saw the club wear the same fantastic home top for both seasons. It featured similar patterning to what can be seen on the 2019/20 home top. 

Two away shirts were used throughout this period, and neither were safe designs. The funkiest came in 1993/94 – it had vertical solid red stripes, as well as stripes which merged black and white. The stripe feature broke and became uneven around its centre to make way for the shirt sponsor. 

1991 – 1992 – Influence

Tonal chevrons ran across the base of both Influence tops. The home strip was blue with a white polo collar, while the away was yellow kit with a blue polo collar.

1988 – 1991 – Scoreline

Scoreline produced their classiest work at the beginning of this partnership with a slick tonally pinstriped V-neck collection. The club crest was central. 

1985 – 1988 – Admiral

Admiral made use of pinstripes throughout this period, with the first home top opting for the more traditional method, whereas their second home strip saw the pinstripes spaced out in pairs. The red away top remained traditional throughout. 

1973 – 1985 – Umbro

Umbro were the first to manufacture for the Bluebirds and the partnership survived for over a decade. 

Noticeably, the Umbro branding somewhat uniquely was placed under the club crest on the left-hand side of the shirt between 1975 and 1980 – this was perhaps because of the two-colour conjoined vertical stripe on its right. 

Umbro ended the deal strongly with tonal stripes and an old-school thick V-neck collar in 1983/84.

Umbro Shirt Sponsor History

Let’s learn about Cardiff’s front of shirt sponsorship deals…

2011 – present – Promotion of Tourism in Malysia

Vincent Tan, the Cardiff owner, now uses the slot to encourage people to visit his homeland, Malaysia. 

For a brief period, the Malaysian government, via the ministry of tourism, were in on the deal and contributed £3m to feature – however this has since been dropped. Regardless, Tan has vowed to continue with his promotion of the nation for the foreseeable. 

Different variants of wording have been tried, however overall, it has always been a text-based feature with little to it. 

2009 – 2011 – SBOBET

Betting operator, SBOBET, have a bearable logo which featured, however initially it was supposed to be 777ball.com, an online Asian gaming firm, that took the slot. 

For regulatory reasons, the 777ball.com deal fell through.  

2008 – 2009 – Vansdirect

Vansdirect, an independent commercial vehicle retailer, have more recently sponsored the Cardiff Women’s team jerseys.

In 2008/09, the brand established in the Welsh Valleys opted for a URL feature.

2006 – 2008 – Communications Direct

Communications Direct, otherwise known as CD, worked within mobile phone retail operations. 

Their feature in the second campaign utilised the CD abbreviation giving it a more concise look.

2003 – 2006 – Redrow Homes

Premium housebuilders, Redrow Homes, used a sophisticated all-text look.

2002 – 2003 – Leekes

Retail and Leisure Group, Leeks, took over in October 2002, when their predecessors went bust. 

2000 – 2002 – Ken Thorne Group

The late Ken Thorne was a car tycoon who was well known within the city of Cardiff. The branding mostly advertised his ‘world of cars’. Click here to learn more about his story.

1999 – 2000 – Modplan

Wels business, Modplan, fabricates and supplies windows, doors and conservatories direct to trade customers.

1998 – 1999 – Sports Café

Sports Café was originally located in Cardiff Bay, however it unfortunately closed for a brief period before reopening by the Motorpoint Arena.

1997 – 1998 – Gilesport 

Gilesport was a family-run sports retail business, and it sponsored the home top for a single campaign. The brand has since been sold in a multi-million-pound deal. 

1996 – 1998 – CMB Engineering

CMB Engineering is a mechanical engineering group that appeared on the alternate kits for two years. The second seasons feature was a bit of an eyesore. 

1995 – 1996 – Brains Beers

Brans Brewery, a Welsh firm, promoted their beers on the 1995/96 away top.

1992 – 1996 – South Wales Echo 

Up until 1995/96, the South Wales Echo newspaper sponsored all the shirts. Following 1995/96, they just appeared on the home top. Sadly, the red didn’t fit in with the top all that well. 

1989 – 1990 – Havelet

Prior to two sponsor free years, Havelet, who we could not find much about, sponsored the club.

1987 – 1989 – Buckley’s Brewery

Buckley’s Brewery had text-based feature which was sown in with a stitch effect.

1985 – 1987 – Airways Cymru

Airways Cymru, a Cardiff-based airline, had a text-based feature. 

1984 – 1985 – Merthyr Motor Auctions

MMA is now one of the largest direct fleet car, van, commercial, truck, minibus, ambulance, municipal and refuse auctions in the United Kingdom.

1983 – 1984 – SuperTed / Camilleri Roofing

For the first two months of the 1983/84 campaign, SuperTed, a Welsh animated superhero series, was referred to. 

Following this, Camilleri Roofing, who still today specialise in roof slating and tile contracting, featured.

1982 – 1983 – Whitbread Wales

Cardiff’s first shirt sponsors, Whitbread Wales, is believed to be a hospitality firm. 

Conclusion

If you take out the three years of red controversy, then your eyes would immediately point towards the 90’s for being the most interesting period of Cardiff kit designs. However, it must be said that New Balance, their current suppliers, are doing a grand job so far…