Plymouth Argyle Shirt History
Interesting fact: Plymouth is the largest city in England to have never hosted Premier League football. Time to check out the Argyle’s kit manufacturing and sponsorship history.
Plymouth Argyle Shirt History - A4 Checklist
Plymouth Argle Kit Manufacturing History
2011 – present – Puma
At present, the Pilgrims are enjoying a long-standing relationship with Puma and the opportunity was there make an instant impact as the supplier with the 2011/12 season celebrating the clubs 125th anniversary, however, they only commemorated the landmark with a special edition of club crest. Although, things have got better as the years have gone by…
With respect to the club and the brand, the first noteworthy shirt in terms of design was the 2015/16 home shirt. It was wait-worthy, in fairness, as its black neckline, shoulders and sleeve cuffs was joined by a base that was filled with thick green and white stripes, as well as green pinstripes within the white. The Puma branding was gold. Sadly, a huge negative that year was the club’s first ever purple alternate strip.
Pinstripes on the home jersey also came out strong in 2016/17, however, the feature was later ditched for 2017/18 and it was replaced by a white polka-dot stripe look. The away strip for 2017/18 wasn’t without its noticeability either, as the citrus and black combination boasted a bold graphic on its front.
A white vintage collar was placed on the 2018/19 home top and it was joined by green and black stripes, although, again, it was the away top that stole many headlines that campaign with it being coloured green and white and split into four quarters. Green and white paired again to produce a wavy graphic on the front of the away kit in the following year.
Two more smart pinstripe looks were produced by Puma in 2020/21 and 2021/22, in the former it was the away strip that boasted the feature, while in the latter it was the home top. The 2020/21 season was also the home to a funky third shirt which utilised a light green touch.
You could make a strong case for the 2022/23 season being the best Puma campaign so far, with all three tops deserving of being appreciated. The home top tributed the Plymouth Castle, as well as early versions of the club crest, the away top referred to the shirt worn for the 1996 Third Division Play-Off Final, where Plymouth defeated Darlington 1-0, and the third shirt boasted a lovely modern black and turquoise look. Coincidentally, Argle won promotion to the Championship during this campaign for the first time since 2010.
The 2023/24 season is the home to two more classy designs, one of which being the home top which combined green and gold. The other is a pink third jersey that featured a black zigzag pattern. It is the third jersey that catches many people’s eye in 2024/25 as well, with the yellow strip, which has patterned sleeves and a central club crest, being inspired by the 90’s.
2009 – 2011 – Adidas
Adidas only changed the home top throughout this two-year period, with the second version being a vast improvement on the first – mostly down to its tonal green stripe feature. The stripes had patterned edges.
The away shirt was pretty forgettable, although given that the club experienced relegation in both if these seasons, it may be for the best…
2005 – 2009 – Puma
Prior to 2011, Puma had a four-season spell with the Pilgrims that started out in 2005. Things begun positively, with a solid polo look that was used for two-years. It’s succeeding home shirt was a minimal all-green crewneck.
An interesting away jersey came in 2006/07, which was uniquely split into black, green and white, although the noticeability scale was taken up a notch in 2008/09, with the away top then combining a rather bright orange with green side panelling.
2003 – 2005 – TFG Sports
Unfortunately, you were left wanting from the away shirts used within this period, but the home top in place certainly made up for it.
It was a central club crest design that incorporated slight green tonal patterning and a V-neck polo collar. The collar was prominently white, matching the striking white colour panels that ran on either side of its front.
1999 – 2003 – Patrick
Patrick was the first to adopt the darker green that we are so used to seeing Plymouth play in today, with its introduction being 2001/02. Amusingly, the fantastic white and green pinstriped jersey that acted as the home shirt in the 2000/01 campaign remained for the 2001/02 season but as the away top.
Before this, Patrick manufactured Argyle a navy away top coupled with light green and white features.
1998 – 1999 – Errea
Errea supplied a brilliant central crest home top that featured a black and white colour block on its green base running through the front of shirt sponsorship area – it matched perfectly its white and black collar and sleeve cuffs. The cherry on top was the classy stitching beneath the club emblem that read the clubs founding year.
An impressive away top acted alongside it and this incorporated a broken stripe feature, with some of them being curved. Albeit it was mostly white and green, it did have black applications too.
1996 – 1998 – Super League
The same Super League home jersey was used for both seasons, so thankfully it was pleasing on the eye. The polo strip used green and white stripes that were separated by navy pinstripes. The green stripes saw the Plymouth crest embossed into them.
Similarly, the Pilgrims’ crest was also imprinted throughout the all-green away jersey used in the 1997/98 season.
1992 – 1996 – Admiral
The fact that Puma have since attempted to modernise two jerseys from the Admiral era speaks volumes of their work – impressive. As alluded to earlier in the piece, these shirts are the 1995/96 home top and the away kit used between 1993 and 1996. The latter is particularly fantastic.
Admiral produced more credible work between 1992 and 1994, as the home shirt from that period utilised green and white vertical stripes and a classy collar. Noticeably, Admiral imprinted their logo throughout the green and black home top which came after this.
1990 – 1992 – Ribero
The same two Ribero shirts were used throughout both seasons. The home top incorporated thick tonal white and green stripes as well as black pinstripes. The away top paired a yellow base, which had tonal effects, with a green polo collar.
1987 – 1990 – Umbro
Umbro opted for the same concept on both the home and away top used within this period. This saw a classy V-neck collar and tonal chevron striped patterning. Green and white was used on both but in reversing roles for each.
1982 – 1987 – In-House
Argyle had in-house manufacturing for five years from 1982, but there was one shirt that survived the whole tenure. It was originally supplied as the home kit in 1982/93, however for each season after this it acted as the away top.
Regardless, all three tops used within this period followed the same concept – a V-neck neckline and pinstripes. It was the white and green colour combination that was used for the whole period and it was joined by either a yellow and green or black and green alternate shirt, dependent on the year.
1979 – 1982 – Adidas
Plymouth boasted the Adidas Originals branding during these years, with the same shirts in place for all three seasons.
Strikingly, the Plymouth crest, which saw PAFC coolly stitched in, was quite the showpiece.
1975 – 1979 – Various
Argyle partnered with Umbro in 1975/76 and this was their first ever manufacturing partnership, however, unfortunately things became a little unclear between then and 1979/80, although there is some suggestion that Bukta took the reins at some point.
Plymouth Argyle Shirt Sponsorship History
Noticeably, Plymouth have very much stuck close to home with many of their front of shirt sponsorship dealings, so let’s discover who has featured…
2024 – present – Classic Builders
Plymouth-based construction firm, Classic Builders, currently occupies the slot with quite an elegant text-based look.
It has been promised that for one home matchday, the feature will be donated to St Luke's Hospice Plymouth, an independent charity providing specialist advice and support to people with progressive life-limiting illnesses in Plymouth.
2023 – 2024 – Bond Timber
Bond Timber is a family run business that has gone on to become a leading timber processor and supplier throughout the South West.
The O and the I within the firms name coolly makes out a tree on their feature. The features colouring was specially chosen to best match each shirt.
2022 – 2023 – Project 35
Project 35 is the club’s community social impact project for Plymouth, launched in partnership with Ginsters, who we will hear more about in a moment, and the Argyle Community Trust.
As per the Argyle website, the initiative is aimed at reducing poverty in Plymouth through a comprehensive campaign of fundraising, awareness raising, social outreach, food donations, education, and charity support.
2016 – 2022 – Ginsters
Renowned Cornwall-based pasty maker, Ginters, took the slot for six seasons. As the bakers’ branding is red, the colour understandably made-up part of the feature on occasions, however it was a slight eye-sore and it looked much better when they opted against using it, for example in 2014/15 and 2015/16.
As well as getting involved in community projects like alluded to in the Project 35 section, Ginters also supplied pastries on matchdays.
However, Plymouth were no strangers to Ginsters at this point…
2014 – 2016 – LTC Powered Access
The Pilgrims paired with LTC Powered Access, a plant and machinery hire company, for two seasons. The firm is part of LTC Group87, which has offices locally in Plymouth.
The feature boasted the company’s logo which, due to colour reasons, looked much better on the home shirt than it did on alternate versions.
2011 – 2014 – Bond Timber
Bond Timber, who we have previously mentioned, also had a spell with the club that started in 2011/12. Quite differently, their branding choice on this occasion was pretty simply text based.
2002 – 2011 – Ginsters
Like Bond Timber, Ginsters had previous with Plymouth prior to their partnership which started in 2016.
Sadly, the redness was utilised on every shirt throughout this period and it was, respectively, as aforementioned, an eye sore.
1998 – 2002 – Evening Herald
Evening Herald was a local Plymouth-based newspaper and they held an all-text feature on the shirt for four seasons. It’s website and social media has now rebranded as Plymouth Live.
1992 – 1998 – Rotolok
In their own words, ‘Rotolok is a global market leader manufacturing and supplying process control valves and equipment’.
Their feature never really fitted into the home top, although when they added green touches to it for the 1993 – 1996 away strip it actually looked quite good.
1987 – 1992 – Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a former newspaper that served the South West. Their feature complimented the shirts well up until 1990/91, when a dreaded white background was added to the home version.
1986 – 1987 – National & Provincial
National & Provincial was a building society that was eventually taken over by Abbey National, which defunct in 2010. The feature was quite classy.
1984 – 1986 – Ivor Jones Insurance
Investment and insurance advisor, Ivor Jones Insurance, took the reins with an all-text feature for two seasons.
1983 – 1984 – Beacon Electrical
Today, Beacon Electrical claim to be the South West's premier retailer of Home Electricals and Kitchen Appliances. Back in 1983, they became Plymouth Argyle’s first ever front of shirt sponsor.
Conclusion
If you wanted to say that the Pilgrims have had bland periods of shirt design then it would be absolutely fair. However, equally, if you wanted to say that despite the questionable purple shirt from 2015/16 that they have avoided disasters, then that would also be fair. The Plymouth shirt history is fairly mild, but if you wanted to know the best ‘retro’ era, then it is almost definitely the Admiral period.