End of an Errea Part One – Brighton and Hove Albion kits 1999-2002
Errea have made their last Brighton and Hove Albion kit after 15 long years, with the club naming Nike as their “technical partner” from the start of the 2014/15 season.
The Italian company proved to be popular with fans having produced some of the best kits in the clubs history as well as being around for some of the most successful times, particularly with the move to the Amex.
In this mammoth five part series (presuming we don’t get bored and give up after three), WeAreBrighton.com takes a look back at every shirt home, away an goalkeeper worn by the Albion that Errea came up with.
Part One focuses on their first – and arguably most popular – effort, going from the return to Brighton in 1999 after two seasons of exile in Gillingham through the title winning seasons under Micky Adams in 2001 and Peter Taylor in 2002.
The Cool Home Kit, worn August 1999 – December 2000
Errea’s first home kit worn between August 1999 and December 2000 remains one of their most popular. International record label Skint were a slightly more glamorous sponsor than local Italian restaurant Donatello and with the feel good factor around the town with the Albion’s homecoming, this shirt flew off the shelves. White shorts were used for the first time since the 1980’s, and we even began to sign flair foreigners like Lorenzo Pinamonte to complete the cool look. This was one of the few Errea kits that wasn’t bespoke for the Albion, with Cheltenham Town wearing a red and white version in the same season.
The AC Milan Away Kit, won August 1999 – May 2002
Just as cool as that home kit was the away shirt, exactly the same design in an AC Milan style red and black stripes with black shorts and black shorts. It ended up being the longest serving kit of the Errea era, lasting for the three seasons of 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. It also means it is the joint most successful shirt in Brighton and Hove Albion history, having been used in two title winning seasons. Such a good design that the club tried to replicate it ten years later but needless to say without the same success.
The Tipex Tyre Mark Goalkeeper Kit, worn August 1999 – May 2000
One of three goalkeeper kits used in 1999-2000, this outfit encompassed a dark blue shirt, shorts and socks and it also featured a bizarre white line down the sides which stopped semi-abruptly, almost as though a bike had driven through a load of Tipex or white paint, run over the goalkeeper wearing it and then braked as it approached his head. This shirt was not available for sale in the club shop, which was hardly surprising given the fact that it was pretty horrible.
The Standard Errea Goalkeeper Kit, worn August 1999 – May 2000
One of the biggest worries about Nike taking over has been the loss of designs that are exclusive to the Albion, with plenty of supporters expecting us to be wearing just a blue and white version of whatever Barcelona’s kit is for example. People say Errea never gave us standard designs worn by other clubs, but this yellow goalkeepers kit was not only Cheltenham Town but also the companies then biggest clients, Middlesbrough in the Premier League. There was also a lime green version of this which Boro also used and was produced as an Albion kit but was never worn during a first team game. Thank Christ, imagine Mark Walton in lime green.
The 1930’s Television Goalkeeper Kit, worn August 1999 – May 2000
Thankfully Brighton and Hove Albion didn’t feature on television at all during 1999-2000, otherwise viewers might have ended up adjusting their sets when confronted by this effort of grey, black and white that looked like it could have come straight from the BBC’s live broadcast of the Queens Coronation. It was mainly used with the AC Milan kit in the first season at Withdean which meant that fans who attended home games didn’t leave up ending depressed due to a lack of colour on show.
The Yellow Tyre Mark Kit, worn August 2000 – May 2002
Errea must have gone through a stage of being obsessed with making their goalkeepers appear as though they had been run over in the early 00’s. This design went even further than the Tipex effort of the previous season, incorporating a large and bold black car tyre mark down both sides of a yellow jersey. Combined with black shorts and socks, this was the favoured kit of Michel Kuipers during the Division Three and Division Two title winning seasons between 2000 and 2002.
The 50 Shades of Blue Goalkeepers Kit, worn August 2000 – May 2002
This shirt was favoured by Mark Cartwright during his spell between the sticks in the Division Three title winning season and featured the same tyre print but with dark blue as it’s main colour and royal blue as it’s secondary colour, teamed with dark blue shorts and socks.
The Ruby Goalkeepers Kit, worn August 2000 – May 2002
Having a red and black away kit at the time meant that having a ruby red and black goalkeepers kit appeared to be a little pointless. Nevertheless, this effort survived two seasons and was mainly used in away games in which the blue and white home kit was used or at Withdean against visiting teams who wore yellow.
The Centenary Home Kit, worn January 2001 – May 2002
Not many teams change their home kit halfway through a season, but that is exactly what Brighton and Hove Albion did to celebrate the clubs 100th birthday in 2001. One of the better marketing moves to commemorate the centenary compared to Dick Knight cutting a giant cake on the pitch at half time of the AFC Bournemouth game, it employed exactly the same colours as the original Skint shirt with a blue stripe added to the shorts. The big difference came with the clubs badge being replaced by the City of Brighton and Hove’s coat of arms.
