What kickstarted the trend? Did one club get there first?” As the question suggests, this is a not a straightforward answer. Buckle up folks, as we veer wildly from copyright acts to academia, via multiple reports of unofficial kits, DIY jobs, cup-final special editions, youth strips, sew-on jobs and the like.
But if we are to draw a line in the sand, and declare one date or one jersey as the first official, adult replica kit to be sold by a club to the general public (or at least those close enough to the club shop), then we probably have to give the gong to Leeds United in 1973, although only children’s sizes were produced initially. There they agreed on Admiral paying Leeds £7,000 to wear a redesigned kit with the brand’s logo visible on their shirt and shorts. Patrick also secured the copyright to produce full replica kits for children, which sold for around £5.
In Scotland that year, Umbro was selling Rangers and Celtic and Adidas were selling Aberdeen and Dundee United replica shirts. In Germany, Adidas had a monopoly on the Bundesliga. However they did not sell replica shirts of each club.
Instead they sold plain shirts in the various clubs’ colours and kids were expected to sew on the club’s badge themselves to make it look official. If adults wanted to show their support, they were expected to buy the club’s tracksuit in which the players warmed up before the match. The first replica shirt for adults was Admiral’s World Cup 1982 England shirt.” The Revie/Patrick/cafe story has been verified by Admiral themselves, here.
But the away strip and training gear? Those were open to reinvention. A handshake sealed what would become one of the most influential deals in football history.
Admiral immediately set to work, with the goal of launching the new away kit by Christmas. The result was a bold and modern design: a vivid yellow shirt with striking blue and white taping down the sleeves – a stylistic innovation never before seen on a football kit. The Admiral logo sat prominently on the chest, alongside Leeds United’s iconic “smiley” crest – a badge introduced by Revie as part of his wider effort to foster a family-friendly, nationally adored image for the club.” One possible reason why clubs and brands hadn’t explored selling replica kits earlier in the UK was the 1968 Design Copyright Act, which ensured that only a certain brand could produce a particular design once it had been officially registered.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
