Perhaps aside from recent falters, Manchester United are a club renowned for a competitive lust for success. This attitude was instilled for decades to come by Sir Alex Ferguson, a man who by the 1990-91 season had been at the helm of the Old Trafford residents for four years.
His first formative indentations at United weren’t an instant success. Those four years of the job’s infancy saw 11th, 2nd, 11th again, and then 13th placed finishes for SAF and co. Determined and fitter they might’ve been, but consistent? No.
What was needed was a true season of transition, and here, playing partly in this featured away shirt – that was what they got. Look at it. Regardless of your allegiances, from the obvious pattern and colour, down to the subtlety of the collar lining and how the stripes contrast the ‘snowflake’ patterns – this shirt is stunning. Just like the barmy early 90s style of this electric patterned Adi-chevroned kit, the sixth place finish achieved that season was far from dull.
While Brian McClair and Mark Hughes enjoyed a great goal scoring term in all competitions, with 21 goals a-piece – McClair’s 13 in the league were matched by er… centre back Steve Bruce. Trophy wise, the Charity shield that season was shared, the Cup Winners’ Cup was won, and the League Cup Final was lost to Sheffield Wednesday.
Behind the scenes, a young Ryan Giggs signed his first contract that term. He was one of the first few signs of a golden crop of players coming through – the group that’d be the Class of 92’. The rest of the story writes itself. In the next 22 seasons, the lowest Ferguson’s United would place, was third.
Let this shirt be the signifier of great change. Despite, as previously mentioned, losing the League Cup – a defining moment for this cult ‘snowflake shirt’ was the remarkable 6-2 thrashing of Arsenal en-route to the final.
Iconic, a prelude to success, beautifully designed – this shirt has it all.
