In our retro printing range, we offer a large selection of prints from the original supplier to major firms such as Umbro. This company printed the shirts for the matches for Umbro and also manufactured the prints themselves. This was before Sporting iD, Chris Kay etc held a monopoly on standard prints.
We’ve had questions raised over the authenticity so wanted to confirm a few points as we’ve had a conversation with the company today.
We’ll use Manchester United as an example. For the 1992/93 season, only a number was used on the back of the shirt with the Umbro logo heat pressed to it. These numbers at the start of the 1992/93 season were cloth numbers stitched onto the shirts using machinery.
To coincide with the introduction of squad name and numbers for 1993/94 season, the cloth numbers were still stitched onto the home shirts with flock letters heat applied with a heat press onto the shirt. The Umbro logo was also heat pressd onto the cloth number. This was the same for the 1994/95 season and majority of the 1995/96 season. The 1996 FA Cup Final had cloth stitched numbers with heat applied flock names. This was for the home shirt only.
For the away and third shirts, the name and number and Umbro logos were all heat applied flock. The letters used from 1993/94 season on Manchester United home shirts would have been a nightmare to stitch on and very time consuming so heat pressing was the way forward.
Back in those days, changing from cloth stitched numbers to heat applied flock was a massive change so it had to be proved it could work. As a result, the away and 3rd shirts were purely heat applied name and numbers in flock but the home shirt stuck with cloth stitched until the 1995/96 season.
What is key is the letters and numbers were not mounted on plastic carriers as they are today. This made them fiddly to work with but as they’re weren’t commercially available in club shops back then or sports stores, it wasn’t a big deal.
I know some people want to go with ease, but any prints Manchested United used whilst with Umbro from 1993/94 to 2001/02 season should not be on a plastic carrier and should be loose letters and number material as flock unless it’s the cloth numbers. This is of course exception for the FA Premier League lextra print.
I hope that helps and gives customers an idea of what’s a correct print. We agree the retro old prints can be a little bit fiddly to apply compared to modern standards but if you want full authenticity, we’re the place to come. I think we’re the only company that offer these prints from the original supplier. Umbro passed their details to us and we wouldn’t want to confirm this but most regular customers know we would never deal in fake prints. Remember we offer a printing service with just an increase in postage cost to cover the weight of the shirt so we can always professionally print it for you and we take great pride and making your shirt look as near to the match shirt as humanly possible.
Any questions, you know we’re always happy to answer at sales@wiggysports.co.uk or mike@wiggysports.co.uk
