Npower League Two 2010 - 2011
Under the new arrangement with the Premier League over solidarity payments, clubs in the fourth tier receive £250,000 each season.
Stevenage make their debut in the Football League this season while Oxford United return after contesting the play-offs with three other former Football League members.
No fewer than 14 sportswear manufacturers are involved in League Two. At this level clubs looking for bespoke kits contract with one of the smaller, European manufacturers (such as Joma or Errea), or a British company (Vandanel, Carbrini etc). Nike, Adidas and Puma will only offer standard templates (which can be customised to a degree) because the limited sales potential does not make it worth their while developing individual designs. Surridge, once a significant kit provider in the lower divisions now have just three contracts in the UK while Carlotti now have only one.
Home
Away
Designer: Joma
Sponsor: Combined Stabilisation
The home kit introduced in November 2009 is retained for the new season. A new black away strip is introduced, made from the same template but carrying a new version of the club crest.
Home
Away
Designer: Carbrini
Sponsor: Xfor Security
The Shots have a new home kit in their usual all-red with blue trimmings complemented by an all-black away strip.
(Adam Balchin, Martin Gooday)
Home August
Home from Sept
Away Aug
Away from Sept
Designer: Vandanel
Sponsor: Pulse Fitness (H), Greenfleets Vehicle Leasing (A)
Barnet's kit manager is a frustrated man. On the eve of the big kick-off, there was still no news of his new team strips and at one stage he told HFK he was considering sending the players out in "skins." Modesty prevailed and Barnet turned out in last season's home strip, shorn of shirt sponsorship. It also appears that the club have struggled to find a shirt sponsor as they launched a sponsorship lottery just two days before the start of the season.
(Jake Lord)
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Surridge
Sponsor: Map Group UK
City have once again looked to their back catalogue of striking outfits and come up with a strip that is similar to that worn in the early 1960s, with the addition of pinstripes on the shirt. A single star is added above the crest to signify the FA Cup victory of 1911 and this is embroidered in black as a mark of respect to the victims of the Valley Parade Fire. A small black commemorative ribbon is also woven into the back of the shirt. To mark the centenary of City's FA Cup win next year, the club has introduced a wonderful recreation of the iconic yoked design worn in 1911, to be used in cup games and, when occasion demands it, the League. At the launch this was matched with the claret shorts and socks of the home kit but HFK hopes it will actually be worn with white shorts, to be truly authentic.
(Justin Newell, Andrew Jarvis)
Home
Away
Designer: Tag
Sponsor: Mr Cropper
Albion play in their familiar bright yellow and black, with a dramatic flash on their new shirts. Secondary sponsorship by Raes appear on the front on the shorts rather than the back as is customary. Their away kit is in their usual alternative colours in the same template as the home kit.
(Dan Bower)
Home
Away
Designer: Surridge
Sponsor: Bury Metropolitan Council
The Shakers' new away strip is an attractive shade of "Burgundy" set off with metallic gold trim, a completely different look for the team. The home strip marks a return to their traditional white shirts and blue shorts.
(Away socks to be confirmed)
(Giancarlo Altube, Liam Corte)
Home
Away
Designer: Errea
Sponsor: Mira Showers
After two season's in all-red, Cheltenham have switched back to striped shirts and have adopted a new club crest, based on a robin, their traditional nickname.
(Andrew Dalton)
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Respect
Sponsor: Vodka Kick
Having settled into their new 10,000 seat b2net stadium, Chesterfield have adopted a new crest and a satisfyingly simple home strip in traditional blue and white made by Respect, an unfamiliar name in sportswear. The new badge is repeated as a jacquard print on the upper right shoulder, a style similar to the Puma strips in the African range.
The red strip was needed against Sheffield Wednesday in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
(Football Shirt Culture.com, Chris Connolly, Robert Mansell)
Home
Away
v Stevenage
4 September
Designer: ABL
Sponsor: Mornflake
Crewe habitually stick to their traditional colours of red shirts and white shorts with just enough detailing to make them stand out. This season their kits are supplied by a Bradford sportswear company, ABL, the first time they have appeared in the Football League. The popular white and orange away kit from last season is retained but without the Lotto logos.
It appears that Crewe packed their away kit for their visit to Stevenage and had to borrow the home side's yellow strip for the match.
(Mark Deakin, Robbie Stow)
Home
Away
Designer: Vandanel
Sponsor: Automatic Retailing
The Gills were relegated from League Two at the end of last season, which may explain the change of image and a return to the blue and black striped design last worn in the 1990s. The decision to wear black shorts and socks on both home and away kits is unusual and alternative red sets are used in some away matches.
(Law, Lee Capeling)
Home
Away
Designer: Admiral
Sponsor: Cargill
Fine horizontal pinstripes feature on Hereford's new home shirt, which is otherwise entirely traditional in appearance. The all orange away kit is used for a second season.
(Stu Cotterrell)
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Umbro
Sponsor: Go Car Motor Superstore (H), Lincoln University (A, 3rd)
The Imp's new home shirt is only marginally different from last season's apart from the new sponsor's logo. In keeping with Umbro's "taylored in England" range, all spurious trim has been eliminated leaving a satisfyingly traditional striped top. Last season's away kit is retained. The third strip, which was worn at Leeds in the Carling Cup, is an old Umbro template.
(Liam Corte, Andrew Dalton, Ben Gershaw)
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Adidas
Sponsor: Voi Jeans (H), Cheshire Building Society (A, 3rd)
Macclesfield have once again adopted a standard Adidas template. The home shirt design now matches the away kit (retained from last season). The third strip was used at Southend in the FA Cup on 16 November.
(Ian Raffel, Andrew Dalton, Ben)
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Bench
Over the summer Morecambe moved into their new home, the Globe arena. A new crest has been introduced with a shrimp as the central motif (the traditional nickname of the team is "The Shrimps").
The blue and white strip was used at Stevenage (22 January).
(Football Shirt Culture.com, Ben)
Home
Away
Designer: Errea
Sponsor: Jackson Grundy
The Cobblers turn out in their usual claret shirts and white shorts, just updated by Errea for the new season. The new away kit revives the twin hooped shirt that was a distinctive design worn in the late Sixties and early Seventies.
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Nike
Sponsor: Bridle Insurance Brokers
Oxford return to the Football League after an absence of four seasons. To celebrate they have revived the striped shirts that date back to 1975 when they switched from gold and black to yellow and blue. The modern version is made up in Nike's "Flash" template. The third kit may also be worn with the home shorts and socks.
(Liam Corte, Richard Evans)
Home
Away
Designer: Vandanel
Sponsor: Harlequin Properties
After a couple of seasons wearing non-traditional stripes, Vale return to their usual colour scheme. The away strip is unchanged.
(Martin Gooday)
Home
Away
Designer: Carlotti
Sponsor: Parkgate Shopping Centre (H), Sports Identity (A)
Rotherham's new home strip, which was worn for the first time in the play-off final at Wembley in May, sees a welcome return of white sleeves, the team's signature design since the Fifties. The club now rotate each of their kits every two seasons so the away kit is retained.
(Neil Adamson, Kyle Campbell)
Home
Away
Designer: Joma
Sponsor: Greenhaus
2011 marks the 125th anniversary of the club and to celebrate, they have adopted a rather fine strip based on their earliest colours. The recent tradition of including amber in their pallette has been abandoned, at least for the time being, and their new away strip is in red and navy. The club plan to run a competition for supporters to design next season's strip.
(Rob Rob)
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Nike
Sponsor: Insure & Go
Southend's management hope that a change of strip will lead to a change in fortune so have introduced a rather smart all-maroon away kit. The home strip is updated to Nike's latest template. Last season's yellow change kit is retained as third choice.
(Alexander Perkin)
Home
Away
Designer: Vandanel
Sponsor: LCN.com (H), Server Choice (A)
Stevenage (they dropped the suffix "Borough" in the close season) are the latest club to rise through the pyramid to reach the Football League. They are keeping last season's home strip although it now appears with a new sponsor. The all-gold away strip is new.
(Matthew Kett)
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Nike
Sponsor: Stockport Metropolitan Council
Stockport finished last season a distant last in League One and in administration. A bid from the "2015 Group" consortium was approved in May and they took charge in June. A new crest has been introduced as well a rather plain Nike home strip similar to that which the team wore back in the 1920s.
(Andy Kellett, Bern Gershaw)
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Vandanel
Sponsor: Sparkworld
Torquay's white away kit now serves as their third choice and their smart home kit is retained for a second season. A new away kit in all black with a sort of gull-wing band appears for the first time. The white socks from the third kit were occasionally worn at home with the all-yellow outfit.
(Rob Rob, Andrew Dalton, Richard Evans)
Home
Away
Third
Designer: Joma
Sponsor: Bucks New University
The club operates a two year rotation policy so their home strip is unchanged while the yellow third kit from last season becomes their away strip. The white third shirts were introduced for the match at Oxford United on 9 April.
(Alexander Perkin, Ben)