Retro fits: getting kitted out for the 1988/89 season

It’s a long Fulham-less break, OK?!

Calvin Harris sang “I’ve got love for you if you were born in the 80s”. And - as my fellow Fulhamish podders love to remind me - I certainly was.

I was just 18 months old at the start of the 1988/89 season, so I can’t remember a thing, but as an avid Whites fan I am, weirdly, au fait with the kits of that season, and some of the training wear (thanks, eBay!).

On the pitch, we had a decent campaign, albeit in Division Three (League One in new money - this was pre-Premier League, remember). We finshed fourth, but soiled the bed in the play-offs, losing 5-0 on aggregate to fifth-placed Bristol Rovers, who hammered us 4-0 at the Cottage.

My dad brought over this gem this week - the club shop catalogue for that season - published ahead of the festive period in 1988. Published, in fact, by him - and those who know my old man will see his fingerprints all over the copy (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree).

So, let’s take a look through this relic, shall we?

First, the kit. Resplendent and sponsor-less (Football Kit Archive says that we had Teleconnect on our shirts in 88/89, but not-so here). Interestingly, our away shirt was coupled with red shorts. Something to think about when there were pockets of outrage over them last season. The price for a replica shirt? £18.99.

Then there is the glorious full tracksuit. The top alone now goes for £350 (no thanks, eBay!), but you could get the whole thing and be the envy of all your pals for just £39. Not quite a Bitcoin investment, but you’d have got a decent return nearly 40 years later.

How about this ‘Clothing for Cottagers’? I’d have those collared sweatshirts today for a naughty trip down the local boozer. And I’m sure Art of Football sell the T-shirts on the bottom right for £50 a pop.

I would’ve been prime age for this cheeky red babygrow. And for five English pounds, I’m annoyed Dad never kitted me out. And imagine rocking up to a first date with those baggy FFC boxers. A right passion killer.

And so onto the club tat. A football tradition that pre-dates the 80s. Stocking fillers that quickly become landfill. “Don’t follow me, follow Fulham!" says the witty car sticker - a line that lasted at least 20 years as I whacked one on my first car in 2004. Pennants, tea towels and even a pocket to display your car tax disc on your winshield. This is a truly ‘of its time’ collection of crap - and I love it.

“And hat’s that!” I can hear my father chuckle as he writes. I still see one or two of these beanies around the Cottage today, which is not only impressive from the owner, but also the quality of the wool. They just don’t make ‘em like they used to…

Would you wear a Fulham tie? To a job interview? To your wedding? For £6.50, you might have been tempted. But your marriage wouldn’t have lasted nearly as long as those wooly hats.

I had a pair of those sweatbands; I got them for my eighth birthday before my first-ever trip to Craven Cottage. The club had introduced a small red stripe to them by 1995 - if that’s not progress…

So, there you have it. A wonderful snapshot of what the club used to be. Fill out the order form and post it with a cheque to receive your goods! Or if you have one of those new-fangled credit cards, you can pick up the telephone (or ‘phone for short) and get your gear faster.

Fast forward 38 years and we’re paying £85 for a home shirt, a (surprisingly reasonable) £16 for a tie, and a - quite frankly minging - ‘fashion’ jumper will set you back £55.

But on the pitch, things are going much better than the 80s, and if we can make Europe I think the club might have to produce a few more of those pennants - if only for the pre-match swapping with those clubs in far-flung corners of Europe. You Whites.