Sky Bet League Two 2016 - 2017
In May the Football League (sorry, English Football League) floated a proposal to restructure the competition by reducing the number of teams in each division to 20 and adding a new division for the 2019-20 season. This would involve admitting eight new clubs, presumably from the National League. The idea is to reduce fixture congestion and drastically reduce the number of mid week fixtures. A vote on the proposals will be held at the 2017 AGM.
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Contributors are credited in brackets. Opinions expressed on this page are those of HFK and not contributors.
Premier League | Championship | League One | League Two
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Second
Designer: Mitre
Sponsor: Plastic Box Shop
Stanley have stayed with stripes and on the face of it there is little that is different about the new first strip. Look closer, however, and we notice that the stripes are edged with a fine checkered pattern and red shoulders have been added. The change strip is yellow and blue again but now in the same design as the first kit.
(Arthur Cowburn)
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Fourth
Designer: Jako
Sponsor: Toshiba
Matching designs with a very unusual sash set Barnet's kits apart from the standard templates on offer from the major manufacturers. Traditional black and amber feature prominently and once again violet and white is chosen for the change strip. The fourth kit is supposed to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Bees winning the FA Amateur Cup in 1946, when the team wore amber. black and white (although obviously in a more traditional design).
(Chris Shiels, Travis Hogarth-Colby, David Rafelle)
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Second
Designer: Errea
Sponsor: tp.
Three relegations in five years have taken Blackpool from the first to fourth tier and the relationship between the owners and the supporters has become increasingly toxic. Their new tangerine and white strip is smart enough and is paired with an outfit in two tones of blue, a reminder that Blackpool wore light and dark blue in the 1930s. Characteristically, Errea have added their own twist to the fashion for grading on shirts.
(Alec Hitchman, Peter Gillatt)
First
Second
Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Mick George
The unpleasant graded shirts from last season have been dropped as expected replaced by a standard Pitch design with pinstripes on the shirt. Standard template or not, the change strip looks great.
(Travis Hogarth-Colby, Matthew Hague-Lang)
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Third
Designer: Sondico
Sponsor: DSD Building Contractors
Carlisle have adopted three different designs, each of which is a variation on their red, white and blue colours.
(Dan MacLennan, David King)
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Second
Designer: Errea
Sponsor: Mira Showers
The Robins returned to the Football League after one season in the National League. Their new strips were chosen by supporters. The first choice shirt is, in my opinion, far too complicated.
(Chris Antone, David King)
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Second
Third
Designer: Macron
Sponsor: Weston Homes (1st), Jobserve (2nd, 3rd)
Relegated Colchester have signed up with the Italian company Macron for five years. Generally, I like Macron for their original styling but sometimes their designers just overload kits with detailing and this is the case with the new first strip. Traditional blue and white stripes are retained but are edged in pale gold and blue. The black and grey change strip is more restrained and all the better for it. The neon yellow outfit, Macron's Andromeda design, is designated the U's clash kit and it certainly does.
(Jordan Knott, Alec Hitchman, David King)
First
Second
Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Checkatrade
We have conventional updated Puma Pitch strips here. Nothing to write home about but the first choice outfit is an improvement on last season. Black is retained as the secondary colour and is the main colour of the third strip.
(Matt Cannon, Gabriek R)
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Second
Third
Designer: Carbrini
Sponsor: Mornflake
I really don't know what to make of Crewe's new first shirt. The team have never played in hoops in their long history and while white has always featured it has never before dominated as it does here. The latest change kit is black with yellow piping. Since neither were suitable for the visit to Morecambe so last season's white shirts were worn.
(Alec Hitchman, Alexander Leiberich, Ben Gershaw)
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Special
v Morecambe 10 Sept
Designer: FBT
Sponsor: One Call Insurance
Doncaster, who were relegated last season, ran a competition for fans to design their new shirts. A row broke out after it was announced that One Direction singer, Louis Tomlinson, had won with his design for the change kit. Tomlinson, who is a non-contract player with the team, tried to buy Rovers in 2014. Some fans have objected that someone involved with the club had taken part in the competition and suspect that the results were manipulated to use Tomlinson's popularity to boost replica sales. The club denies any impropriety. The charity shirts were auctioned off in support of the British Heart Foundation (hence the ECG graphic).
(Craig Morris, Gabriel R, David King)
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Second
Third
Designer: Joma
Sponsor: Flybe
Joma's latest first shirt for Exeter has much broader stripes than recent versions and solid red sleeves. I have never liked fluorescent kits so the change strip does not receive the HFK seal of approval. The excellent third strip, which honours the club's connections with Fluminense, is retained for another season.
(Gary Morris)
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Designer: Errea
Sponsor: Youngs
After an absence of six seasons, the Mariners have regained their place in the Football League thanks to a 3-1 win at Wembley over Forest Green Rovers in the National League promotion final. Their traditional colours are now embellished by a graded effect on the shirt. The alternative is red and there's a very attractive third kit in silver with teal trim.
(Travis Hogarth-Colby, Diamond One, Robert Wacey, David King)
First
Special
12 Nov v Cheltenham
Second
Designer: Nike
Sponsor: Seneca Homes (1st), Northern Gas & Power (2nd)
As usual, Hartlepool have picked something new out of Nike's catalogue. The first strip is the latest Division II design with the distinctive fading stripes while Academy is used for the alternative in Nike's Cherry Voltage, a colour that may be harmful if viewed with the naked eye. The special shirt is designed by Avec and was raffled off in support of the British Legion's Poppy Appeal.
(Alexander Leibereich, Alistair Bowden, David Raffelle)
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Designer: Nike
Sponsor: Energybet
Orient are provided with the new Academy design from Nike for the first strip. Park Derby is used for the alternative.
(Edward Morgan)
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Third
Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Ssangyong Motor UK
Sorry to say, Luton have signed up with Puma so we have yet another bland set of standard templates. That said, the combination of orange, navy and white works well.
(Alfie Mayfield)
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Second
Designer: Surridge
Sponsor: One Call Insurance
Pinstripes appear on the new white change shirt which have an interesting fade effect that I haven't seen before. The first kit is unchanged.
(Saul Turner)
First
Second
Designer: Carbrini
Sponsor: Omega Holidays
Black is retained as a secondary colour in the new Morecambe first strip, which looks very nice. To confuse matters (not to mention yours truly) this was launched with second choice white shorts. The alternative is a striking combination of grey and deep pink.
(James Main, Luke Wilson, David King)
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Second
Designer: Macron
Sponsor: Mr Tom
Newport have reverted to all amber trimmed in black with a white alternative.
First
Second
Designer: Carbrini
Sponsor: Ladbrokes
There's not much to say about the new Notts County first strip - it's traditional with the latest Carbrini trim. Pale gold features in the piping down the shoulder and sleeves. At first glance the promotional photographs of the change shirt suggest it might be similar to that of Nottingham's other team but it is in fact deep pink. So that's alright then.
(Neil Ward)
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Designer: Puma
Sponsor: Ginsters
Argyle nearly went out of business a few years ago but their fortunes are improving and they reached the play-off final last season. The new first kit will be hard to see under floodlights but supporters are thrilled that the beautiful mid Sixties white strip with green and black bands has, at last, been revived. The shirts are now sponsored by the purveyors of the West Country's most famous export.
White socks and sometimes shorts from the change kit were often worn at home to improve the visibility of the dark green kit.
(Michael Grimly, David King, David Rafelle)
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Designer: Sondico
Sponsor: Jobsite.com
Pompey's revival continues and last season they reached the play-offs. Once again supporters are involved and were asked to vote from short lists for the new kits. The new strips were modelled by players from the club's inclusive teams at the launch to emphasise their commitment to diversity, which is a nice touch.
(Alexander Leiberich, Jake Smith)
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Second
Designer: Carbrini
Sponsor: Tyre Pros
It is Stevenage's fortieth anniversary and fans were asked to vote on their favourite kit from the past. The result was the unique diagonal striped design from 1996-98. It is complemented by a change strip in "Black Iris and Cyber Yellow."
(Alexander Leiberich)
First
FA Cup 4th Round
Second
Designer: O'Neills
Sponsor: Beechdean Dairy Ice Cream
O'Neills are an Irish company that supplies kit to Gaelic football and hurling teams. They also had the contract to supply the Irish national football team from 1976 to 1986. This is only the second time that their brand has appeared in the UK: Barnet briefly wore O'Neills kit after the turn of the millennium. The first strip is described as a return to the Chairboys' traditional shades of blue. Although the design is rather busy, on balance I rather like it for its individuality. As the alternative is white, a third kit will be needed for visits to Colchester and Hartlepool. A limiited edition version of the first choice shirt was produced to commemorate the team's visit to Spurs in the FA Cup.
(Karl Olszewski, Dave Peatey, Jon Spreabury, James Freund)
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Designer: Sondico
Sponsor: Jones Building
Group
Yeovil have a smart new first kit that features black sleeves and edging to the familiar hoops. The change kit from last season is retained.
(Ian Hambridge)
