BEDALE AFC AWAY= 2018-19

FourFourTwo's gourmet shirt connoisseur sinks his teeth into a series of delicious kits cooked up by the non-league outfit

- Phil Delves

Want to make a name for yourself as a non-league football club? Your best bet could be to stand out by designing a striking kit.

Take Clapton Community FC, for example. In 2018 the club won thousands of Spanish fans with a supporter-designed kit inspired by the flag of the Second Spanish Republic. The red, yellow and purple design, which was made as a tribute to the International Brigades who fought in the Spanish Civil War, was packed with details, including the phrase “no pasaran” (“they shall not pass”) on the neck. Making the feat all the more impressive was the fact that the team had existed for less than a year at the time of the shirt’s release.

Further north, 1874 Northwich drew critical acclaim for their 2019-20 away kit, which was designed in collaboration with local artist Phil Galloway. Artist collabs have become something of a trend in recent years, but Northwich found themselves ahead of the curve with their design, which incorporated elements of the town into a stunning graphic. Like Clapton, the club would end up taking orders from across the globe despite their humble status as a supporter-owned side.