Rumour is that Saints might revert to their original kit to celebrate their 125th year. But what is their original kit ! 

When Southampton St Mary's first kicked a football in earnest on 21st November 1885 against Freemantle on what is now the Hampshire Bowling Club merely a hefty clearance away from the Dell on Northlands Road next to the old County Cricket ground, they turned out in white shirts with a diagonal red sash.

However if Saints do attempt to replicate this kit next season, the question is what is actually the correct kit ?

Back in those days players provided their own kit and sewed the sash on themselves, this meant that judging by the first known photograph 1887/88 (Shown Above) sash's were sewn on in whatever the direction the wearer preferred, of the 11 players on show, goalkeepers in those days also wore the team colours rather than green jerseys etc, eight had the sash going from the left shoulder to the right waist and three from the right shoulder.

A year later and the photo shows some unifomity, with all the sash's going from the left shoulder, however this would be the last year of the sash, after that Saints wore the quartered kit as produced for the final game at the Dell,although this two did have some variance in which side the top red quarter was on, then from 1896/97 season Saints started wearing the red & white stripes which they are now synonymous.

A Red Sash kit would be popular with the supporters, however its important to get it right, technically speaking they wore white knickerbockers back then, trousers that ame down just below the knee with a variety of socks, my personal preference would to be to keep it fairly in line with todays colours and have black shorts and red socks, meaning there is a little colour in the whole kit as a whole.    

Photo: Action Images

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