Derry City unveil special claret and blue third kit to mark 90 years of league football

Derry City have unveiled a special claret and blue third kit the team will wear next season to commemorate 90 years in league football.

The new jersey (modelled by current player Conor McDermott) has been released in time for fans to pick up for Christmas and will be used as an alternative to their famous red and white stripes.

While the club itself celebrated its 90th anniversary this year, the club were late in registering and weren’t admitted to the Irish League until the summer of the following season in 1929.

The Candystripes – despite their nickname – didn’t always wear red and white, as for the first few years of their existence they wore claret and blue, purportedly in the style of Aston Villa.

They first took to the field in claret and blue in a league match against Glentoran in August 1929, a 2-1 defeat at the Brandywell, becoming the first side in 14 years to represent the Maiden City.

The date of that game, styled ‘22-08-1929', will be printed on the new shirt below the crest in commemoration of that historic day.

It wasn’t until the mid-1930s that the famous candystripes were adopted as a tribute to then-manager Billy Gillespie, who spent 20 years in England with Sheffield United.

The kit will go on sale from Derry City’s city centre store on Shipquay St on Wednesday, December 12th at 12 noon.