Season 1884/85
original illustrations of the kits worn during the season

Possible Kit with navy knickerbockers
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unitedkits_number_0049
Possible Kit with white knickerbockers
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unitedkits_number_0046
The Season in brief

The committee again strengthened the side signing several new players during the summer, the most notable being Jack Powell and James Gotheridge. The club recorded it's first win in the Lancashire Cup in September 1884, a 4-0 victory over Haydock Temperance. Sadly they lost their second round tie at Baxenden.

The Manchester & District F.A. offered it's own Challenge Cup for the first time in 1884/85. The committee would have been disappointed by the crowd of around 400 for the first round tie against Eccles at North Road however. Played on January 31st, perhaps the weather was particularly bad. Although the 'Heathens' won the game 3-2, Eccles' protest over the validity of the third goal was upheld and the tie had to be replayed. The replay was won easily 3-0 and Newton Heath progressed to the semi finals with an equally impressive result against Manchester FC.

The 'Heathens' disposed of Dalton Hall Owens College in a close semi 4-3, but were comprehensively beaten 3-0in the Final by Hurst at the Manchester Rugby Union Ground in Whalley Range. A crowd of around 3,500 attended the Final.

There remains a great deal of doubt concerning the team colours. In the absence of any definitive contemporary evidence, we believe it is probable that the playes wore red and white quartered shirts, the colours of the L&Y Railway.

However, modern club histories list the club colours as green and gold, although they don't offer any compelling evidence to support this claim. These colours were supposedly included in a match report from a Bolton newspaper in November 1880, but the report remains untraced.

Whatever the colour of their shirts, the Heathens would probably have continued to wear different coloured knickerbockers.