Season 1990/91
original illustrations of the kits worn during the season


The Season in brief

United were back in Europe, in the Cup Winners' Cup, after the five year European ban on English clubs imposed after Heysel was lifted. Despite their lack of experience, United had an untroubled route to the Final, where they met Spanish giants Barcelona, managed by Johan Cruyff and dubbed the 'Dream Team'. Two Mark Hughes goals, the second spectacular, helped United to a 2-1 win.

United had to be content with a sixth-place finish after just one win in their final four games. In the League Cup, Liverpool were beaten 3-1 at Old Trafford in the third round, and a Lee Sharpe hat trick at Highbury helped United beat Arsenal 6-2 in the fourth round. After a close tie with Southampton, settled in an Old Trafford replay, United beat Leeds home and away in the semi final. Surprisingly given the quality of the opposition they had beaten on the way to the Final, they lost 1-0 at Wembley to Ron Atkinson's Sheffield Wednesday.

United's kits were redesigned for the new season. For the first time the Football League badge was worn as a patch on the shirt sleeves.

As was the case with the previous adidas replica kits, these were easily differentiated from the player shirts as they featured embossed (rather than embroidered) club crests and manufacturers logos. Replica shirts were not available with the football league sleeve patches, although contributor John Downs remembers that they were available separately at 50p each from the club shop, and had to be sown on at home.

A replica version of the European Cup Winners Cup final shirt was made available following United's triumph. It featured an embossed crest and scrolls with the words "European Cup Winners Cup" above and "Winners 1991" below it. This differs from the players match shirts which had "Cup Winners Cup" above and "1991" below the crest, all of which was fully embroidered.