Aston Villa Home Umbro Shirt 1980/81
What was the shirt Villa played in when you became a Villa supporter? Well, this classic design that spanned 1976 to 1981 was the first one MOMS owned (long sleeve version). The team of Gary Shaw, Gordon Cowans, Alan Evans, Sir Dennis and the gang wore it to lift the League title in the 1980/81 season to immortalise their legacy in Villa history.
The distinctive striped collar, along with the trim, seemingly was designed to fit perfectly with Peter Withe and Alan Evan’s trademark sweatbands (which MOMS also owned a pair of).
One of the most celebrated Villa shirts featured the beloved round Villa badge and it was the last Villa shirt design not to carry a sponsor. The next design by Le Coq Sportif would eventually carry the Davenports logo.
As a result, there’s a purity about this shirt, it was an age before the foolish modern day notion that a shirt isn’t ‘proper’ unless it has a sponsor across it.
Those were the days when replica shirts were very much marketed at kids. The campaigns were simple; a bunch of smiling kids wearing the new shirt was the go-to advertising approach. Compared to the thousands of pounds and many hours spent on marketing campaigns now, these were much more innocent times.
Now shirts are a multi-million pound business with consumers across all demographics – young and old, from skinny hipsters to gut bucket merchants.
In recent years, with the availability of original shirts few and far between, primarily due to their age, the only version you could get was the Score Draw retro version, sans Umbro badge. Umbro, though, then reintroduced the original shirt, circa 2019, as part of their Villa retro range, as well as the Umbro badge. The shirt’s static-inducing material will also be familiar to those who had the original shirt back in the day.
In MOMS opinion, even if you can track down the Umbro re-issue, it’s certainly a Villa shirt that should grace any Villan’s collection.
Best Player to Wear the Shirt?
Too hard a question to give a definitive answer. Cowans? Mortimer? Morley? Little?
If you held a gun to MOMS’ head, MOMS’ personal favourite would probably have to be the late Gary Shaw. Certainly he was MOMS main man back in the day. If only he didn’t get that injury…
Best Result in the Shirt
This is a shirt that saw Villa win the League Cup (1977) and the League Title (1980/81), so plenty to chose from over a six-season period.
In terms of a single standout game, you’d probably have to go with a game from Villa’s first season in the Umbro shirt (slightly different Umbro badge), when Villa found themselves 5-1 up at half-time at Villa Park against Bob Paisley’s Liverpool team. This was a Liverpool team that were the reigning champions and would go onto win the league again that season.
Strange to think that all five Villa goals were scored in the North Stand side. If you were in the Holte End that day, it would have almost been enough to make you want to ask for your money back. Although, fast-forward to October 2020, when Villa humbled Liverpool 7-2 at Villa Park, there wasn’t a fan in sight due to it being played behind closed doors due to the Covid lockdown.
Best Deal on Shirt
Originals are hard to come by, your starting point for a lower price on the Score Draw version of the 1980/81 Aston Villa home shirt is on KitBag, with the shirt frequently featuring in its end of season sale.
Find more Villa kit deals on the MOMS shop page
UTV
*The shirts score is a combined tally of design, Villa’s success in it and fan’s rating
Was my first Villa shirt and like you Gary Shaw was my idol whose “Shoot” mag profile I stuck on my School book inside front cover You know where they asked them Inane questions I always remember Gary’s favourite meal was Steak and chips as a result!
Was fortunate enough to get my first season ticket in 80/81 when I was allowed to start going to games my own when I was 13 Will always be my undisputed fave as a result