We have pointed out on a number of occasions that the Soccer It is closely linked to social events that have unfolded over a century: world championships in the midst of dictatorships, cancellations due to wars and teams that have disappeared due to political divisions, etc. Now we will talk about a case that the “king sport” connects with stylewhich is also present in the stadiums and whose last major change took place 30 years ago: the Short shorts. Why aren’t they used anymore?
Ever since football became professional almost everywhere in the world (first half of the 20th century), one of the first ‘fads’ adopted as a standard for the uniform was that it included shorts that were much longer than what we use see today. Now these are colloquially known as ‘baggy‘.
Stanley Matthews, player of the 30’s and 40’s, known for his long shorts. Photo: futbol intellect
When did shorts become fashionable in football?
Step back in time a little. Up until the mid-1950s, baggy shorts were common, which used to end above the knee but have risen over time (and the trend of wearing them at the waist).
in the world of Sweden 58 We could observe a fashion that was closer to what we would see for almost 40 years. These famous short garments gradually appeared and gradually became smaller.
Brazil national team, champions 1958, with shorts. Photo: Mantos do Futbol
In the 1970s and 1980s, almost all professional football teams wore shorts so short that it was common to see players’ thighs on the field. Maradona was a great example of this.
The game that brought “short shorts” back into fashion
It must be borne in mind that the rules of football are both the FIFA Like other institutions, they do not require a specific length measurement for this garment.
Basically, short shorts took over in the 60s due to fashion trends. Even the Brazilian team itself, which won its first World Cup in 1958 (with Pelé), was one of the first to wear it.
The 1991 FA Cup Final drew attention to the difference in shorts length between the two teams. Photo: Cirh.mx
The same thing happened three decades later, in 1991, in a very special match that is still remembered today as a big trigger for fashion change.
The 1991 FA Cup Final
In May 1991, the mighty Tottenham Hotspur met Nottingham Forest at Wembley Stadium to contest the final FA Cup.
The game went down in history, among other things, because of the obvious difference in the length of the pants of both teams. That Nottingham Forest He came out with short ones, which were so common at the time.
On the other hand, the Tottenham Hotspurs He appeared on the pitch in his new Umbro kit, which included a slightly longer piece of clothing but was different enough to catch all eyes.
The Spurs had played the semifinals in traditional shorts; However, they chose to debut their new kit in the same final.
This size was not common and many found it rare. Spurs’ look was even ridiculed by commentators at the time, as evidenced by this live commentary:
Commenter 1: “(Looks like) Stanley Matthews shorts, remember? We have shorts here (at the game) from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Crazy how fads are coming back! Look at those shorts!”
Tottenham won 2-1 but his biggest win was the one he imposed with his clothes. For the following season, which started in June 1991, a good handful of teams from the football league copied the trend, and for the first Premier League (1992/1993) almost all teams left the old fashion of the 80s.