The Most Iconic Premier League Shirt Sponsors of the 1990s

Alan Shearer banging them in wearing a McEwan's Lager Blackburn kit? Go on then!
Alan Shearer banging them in wearing a McEwan's Lager Blackburn kit? Go on then! / Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
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Over at 90min towers™, we regularly reminisce about the 90s.

From our favourite games to favourite haircuts, Subbuteo playing to whether you were part of the ISS '98 revolution, most nostalgic bases are covered.

But the one topic that comes up over and over again are our favourite kits from years gone by. You know, those limited edition, hard drippy numbers that get you salivating at the prospect of kitting yourself out head to toe in baggy nylon.

So what better way to trundle down memory lane than looking back on the all important sponsors who made those Asics, Pony and Errea numbers really stand out and come to life? That's right, there is no better way - so grab a chair, get comfy and get reading!

*Not all Premier League clubs of the 90s included for crimes against fashion.


1. Arsenal - JVC

Arsenal kept the designs simple, with JVC at the heart of scrumptious kits
Arsenal kept the designs simple, with JVC at the heart of scrumptious kits / Ben Radford/Getty Images

Arsenal were a very good football team in the late 90s, in case you hadn't heard, but that Arsene Wenger era pales into insignificance when you think about some of the garm on offer in north London.

JVC were at the heart of it, before a shocking curveball saw one of the most iconic partnerships in footballing history dissolved in favour of....Dreamcast?!


2. Aston Villa - Muller

Check our Josh Fashanu in this yoghurt inspired garm
Check our Josh Fashanu in this yoghurt inspired garm / Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

If you're not into your dairy products, this one probably isn't for you.

But for all of you crunch corner lovers, and fashionistas, Aston Villa's partnership with Muller will live long in your memory. Looking good, Fash.


3. Blackburn - McEwan's Lager

Prime Stuart Ripley was a sight to behold
Prime Stuart Ripley was a sight to behold / Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Manchester United may have dominated the 90s for long periods, but there are few more iconic images than a curtain-haired scruff by the name of Tim Sherwood lifting the Premier League trophy for Blackburn at Anfield.

Unfortunately, we haven't dug that picture out, but that's because we couldn't resist flaunting Stuart Ripley in this dazzling little blue and white halved number, McEwan's Lager ablaze. Glorious.


4. Bolton - Reebok

Simple, suave, sophisticated - the Reebok look ft. Scott Sellars
Simple, suave, sophisticated - the Reebok look ft. Scott Sellars / Gary M. Prior/Getty Images

Bolton weren't around for very long in the Premier League during the 90s, but the entire decade is one they associate with Reebok.

Not only did they eventually get stadium naming rights, they also emblazoned their name on Bolton's shirt in the biggest font they could get away with - and frankly, they did a bloody good job.


5. Chelsea - Coors

Dan Petrescu in a baggy Coors kit with collar = woof
Dan Petrescu in a baggy Coors kit with collar = woof / Getty Images/Getty Images

Coooorrrrrr, doesn't Dan Petrescu rock this mid-90s Chelsea home kit with style (geddit?).

Okay, god awful jokes aside, the Blues' partnering up with one of the worst tasting beers of all time is one of the greatest Premier League sponsorship stories ever told, and tells you all need to know about this wonderful fashion decade.


6. Coventry - Peugeot

Dion Dublin celebrating a goal looked good in any kit, truth be told
Dion Dublin celebrating a goal looked good in any kit, truth be told / Gary M. Prior/Getty Images

Three good things come out of remembering Coventry's partnership with Peugeot during the 90s.

1. You're reminded Coventry were a top-flight side.
2. This handsome little number was manufactured by Pony.
3. Dion Dublin may yet wear it on Homes Under the Hammer.

Say no more.


7. Crystal Palace - TDK

A very youthful Chris Coleman had the pleasure of sporting a tidy TDK number
A very youthful Chris Coleman had the pleasure of sporting a tidy TDK number / Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

There was a strong temptation to dig out some form of Chris Armstrong or Attilio Lombardo mural here, but Chris Coleman's expert wearing of this TDK classic couldn't be overlooked.

Big bold text and a centralised Palace badge? YES.


8. Everton - NEC

All blue seemed to suit Tony Cottee nicely
All blue seemed to suit Tony Cottee nicely / Chris Cole/Getty Images

Everton's partnership with NEC spanned the best part of a decade, and is synonymous with some of the club's finest achievements (winning the old First Division and FA Cup, in case you weren't sure).

Simple in design, white shorts were normally the complementary colour but the opportunity to show off Tony Cottee in full blue was one we simply had to take.

Phwoar.


9. Ipswich - Fisons

Boncho Guentchev is a name every Ipswich fan will be familiar with
Boncho Guentchev is a name every Ipswich fan will be familiar with / Steve Morton/Getty Images

Local sponsors for local clubs, now this is what we're talking about!

Unfortunately, Fisons fizzled out of business not long after they buddied up with Ipswich, but it was jolly nice to see a name that nobody outside of Suffolk had heard of slapped on the chest of Boncho Guentchev.


10. Leeds - Thistle Hotels

The campaign to bring back asics starts here
The campaign to bring back asics starts here / Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Old school Leeds United were a joy to behold in the 90s, largely thanks to the likes of Gary McAllister, Gary Speed, Tony Yeboah and Brian Deane.

But name dropping aside, they also sported some gorgeous little numbers fronted by Thistle Hotels - though sadly their portfolio doesn't actually include any hotels in the Yorkshire area. Boo.

11. Leicester - Walkers

Yes, Emile Heskey was a 1990s style guru
Yes, Emile Heskey was a 1990s style guru / Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Leicester going on cracking little cup runs while sporting Walkers-inspired kits are the hallmark of any good childhood.

If you missed out, we do feel sorry for you - but at least can present this sensational shot of a young Emile Heskey strutting his stuff for your pleasure.


12. Liverpool - Carlsberg

adidas and Carlsberg absolutely smashed it with this Stig-Inge Bjornebye look
adidas and Carlsberg absolutely smashed it with this Stig-Inge Bjornebye look / Anton Want/Getty Images

Liverpool's lengthy Premier League title drought may have started in the 90s, but they were the fashion kings under the guidance of adidas.

Not only were the kits beautifully manufactured, they too featured a stunning Carlsberg centre piece with centralised badge - a real favourite of us older folk at 90min.


13. Manchester City - Brother

Georgi Kinkladze is the face who associated most with 1990s Man City
Georgi Kinkladze is the face who associated most with 1990s Man City / Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Oh my brother, TESTIFYYYYYYY!

Apologies for the D-Von Dudley slip of the tongue right there, but it's legitimately the first thing that comes into a lot of our heads when we remember Georgi Kinkladze jinking past defenders in a kit fronted by Brother.

Go watch Kinkladze's goal against Southampton if you haven't, and then go watch D-Von - both are fun, trust us.


14. Manchester United - Sharp

Cantona with that collar and Sharp emblazoned across his chest? Yes please
Cantona with that collar and Sharp emblazoned across his chest? Yes please / Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Sometimes keeping it simple is the best look you can go for - and that's certainly the memo that popped around the Manchester United fax machine in the 90s.

Ridiculously big collars, exceptionally baggy sleeves and too long in the body, United's Sharp kit really does define the decade's look.


15. Middlesbrough - Cellnet

Middlesbrough managed to kit out Emerson, Juninho and Ravanelli in a glorious Cellnet number
Middlesbrough managed to kit out Emerson, Juninho and Ravanelli in a glorious Cellnet number / Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Remember when little old Middlesbrough somehow wooed Emerson, Juninho and Fabrizio Ravanelli to the Riverside Stadium?

Yeah, we do too - and we're almost certain that it's because they knew how good they'd look rocking a Cellnet kit made by bloody Errea!


16. Newcastle - Newcastle Brown Ale

Newcastle's mid 1990s kit are among the greatest ever
Newcastle's mid 1990s kit are among the greatest ever / Ben Radford/Getty Images

Sometimes you just have to let the pictures do the talking.

So feast your eyes on the above, marvel at what you see and head on over to Classic Football Shirts to snare yourself one.


17. Norwich - Norwich & Peterborough

Mark Robins looked sensational in gold and green
Mark Robins looked sensational in gold and green / Ben Radford/Getty Images

There's something about East Anglia and supporting the locals, isn't there?

First we had Fisons at Ipswich, and now Norwich repping the Norwich and Peterborough building society - that, we can assure you, is almost as sensational as Jeremy Goss' frizzy hair back in the day.


18. Nottingham Forest - Labatt's

Stuart Pearce going full psycho in a Labatt's kit was a joy to behold
Stuart Pearce going full psycho in a Labatt's kit was a joy to behold / Getty Images/Getty Images

Nottingham Forest's more than 20-year long hiatus from the Premier League is one of the saddest modern football stories.

So what better way to throw back to a happier time than casting your eye over Stuart Pearce in a mid-90s Labatt's number, barking out instructions to anybody who dare listen? There isn't one, honestly.


19. QPR - Compaq

Look at Ian Holloway!
Look at Ian Holloway! / Mark Thompson/Getty Images

We really, really, really would have loved to have found an image of Les Ferdinand in full QPR flow.

Sadly, Sir Les wasn't available so we've dug up the next big thing to highlight the brilliant simplicity of Rangers' Compaq era - Ian Holloway in action, with hair and looking thoroughly bloody confused!


20. Sheffield Wednesday - Sanderson

Chris Waddle rocked the Sanderson top like no other
Chris Waddle rocked the Sanderson top like no other / Getty Images/Getty Images

Memories of Chris Waddle are something of a mixed bag, aren't they?

The Good

- Had a cracking left peg.
- Scored many a worldie for Sheffield Wednesday, many in Sanderson gear.

The Bad

- FIFA co-commentary.
- Maintaining some kind of swept back, thinning comb-over hairstyle.
- Yeah, the penalty miss.

We'll focus on the good 90s vibe here, and in particular this Wednesday kit - which sumptuously combined Sanderson's logo with a beady eyed owl and Umbro logo.


21. Southampton - Dimplex

Not many people could pull off the Dimplex look, but Jim Magilton certainly could
Not many people could pull off the Dimplex look, but Jim Magilton certainly could / Chris Cole/Getty Images

Tucking your shirt into your shorts and yanking them up high has been out of fashion for too long.

So to right that wrong, we present a Dimplex inspired Jim Magilton, doing his thing at The Dell. Go get 'em, baby.


22. Sunderland - Reg Vardy

Throwback to Grant McCann celebrating his Reg Vardy attire
Throwback to Grant McCann celebrating his Reg Vardy attire / Alex Livesey/Getty Images

You're probably going to take one look at this image and think 'nah, too modern'.

And you'd probably be right, as this snap of Grant McCann in late 1999 does appear to have somewhat of a modern take. But having a kit that says Vardy on it, before Jamie Vardy was a thing? GENIUS.


23. Tottenham - Holsten

Jürgen Klinsmann in all his glory
Jürgen Klinsmann in all his glory / Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Let's be honest, we all used to fling ourselves around inspired by Jurgen Klinsmann's dive celebration, even on carpet - which from personal experience, is a bad, bad idea.

What made it better when Klinsmann did it was that his usually gleaming white Holsten apparel would be unrecognisable once the early 90s pitches had finished with him. Wunderbar!


24. West Ham - Dagenham Motors

The dream combination of Martin Allen and Dagenham Motors
The dream combination of Martin Allen and Dagenham Motors / Phil Cole/Getty Images

Could we really get any more on brand than out-and-out West Ham boy Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen strutting around in a chevron-heavy Dagenham Motors kit, manufactured by Pony?

We absolutely couldn't, so to celebrate we're going to sit back and marvel at this masterpiece for at least the next ten seconds.


25. Wimbledon - Elonex

A floppy haired Warren Barton? Phwoar!
A floppy haired Warren Barton? Phwoar! / Phil Cole/Getty Images

There was once a time where Wimbledon were so crazy that they didn't even have a sponsor.

That all changed though when Elonex came along, and this navy blue garm with golden yellow trim is one of the most memorable 90s kits of them all, largely thanks to its slick, no-nonsense design.

Oh how we miss the Crazy Gang.