Sunderland wore very different colours before switch to red and white stripes in 1880s

Sunderland and red and white stripes go together like fish and chips, but that has not always been the way.

This season saw the club crest move to the centre of the shirt, which was hailed by Sunderland supporters on social media.

Indeed, the kits of late are some of the best of recent times, with Hummel also providing eye-catching training gear to popular appeal.

While many would assume that the Wersiders have always donned red and white stripes, they actually wore a different colour in their early years as a football club.

Sunderland and the evolution from blue to red and white stripes

Sunderland recorded a 3-0 win over West Ham in the Premier League after an eight-year absence.

They did so in their famous red and white stripes, with Dan Ballard, Eliezer Mayenda, and Wilson Isidor on the scoresheet at the Stadium of Light.

Their opening match of the 1886/87 season was the first time the team ever wore red and white stripes.

Before then, Sunderland predominantly wore blue, which is the colour of their away shirt for the 2025/26 campaign.

Specifically, the Wearsiders sported blue shirts and blue knickerbockers with a white stripe.

By the mid-1880s, the North East outfit changed to a strip that consisted of red and white halved shirts, which lasted for a couple of seasons before being replaced by red and white stripes.

• Sunderland initially wore blue
• The Wearsiders switched to red and white stripes in the late 1880s
• Now, their away kit for the 2025/26 is classic blue

Indeed, there is said to be photographic evidence suggesting the team switched between the halved and the striped shirts for a while.

However, by 1888, stripes were the norm, and by 1990, black shorts had become a part of the kit too.

Read more: How Kyril Louis-Dreyfus turned Sunderland from laughing stock into the Premier League’s new hope

Why do the Wearsiders wear red and white stripes?

The reason why Sunderland apparently switched to red and white stripes is because of local side South Bank FC.

South Bank are said to have lent the Wearsiders a set of strips when the club were struggling financially during their early years.

Since wearing red and white stripes, the North East club have gone on to become one of the most successful clubs in English football.

Their six top-flight titles are only bettered by six clubs in the entire country, including Man United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

Now, Sunderland are in the best state they have been in for some time and are looking to make new history in red and white.

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