Browse Manchester City FC

One of the elite Premier League clubs, Manchester City has unveiled their new 2017/18 Nike home jersey. On the 50th anniversary of the club’s 1967-68 English First Division title, a dormant secondary color returns on City’s kits.

The jersey is largely a more conservative update to the Nike Vapor featuring Aeroswift technology style worn last season, with a strictly sky blue shirt and sleeves with white trim on the collar for the strip this time.

Wrapping around to the back of the shirt, the white trim has City in sky blue.

Manchester City’s crest is placed on the left side of the chest, across from a navy Nike swoosh.

Side piping has been altered this time around, with the white stripes running from the sleeves to just beyond halfway down the front of the jersey.

The shorts have sky blue trim cut at halfway, consistent with the jersey’s piping. A navy Nike swoosh is on the left leg, with the crest on the right leg.

The full kit brings back maroon on City’s uniforms, which were prominent in the 1960s. A thin maroon trim is on the pullover at the top. It comes with navy Nike swoosh and City at the front, and the striped pattern at the back also in navy. Etihad Airways returns as shirt sponsor in navy.

Relative newcomers to the Premier League may assume Manchester City FC is a relatively new club, not least because its purchase by Abu Dhabi United Group in 2009 has turned it into one of the most rich and powerful in world soccer. But that masks the truth, that Manchester City is one of the oldest and most storied clubs anywhere in the game.

Founded as St. Mark’s (West Gorton) in 1880, the club was officially named Manchester City in 1894. In 1904, when the club won the FA Cup, ‘City’ became the first Manchester club to win a major trophy. In 1923, the club moved to their own dedicated stadium, Maine Road, and the structure quickly became a fortress for the home side.

City has long had a reputation for its committed fanbase, and that was on display in 1934, when a record 84,569 fans jammed into Maine Road for a sixth round FA Cup tie. Shortly after, in 1937, City won their first top-flight title. They would not win again for another forty years.

When City did win again, in 1968, it heralded perhaps their most successful period for the club. The Sky Blues won the FA Cup in 1969, then the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1970. Things quickly went fallow, however, and City were relegated by crosstown rivals Manchester United in 1974. That triggered a long drought punctuated by periods of success.

More recently, Manchester City has been a club reborn. On the brink of financial collapse in 2008, the Abu Dhabi United Group, led by Sheikh Mansour, announced the purchase of the club. During the summer of 2009, City went on a spending spree, splashing north of 100 million pounds and hiring Italian manager Roberto Mancini. In a flash, Manchester City were competing with the country’s best, reaching their first FA Cup final in 30 years in 2011 -- and winning it.

With the help of world-class players like Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany, City won two titles in three seasons and have solidified their place in the “Top 6” English clubs. Each summer sees them spend freely on some of the world’s best players, and with the backing of the UAE-based Abu Dhabi group, the sky is the limit for the Sky Blues.

The Manchester City FC home jersey has been the same famous sky blue since the bright dawn of the club, way back in 1894, and possibly even further back in time than that. But what of the jersey sponsors? They didn’t appear on the jersey until 1982, when many other English sides were adopting the jersey sponsorship practice. Let’s take a look at Manchester City’s jersey sponsors, through the years.

Saab (1982-84)
With shirt sponsorship sweeping the English league at this time, the Manchester, England-based Saab importer capitalized on the trend by entering into a two-year deal with Manchester City to feature the Swedish auto manufacturer.

Philips (1984-87)
Amsterdam-based technology Philips secured sponsorship rights for the next three seasons, which saw Manchester City experience with a dark-and-light-blue striped jersey. For a company known for its lighting fixtures, Philips must have been relieved to see City go back to its bright blue strip in 1985.

Brother (1987-99)
Another technology company, the Japanese electronics manufacturer Brother, snatched up the naming rights for the next 12 seasons. That relationship would prove to be one of the longest club-sponsor relationships in English history, though Man City may soon beat it with their current sponsor.

Eidos (1999-2002)
This former British video game producer from west London added its name to the Manchester club for three seasons, as the club itself again experimented with shaded designs that call to mind all the worst fashion tendencies of the era.

First Advice (2002-04)
The financial planners could have picked a better moment to pay for sponsorship. After negotiating a 4 million-pound-deal in 2002, First Advice misread the market and declared bankruptcy in 2003.

Thomas Cook (2004-09)
The British travel company held onto the sponsorship longer than most, but soon Manchester City was traveling themselves, to the Middle East and the much bigger money to be found there. The company were sponsors as City moved into the City of Manchester stadium; unfortunately, mid-table finishes meant that the fanbase wasn’t growing as either party hoped.

Etihad Airways (2009-Present)
With Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of City, the Abu Dhabi oil magnate orchestrated a lucrative deal to make Etihad Airways, the UAE-based airline, to become the sponsor of both the City of Manchester stadium and the City jersey. In 2010, the airline and club renegotiated the deal for 400 million pounds over 10 years, smashing the previous sponsorship record for any sport. In 2015, the club renegotiated again, this time doubling their yearly deal to 80 million pounds.

In its 137-year history, Manchester City has seen some giants of the game don the sky blue jersey. Here is our list of the best City players of all time, in no particular order:

Sergio Aguero – Manchester City FC Jersey #10
The diminutive Argentine striker came to the Etihad Stadium in 2011, proof that the new Manchester City ownership group was willing to pay for the world’s best. Aguero, with 122 goals in 181 games, including the last-minute game-winner in 2011/12 to seal City’s first title in 44 years, has more than paid off his debt. One of the finest players of his generation, and essential to City’s recent success.

Colin Bell – Manchester City FC Jersey #8
A player of seemingly limitless ability, Bell was nicknamed “The King” during his City playing career from 1966-79. A midfielder who was as adept at winning the ball as he was at advancing and finishing, Bell led City to a handful of titles during the club’s first heyday, including the European Cup Winners’ Cup. A stand in the Etihad was named after him in 2004.

David Silva – Manchester City FC Jersey #21
Silva arrived in Manchester in 2010 having just won the FIFA World Cup with Spain, but the creative midfielder blossomed in light blue. For his ability to create scoring chances from nothing, City fans have nicknamed him Merlin. A wizard and a conductor, Silva sets the tempo for his side and at 31 as of 2017, the 5-foot-7 Spaniard remains a giant of the Premier League.

Yaya Toure – Manchester City FC Jersey #42
Like Silva and Aguero, Toure came to Manchester from La Liga having already made a name for himself. The Ivorian took to the blue side of Manchester immediately, however, and his goal in the 2011 FA Cup semifinal (against Manchester United) and winner in the final brought City their first trophy since 1976. A mercurial, moody player, Toure divides fan opinion but the midfielder’s contribution to the club cannot be denied.

Bert Trautmann – Manchester City FC Jersey #1
How’s this for a wild story? Trautmann, a Luftwaffe paratrooper during World War II, was captured and sent to a prisoner’s barracks in the north of England. After the war, he stuck around and signed for City. He was so good, fans soon forgot he fought for the Axis powers, and his distinct style influenced the next generation of goalkeepers. On top of that, during the FA Cup final in 1956, he broke his neck but continued playing until the final whistle, and City prevailed.