Although green and white stripes were the original kit design of Yeovil’s first organised football team, Yeovil Casuals, they have not been the choice of design for a large part of the club’s 127-year history.

The history of the club compiled by late chairman Bryan Moore – see here – confirms that when Yeovil Casuals started out playing at the Pen Mill Athletic Ground they were in green and white stripes. They also turned a profit of £11.18s. 1d that season – no pressure, Scott.

The history goes on to add that when Yeovil Casuals became Yeovil Town FC in 1907-08 the stripes were replaced by a solid green kit with white cuffs.

1991-1992. Picture courtesy of Tim Lancaster.

But, as far as the history books appear to show, up until the 1919-20 season Yeovil Town (or Yeovil & Petters United as they were between 1914-1946) side turned out in stripes.

In that season, Yeovil & Petters United opted for white shirts and navy blue shorts, an amalgamation of both the green and white of Yeovil Town and the amber and blue worn by Petters United. They earned the name The Lilywhites.

In 1920, the club moved to Huish, now the site of a Tesco supermarket in Yeovil Town centre, where stripes were not on show. In fact, they did not return until the club moved to Huish Park in 1990.

Having started live at their new home with the same kit as at Huish – white shirt, green shorts and green socks – the stripes were back for the 1991-92 campaign.

The season stripes returned saw Bass brewery as the sponsor and they remained for the following three seasons – with sponsors selected through a draw run by the club’s Commercial Manager, Alan Skirton.

This famously saw Preston Plucknett Post Office as the shirt sponsor when the club faced Arsenal in an FA Cup third round tie in January 1993 which was shown on Match of the Day. You can watch that match – here.

1992-93. Picture courtesy of Tim Lancaster.

Cardboard box manufacturer Martock Watermans was the sponsor of another green-and-white striped design when Steve Rutter’s Glovers pulled off another FA Cup shock the following year.

Andy Wallace was the scorer of the goal for non-League giant-killers Yeovil which put Football League side Fulham out in the first round of the competition in November 1993.

But the 1994-95 season, which saw supermarket chain Tesco which had built a branch on the site of the club’s old Huish stadium a few years prior as sponsor, was the last time a Yeovil side turned out in stripes.

That season was a far from vintage one which Brian Hall, who had returned to take over the club following the surprise departure of Rutter, was removed midway through the season and replaced by ex-Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers defender Graham Roberts.

Kevin Dillon fires home a penalty in the last match of the 1994-95 season, the last time Yeovil Town wore stripes. Picture courtesy of Tim Lancaster.

In his autobiography, Hard As Nails, Roberts says that the club’s green and white kit was one thing he never liked about Yeovil – presumably the similarity with his former Glasgow rivals, Celtic, played a part there.

It was a final day 4-4 draw with Northwich Victoria at Huish Park which saw Roberts’ side relegated out of the then-GM Vauxhall Conference in to regional football and the green and white stripes went with them.

In the summer of 1995, Roberts changed the kit to a solid green and white arguing that stripes made his team look weaker.

The team failed to make it out of the ICIS League Premier Division, the equivalent of today’s National League South, at the first attempt despite their more solid look. The following campaign they turned out in a slightly stripe-ier number and were promoted as champions. Just saying.

Graham Roberts, who did away with the stripes design worn for the previous four seasons, applauds Yeovil fans at the end of the 1995-96 season. Picture courtesy of Tim Lancaster.

Since then it was solid green and white with the emphasis on green – the one exception being the 1998-99 season which featured far more white – until promotion in to the Football League 2003 when the hooped design arrived.

Having been given a number of options, Gary Johnson put the question to the club’s supporters and hoops were adopted by popular demand – well, a majority at least.

They remained until the club were relegated out of the League in 2019 when – after an ill-fated design by Hummel – solid green returned for the past three campaigns.


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GREEN AND WHITE GOALS – SAMARITANS

Chris Angulo, who runs the excellent Green and White Goals YouTube and X accounts is walking 140 miles in March to raise money for Samaritans.

Click here to donate to Chris’ JustGiving Page.



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