Arsenal wearing white - A pictorial history

This season a new white away kit has been introduced with a design that celebrates the pioneering spirit of legendary Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman. Arsenal.com's Owen Pinch looks at the history behind this shirt.

Arsenal have appeared in a number of different coloured shirts when circumstances dictated that they must change from their traditional red and white home strip.

The predominant colour of our change, or away shirts, has included blue, yellow, tangerine, green, and on one occasion black and white stripes! But Arsenal wearing a change strip of white has been around longer than some may realise.

In football's early days white shirts used to be the traditional change shirts for any team playing another side whose colours clashed. This made it easier for the spectators to distinguish between the 'darks' and 'lights'.

Arsenal wore white shirts as a change kit right through the Club's early history, including the glorious Chapman era, the title-winning seasons of 1947/48 and 1952/53, and through to the mid-1960s.

White shirts were worn for a number of significant games in the Club's history, for example the 1932 FA Cup Semi-Final against Manchester City at Villa Park. A single goal from Cliff Bastin won the game and took Arsenal to Wembley, where they lost 1-0 to Newcastle United.

But probably the most memorable 'white shirt' moment for the Club came on December 14, 1935. The venue was again Villa Park but the opposition were the owners, Aston Villa. In a devastating masterclass of finishing, Arsenal's Ted Drake scored all seven in a 7-1 victory, and created a top-flight scoring record that still stands to this day.

Scroll down the page to view a pictorial history of 'Arsenal in white'.

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1966 - Jon Sammels

October 16, 1965 - Frank McLintock - Division One, Blackpool 5-3 Arsenal

December 28, 1964 - Alan Skirton - Division One, Stoke City 4-1 Arsenal

1963/64 - Arsenal Squad

September 1, 1962 - John Snedden - Division One, Burnley 2-1 Arsenal

March 4, 1961 - David Bacuzzi - Division One, Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal

August 20, 1960 - John Snedden - Division One, Burnley 3-2 Arsenal

1960 - Peter Simpson

November 9, 1954 - Arsenal Captain Jimmy Logie (l) and Spartak Moscow Captain Nikita Simonian (r) swap pennants before the floodlit friendly at Highbury. Spartak Moscow went on to win the match 2-1.

November 9, 1954 - Arsenal goalkeeper Jack Kelsey saves from Spartak Moscow's B Tatouchline. Arsenal's Jim Fotheringham and Spartak Moscow's Alexei Paramonov look on.

1952/53 - Arsenal Squad

November 3, 1951 - Alex Forbes - Division One, Middlesbrough 0-3 Arsenal

March 31, 1951 - Reuben Marden - Division One, Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal

March 3, 1951 - Clifford Holton and Reuben Marden - Division One, Manchester United 3-1 Arsenal

April 8, 1950 - Reg Lewis - Division One, Blackpool 2-1 Arsenal

December 31, 1949 - Ian McPherson - Division One, Liverpool 2-0 Arsenal

1949/50 - Joe Mercer

1948/49 - Ronnie Rook and Dennis Compton

1947/48 - Arsenal Squad

October 26, 1946 - Albert Gudmundsson - Division One, Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

1946/47 - Cliff Bastin

1946/47 - Jimmy Logie

1946/47 - Arsenal Squad

January 5, 1946 - Reg Lewis and Ernie Collett - FA Cup 3rd Round, 1st Leg, West Ham United 6-0 Arsenal

January 5, 1946 - Kevin O'Flanagan - FA Cup 3rd Round, 1st Leg, West Ham United 6-0 Arsenal

August 27, 1945 - Laurie Scott - Wartime League South, West Ham United 1-1 Arsenal

1938 - Alf Kirchen

1936/37 - George Male

Arsenal team group 1935/36. Arsenal FA Cup Final team.

December 14, 1935 - Ted Drake - Division One, Aston Villa 1-7 Arsenal

December 14, 1935 - Albert (Pat) Beasley - Division One, Aston Villa 1-7 Arsenal

December 14, 1935 - Ehud (Tim) Rogers - Division One, Aston Villa 1-7 Arsenal

1934 - Jack Crayston

1933/34 - Division One Champions

March 12, 1932 - Bob John - FA Cup Semi-Final (at Villa Park), Manchester City 0-1 Arsenal

1932 - Frank Robert (Tiger) Hill

1932 - Norman Sidey and William Warnes

1931 - Thomas Black

March 8, 1930 - Eddie Hapgood - Division One, West Ham United 3-2 Arsenal

1929/30 - Arsenal Squad

Alex James - Date unknown

1924 - William Seddon