Behind the Numbers: The colours of Arsenal

This week our statistician Josh James looks at Arsenal's record in various kits.

Arsenal have worn a change kit for each of their last three fixtures and had a better record in the blue strip than the yellow version - as has been the case over the past ten seasons or so.

The Gunners have played 320 matches at away/neutral venues since 2001/02, wearing six different coloured kits in that time.

By far the most successful kit has been the gold strip of 2001/02. Arsenal remained unbeaten in that kit (P10 W7 D3 L0) during the Double-winning season, and wore it while clinching the league title at Old Trafford. They played two more games in it the following season, winning both times.

This season the change kit of choice is blue, a colour the team have worn 43 times since 2001/02, winning 21 (48.8 per cent) of those matches.

That means Arsenal win more away games in that strip than away games in the red kit (47 per cent) though not as many as in the white top and short-lived maroon/navy strip (each 50 per cent win rates).

Statistically, Arsenal's yellow strip, which the team wore in Milan last week, has been the unluckiest kit, with a win rate of just 39.1 per cent from 92 matches.

Arsenal are forced into changing from their home kit 53.4 per cent of the time on their travels, meaning the team wear the famous red and white colours for approximately three quarters of their fixtures.

The last time Arsenal played a home fixture in anything other than red and white (or redcurrant during 2005/06 - the last season at Highbury) was back in 2002/03.

That season the Gunners hosted non-league Farnborough Town in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup, but were technically the away side as the game was played at Highbury due to safety concerns surrounding Farnbough's Rushmoor Stadium. Arsenal wore their blue change strip, used the away changing room and all proceeds from the matchday programme went to 'Boro . Arsenal won 5-1.

In October 2000 Arsenal hosted Sparta Prague in the Champions League at Highbury, wearing blue shirts in the first half and yellow shirts after the interval. The change was due to a clash with the officials. Sparta wore their home strip, which itself was modelled on the Gunners' deep red shirts from the early 20th century. Arsenal triumphed 4-2 to top the group, despite Tomas Rosicky scoring a late consolation goal for the visitors.

Arsenal also wore blue when playing Lens in the 1998/99 Champions League at Wembley, which was classed as a home fixture.

Prior to that the Gunners wore their change strip (yellow with blue chevrons) for the home games against Austria Memphis and Benfica in the 1991/92 European Cup, as was UEFA policy at the time. Arsenal won the first game 6-1, and lost the second 3-1.

Away games win rate since 2001/02

Shirt	Win %
Gold	75%
White	50%
Maroon/blue	50%
Blue	48.8%
Red (and redcurrant)	47%
Yellow	39.1%
Overall	46.3%

Away/neutral games since 2001/02

Shirt	Red				Yellow				Blue				White				Gold				Maroon				Total
Season	P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L	P	W	D	L
11/12	12	4	3	5	1	0	0	1	6	3	0	3													19	7	3	9
10/11	12	6	3	3	18	6	5	7																	30	12	8	10
09/10	13	5	1	7					9	4	1	4	6	2	3	1									28	11	5	12
08/09	16	9	3	4	13	2	7	4																	29	11	10	8
07/08	12	6	4	2									14	8	2	4					4	2	1	1	30	16	7	7
06/07	13	6	5	2	19	8	2	9																	32	14	7	11
05/06	10	2	2	6	21	9	5	7																	31	11	7	13
04/05	16	10	4	2	2	1	1	0	12	5	3	4													30	16	8	6
03/04	12	6	5	1	18	10	6	2																	30	16	11	3
02/03	14	6	4	4					15	9	4	2					2	2	0	0					31	17	8	6
01/02	19	10	4	5					1	0	0	1					10	7	3	0					30	17	7	6
TOTAL	149	70	38	41	92	36	26	30	43	21	8	14	20	10	5	5	12	9	3	0	4	2	1	1	320	148	81	91

* Red includes redcurrant kit worn during 2005/06 season.

Arsenal have worn either red or yellow tops in their 30 cup final appearances to date: 21 (70 per cent) in red, and nine (30 per cent) in yellow (or old gold). The success rate wearing red is 52 per cent, compared to 33 per cent in yellow.

The first time Arsenal used a change kit in a final was when taking on Liverpool in the 1950 FA Cup Final – the Gunners changed to an old gold strip, with white shorts. It proved a lucky charm as Tom Whittaker's men triumphed 2-0 at Wembley.

The Club then used blue or white change kits sporadically over the next few seasons, until settling on a yellow away top in the late 1960s.

Famously the Gunners won the 1971 FA Cup Final (also against Liverpool) in yellow, and then wore yellow when beating Manchester United in the 1979 Final. However, they were also the colours worn when losing the 1978 and 1980 FA Cup Finals.

Since then Arsenal have played in six FA Cup Finals, wearing red each time (winning five and losing one).

Those FA Cup successes in yellow were the only instances of winning a final in anything other than red and white. The 1969 League Cup Final defeat to Swindon Town, 1980 Fairs Cup penalty shoot-out loss to Valencia, 2000 penalty shoot-out failure against Galatasaray in the UEFA Cup Final and 2006 Champions League reverse to Barcelona were all in a yellow change strip.

Michael Thomas did, however, score his unforgettable title-clinching goal at Anfield in the yellow and blue strip, while Sylvain Wiltord was in the aforementioned gold strip when scoring the only goal at Old Trafford to confirm the 2002 Premier League title.

The white and blue kits the team have worn in more recent times are a nod to the Club's pre-war history, though it wasn't until the 1950s that a regular 'away strip' was introduced to avoid kit clashes.

Save for a one-off green and blue change kit in 1982/83, yellow remained Arsenal's favoured colour for away tops from the late 1960s until 1994/95, when Nike took over manufacturing of the kit and released a blue strip.

Since then generally the away strip has alternated between yellow and blue, with a white top used in 2007/08 and 2009/10. Exceptions were the gold change top in 2001/02, and maroon and blue 'third kit' in 2007/08.

Cup final kits

Season	Tournament	Score	Kit
1927	FA Cup	0-1	Red
1930	FA Cup	2-0	Red
1932	FA Cup	1-2	Red
1936	FA Cup	1-0	Red
1950	FA Cup	2-0	Yellow
1952	FA Cup	0-1	Red
1968	League Cup	0-1	Red
1969	League Cup	1-3	Yellow
1970	Fairs Cup	4-3 (agg)	Red
1971	FA Cup	2-1	Yellow
1972	FA Cup	0-1	Red
1978	FA Cup	0-1	Yellow
1979	FA Cup	3-2	Yellow
1980	FA Cup	0-1	Yellow
1980	Cup Winners' Cup	0-0 (lost on pens)	Yellow
1987	League Cup	2-1	Red
1988	League Cup	2-3	Red
1993	League Cup	2-1	Red
1993	FA Cup	2-1	Red
1994	Cup Winners' Cup	1-0	Red
1995	Cup Winners' Cup	1-2	Red
1998	FA Cup	2-0	Red
2000	UEFA Cup	0-0 (lost on pens)	Yellow
2001	FA Cup	1-2	Red
2002	FA Cup	2-0	Red
2003	FA Cup	1-0	Red
2005	FA Cup	0-0	Red
2006	Champions League	1-2	Yellow
2007	League Cup	1-2	Red
2011	League Cup	1-2	Red

Cup final record

	Red			Yellow			Total
	P	W	L	P	W	L	P	W	L
FA Cup	12	7	5	5	3	2	17	10	7
League Cup	6	2	4	1	0	1	7	2	5
Europe	3	2	1	3	0	3	6	2	4
Total	21	11	10	9	3	6	30	14	16

All stats correct as at February 21, 2012. Josh James also provides the stats for the Arsenal Analysis pages of the matchday programme. To subscribe, or buy online, click here.

[Tuesday, February 21, 2012]

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