A brief venture into an independent arts and souvenier shop down in Hull’s trendy Humber Street resulted in the purchase of the badge you see below.

Designers Hullifornia have created a badge to celebrate the 25th anniversary of inarguably one of the greatest shirts ever to grace English club Football. It may feature in many “worst kits ever” lists that you occasionally stumble across online, but such an unusual and iconic design is as popular with Hull City fans today as it ever was.

The season was 1992-1993, a time that Hull fans are unlikely to look back on with nostalgia. It surely was the beginning of the toughest era of the club’s history. Hull City had recently been relegated to the 2nd Division (3rd tier) in 1991, and the next 6 seasons would see the Tigers relegated all the way down to the 3rd Division (4th tier) in 1996 and come scarily close to relegation from the Football League structure entirely two years later. The 1997-1998 season, “The Great Escape” (from relegation from the Football League), remains part of fan folklore surrounding the club, and is often referred to whenever a City fan utters the phrase “We Always Do It The Hard Way”.

Trust me on this. We do.

I always see Hull folk as being a little naive but perpetually fun loving. This possibly manifests itself in the way in which the rest of the world looks at Hull City’s garish 1992-1993 kit with such distaste, while conversely Hull City fans continue to adore it 25 years later. Brazen, unconventional, outspoken and ultimately unsuccessful; perhaps the kit, originally manufactured by Matchwinner and featuring team sponsor Bonus Electrical, personifies the character of Hull.

Whatever your personal opinion, the original replica shirt is in much demand in online auction fora purely for its originality and kitsch value. If you own one, hold onto it. If you don’t, Hullifornia’s tiger shirt pin badge can act as a tidy substitute for the time being.

This is not a sponsored post. We simply want to share this great work with a larger audience and contribute to local businesses by doing so.

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