1998/99

New home kits were introduced for the 1998-99 season, with New Balance as the kit supplier. The trend for generously sized shirts continued, with the new home shirts also featuring very generous fits and baggy sleeves.

At the tail-end of the season, the clubs dire financial position was given some hope with the arrival of new chairman Firoz Kassam.

As the season progressed, match shirts required replacing. The replacement shirts featured sewn block style numbers. These shirts featured alongside the older printed numbered shirts in the same matches.

Original

Replacement

Embarrassingly, Oxford United were forced to wear Watford’s change kit for the fixture at Vicarage Road, after the yellow kit was mistakenly packed.

I have been given a first-hand account as to why such a schoolboy error was made. Apparently, the club staff had a morale-boosting night out on the Thursday before the Watford game. The staff were going through a very stressful period, including not being paid. They feared the club was about to be wound-up. Apparently, it was a very, very good night and there were quite a few sore heads the next morning. This is the reason provided to me for the wrong kit being packed.