Andy Warren goes on his annual journey, in which he ranks every League One home shirt from worst to first.
24 - Crewe Alexandra - FBT
Once upon a time I made the odd decision to have a red wall in my living room. Painting over it, once it became clear the colour was far too angry, was a nightmare.
This Crewe shirt looks like the early attempts to do that, with white flashed all over the wall but the red still peeking through. It didn’t look good on my wall and it doesn’t look good on this Crewe shirt.
The Gresty Road side will finish bottom of League One this season and they’re bottom of the kit rankings, too.
23 - Doncaster Rovers – Elite Pro Sports
Sorry, Doncaster. I just don’t like this one.
Take the badge and sponsor off and this kit could easily become a set of very average pyjamas.
22 - Bolton Wanderers – Macron
There are ways of doing white football kits. Keep them sharp and classy, with as few colours as possible.
Bolton’s shirt has failed to do that. Two different shades of blue and too much red. The sponsor really spoils this kit - think Ipswich Town vs Magical Vegas.
That’s the price you pay, I guess.
21 - Sunderland – Nike
I can never get excited about Sunderland kits.
Nike aren’t offering an awful lot these days and this one from the Black Cats is very functional, doing the job, but not exciting. Can kits with stripes ever be that exciting?
20 - Accrington Stanley - Adidas
Stanley are using the same kit this season as they did in 2021/22. It ranked 17th then but, such is the ever-changing world of third-tier football kits, it’s slipped a bit.
It’s going to get some marks for sustainability here, given no clubs seem to use a shirt for more than one season, but it’s still not hugely inspiring.
19 – Lincoln City - Errea
Red and white stripes. Fine. But there’s too much white.
Surely the budget could have stretched to a bit more red?
18 - Cheltenham Town - Errea
I don’t really like shirts with huge sleeve areas in a different colour to the body, so this Cheltenham shirt is not for me.
The pinstripes save it from being a horror show, though, with the black cuffs a nice touch as well.
17 - Rotherham United – Puma
There are too many red shirts in this league and none of them seem to differentiate themselves from each other.
This is the same as the Cheltenham kit and only ranks higher because I had already placed the Cheltenham picture on our website before doing Rotherham. I couldn’t be bothered to move it.
16 - Charlton Athletic – Hummel
The Addicks’ black and gold away kit is sexy. Their red home kit is very plain.
It’s neat and tidy, though. It’s red. There’s too much red in this league.
15 - Morecambe – Joma
I appreciate the diagonal stripe but it lacks the impact of some kits in recent years which have featured a real ‘sash’.
The stripe seems to give up on itself by the time it reaches the bottom and also looks pink in some pictures, like the colours have run.
14 - Wycombe Wanderers – O'Neills
I love the idea of Wycombe’s kits. I like the unique colour palette and I like the ‘quarters’ design, but I’m not sure about this particular design.
Using the thin lines to separate the quarters is just messy. Adebayo Akinfenwa deserves better in his final season.
13 - Fleetwood Town – Hummel
The Cod Army are another side using the same home kit as last season.
It was the best red kit in the rankings and it still is now. It’s got those subtle touches around the shirt which help it stand out.
12 - Portsmouth – Nike
This is much, much better than Portsmouth’s dreadful effort last season.
And they’ve managed that by going with a simple design, losing the red and getting rid of the horrific white collar.
11 - Cambridge United – Hummel
This effort appears to be the result of three completely different kits all stitched together.
The result is interesting. In a league including plenty of dull kits, you certainly score well for ‘interesting’.
It is a bit of a mess, though.
10 - Wigan Athletic – Puma
Are these stripes? Surely the blocks of colour are too wide to be stripes?
Whatever they are, they’re fine. Nice and bold with a lovely gold sponsors logo.
9 - Gillingham – Macron
Inter Milan it is not, but this Gillingham kit is their best offering in a while.
Simple and effective. It’s not trying to be anything it’s not.
8 - Burton Albion - TAG
The Brewers finished bottom of last season’s rankings with a dreadful effort – this one is much better.
It reminds me of Spain’s kits from the late 90s, with a huge stripe down one side, while I hugely appreciate the fact the shorts have the shirt’s colours completely reversed. It's probably six spots higher as a result of the shorts.
Well done, Burton. A great improvement.
7 - Sheffield Wednesday – Macron
The Owls finally have a new kit manufacturer, with their previous partnership with Elev8 producing some absolute shockers.
This first Macron offering isn’t bad. I like the detailing on the blue stripes and the gold sponsorship logo is nice, too.
Maybe stripes can be ok?
6 - Shrewsbury Town – Umbro
More stripes!
The Shrews have had some shocking kits in recent years, but I actually quite like this one.
It wasn’t hugely popular when it was launched, given the yellowness of the yellow compared to their traditional amber. Shrewsbury fans want amber.
I'm not a Shrewsbury fan, though, so I don't really care about that. I like it.
5 - Oxford United – Puma
Oxford always figure highly in my League One kit rankings and they’re at the business end of things again this time around.
They just produce really clean and neat shirts. The lack of green, alongside yellow, helps no end.
4 - AFC Wimbledon – Puma
I always like the Dons’ kits. It’s the striking yellow on blue – the Football Manager sponsorship helps too.
Another year at the top end of the standings. But will they be in League One to compete in this list again next season?
3 - MK Dons – Errea
This is everything the Bolton kit isn’t. It’s sharp, it’s classy and it’s striking because it only uses black on white.
This is how you pull off white kits.
2 - Ipswich Town – Adidas
Town have worn some lovely kits over the course of the last few years.
This is another good one, with Ed Sheeran’s sponsorship logo a fantastic addition. The kit it’s on is nice, too. A simple pin-striped design which just works.
It would be a bit obvious if I just gave the title to Ipswich, though, wouldn't it?
1- Plymouth Argyle – Puma
This is really similar to the Town kit. A nice body with pin-stripes and an excellent local sponsor – in this case Ginsters. Sadly, the relationship between Argyle and the pasty giants is coming to an end, though.
This might not be hugely popular, but I do like this one a little more than Town’s. Maybe it’s because I’ve only seen it in use a couple of times. A rare and special treat.
Or maybe it's because I prefer pastry to Galway Girl.
Anyway, well done Plymouth. The title is yours.
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