As Ipswich Town prepare to unveil their new away kit for the 2020/21 season, ANDY WARREN ranks the Blues’ efforts from the last 20 years from worst to first.

East Anglian Daily Times: The Ipswich Town players huddle up ahead of a penalty shootout at Peterborough in 2006. Picture: PAGEPIXThe Ipswich Town players huddle up ahead of a penalty shootout at Peterborough in 2006. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Archant)

14 - 2006/08 - Punch

I love white kits. I adore the simplicity and the class, but this one just doesn’t do it for me.

I can’t put my finger on why exactly. Maybe it’s just too plain, with no particular detailing to speak of.

This was the last Punch kit ever worn by Ipswich Town as it continued to serve as the club’s away jersey for a season, even after the deal with Mitre had begun.

It had limited outings, though, with the much better black third kit often prefereed. That feels like the right decision to me.

East Anglian Daily Times: David Norris models the Mitre red away kit as he celebrates at Leicester in 2010. Picture: PAGEPIXDavid Norris models the Mitre red away kit as he celebrates at Leicester in 2010. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: WARREN PAGE 07976 935738)

13 - 2008/10 - Mitre

I really don’t have much to say about this kit.

It’s red. It’s alright. Nothing more.

East Anglian Daily Times: Cole Skuse in the 2015/16 Barcelona kit at Blackburn. Picture: PAGEPIXCole Skuse in the 2015/16 Barcelona kit at Blackburn. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: PAGEPIX LTD 07976 935738)

12 - 2015/16 - adidas

I have agonised over where to put this shirt, along with its 2019/20 cousin. But this is where it’s ended up.

I don’t particularly like stripes if I’m honest. I can see why it was described as being like Barcelona, but it doesn’t transport me to the Nou Camp. I like the yellow adidas detailing, though.

It was a big seller but was barely worn due to the fact it was deemed to close to the home shirt in colour, while also being retained for another season as the club’s third shirt.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kayden Jackson fights for the ball at Hillborough in 2018. Picture: PAGEPIXKayden Jackson fights for the ball at Hillborough in 2018. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Pagepix Ltd 07976 935738)

11 - 2018/19 - adidas

It pains me to put this shirt here because I actually really like it. Orange and black is classic and the zig zag pattern is nice. It’s striking and vibrant (even more vibrant when you see it in the flesh compared to pictures).

But no shirt, no matter how good it is, could style out the rainbow-coloured Magical Vegas logo. Using it on such a bright shirt as this was never going to end well.

For that reason this jersey was fighting a losing battle... which it did indeed lose.

I couldn’t put it any higher, sadly.

East Anglian Daily Times: Cole Skuse beats Tom Adeyemi to the ball, while wearing the 2013/14 Mitre away kit. Picture: PAGEPIXCole Skuse beats Tom Adeyemi to the ball, while wearing the 2013/14 Mitre away kit. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: PAGEPIX LTD 07976 935738)

10 - 2013/14 - Mitre

For some unknown reason, I have a match-worn shirt previously belonging to Frank Nouble (acquired legally) sitting in my desk drawer in our office. I’ve not been in there at all since the middle of March, so hopefully it’s still there.

The shirt itself is decent enough. Much better than Mitre’s previous red offering owing to the presence of black sleeves and shorts.

East Anglian Daily Times: Jon Walters shows off Town's new black away kit for the 2010/11 season. Picture: ITFCJon Walters shows off Town's new black away kit for the 2010/11 season. Picture: ITFC (Image: Archant)

9 - 2010/12 - Mitre

I didn’t realise it had been quite so long since Ipswich had a black away strip. Eight years is a long time.

A lot of these early Mitre designs are pretty similar, really. Main colour flooding the body of the shirt with some secondary flashes around the shoulders and ribs in various different locations.

This one’s decent enough, even if Roy Keane chose it.

East Anglian Daily Times: James Norwood celebrates at Wycombe in New Year's Day in 2020. Picture: PAGEPIXJames Norwood celebrates at Wycombe in New Year's Day in 2020. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Pagepix Ltd 07976 935738)

8 - 2019/20 - adidas

I don’t know how to describe the condition of the blue stripes on this shirt. Dissolved? Pixelated? Either way, I like them on this shirt because it doesn’t make the overall jersey look as harsh as the 2015/16 jersey and meant it was able to be worn more often.

The first one was worn with navy shorts, the latter with maroon, which I prefer.

That’s why I ranked it four places higher.

East Anglian Daily Times: The Ipswich Town players away at Hillborough in 2017/18. Picture: PAGEPIXThe Ipswich Town players away at Hillborough in 2017/18. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Pagepix Ltd 07976 935738)

7 - 2017/18 - adidas

There’s no reason why I shouldn’t like this shirt, given it is faithful to many of my values. It’s simple, clean and was a good match with its home sibling.

But I can’t get away from the fact there’s no black to be seen on it, shorts aside. Swap the white adidas stuff for black and we’d be talking about medal contention.

East Anglian Daily Times: Cameron Stewart pictured in the 2016/17 away kit. Picture: PAGEPIXCameron Stewart pictured in the 2016/17 away kit. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Pagepix Ltd 07976 935738)

6 - 2016/17 - adidas

There’s nothing I really dislike about this kit. It’s classy, it’s simple and it’s clean.

Personal preference tells me it would have looked better with black adidas detailing rather than blue.

East Anglian Daily Times: Darren Curre celebrates after scoring on his debut in 2004. Picture: PAGEPIXDarren Curre celebrates after scoring on his debut in 2004. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Archant)

5 - 2004/06 - Punch

Not the best orange design but not the worst either.

A love how much black there was on this kit, particularly on the long-sleeved version, as well as the fact it was worn with black shorts and hooped socks.

It had the Town crest faded into the material as well which was perfectly of its time, even if the sponsor logo was far too big.

East Anglian Daily Times: Luke Chambers celebrates at Birmingham in 2012. Picture: PAGEPIXLuke Chambers celebrates at Birmingham in 2012. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: PAGEPIX LTD 07976 935738)

4 - 2012/13 - Mitre

This shirt has everything I like about white jerseys. It’s mainly white, but the contrast given to it by the black really helps it shine.

Simple yet effective. A thumbs up from me.

East Anglian Daily Times: Marcus Bent wears Town's 2002/04 away kit during a UEFA Cup game in Sartid. Picture: JAMES FLETCHERMarcus Bent wears Town's 2002/04 away kit during a UEFA Cup game in Sartid. Picture: JAMES FLETCHER (Image: Archant)

3 - 2002/04 - Punch

I have a fondness for this kit. At the time it was described as being ‘Bayern Munich-like’ but that’s not really a fair description of the colour. In our house we called it ‘red wine’.

Fans were asked to choose between this shirt and another in the same colour. The supporters made the right choice.

The colour goes well with the navy sleeves and the two white stripes down the sleeves look good (even if they resemble knock-off adidas replicas from the market). Simple, yet effective.

Was worn with both blue and white shorts. The blue looked better.

The only complaint is that the sponsor logo was maybe a little small, with the club perhaps overcompensating for this with the following shirt’s massive Powergen logo.

East Anglian Daily Times: Jamie Clapham in action at Everton in 2002. Picture: PAGEPIXJamie Clapham in action at Everton in 2002. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Archant)

2 - 2000/02 - Punch

This is a classic case of using the exact same design as the home strip and simply switching the colours, which I’m all for.

Interestingly (at least I find this interesting), the white version of the iconic promotion-winning, Europe-qualifying home shirt wasn’t introduced until Ipswich were already in the Premier League.

It’s not remembered in the same way as the home version but this is still a firm favourite. Black and white strips get me going, so this one does the business in my opinion.

East Anglian Daily Times: Daryl Murphy in the superb 2014/15 away kit. Picture: PAGEPIXDaryl Murphy in the superb 2014/15 away kit. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: PAGEPIX LTD 07976 935738)

1 - 2014/15 - adidas

Every single time I’ve ever done any kind of kit ranking articles, be it Ipswich Town, Championship, League One or otherwise, my natural inclination is to put a white shirt at the top of the list. Either that or anything created by the colourblind folk at Bristol City – their purple and green efforts are beautiful.

So it’s some as something of a surprise to me that I’ve given the title to this orange shirt from the 2014/15 season.

But I absolutely love it. I don’t think the simplicity of this jersey would have worked if it had been made by any other company than adidas, with the three stripes working perfectly.