While it’s common for football clubs to delve into the archives in search of inspiration, Premier League side Manchester City have harked back a little further than usual to find the creative stimulus for their new 2025-26 away kit.

In fact, City have quite literally gone all the way back to their original formation 145 years ago and the first kit ever known to have been worn by the club in 1884.

After being founded in 1880 by two church wardens who wanted to use sport as a means to curb unrest and aggression among local young men, City were inaugurated as St. Mark’s West Gorton FC. They were based in Gorton, a suburb of East Manchester, England, that lies just a few miles south of where the modern-day Etihad Stadium now stands.

Indicative of their religious roots, St. Mark’s first kit consisted of an all-black ensemble that carried nothing else but a white Christian cross on the chest. The team then switched to a sky blue design a few years later before ultimately taking on the name Manchester City in 1894. City have played primarily in blue since then.

This year, City have sought to pay homage to their humble roots in Gorton with a new away kit inspired by that black uniform worn by St. Mark’s during their first few years of existence.

The modern rework is also all black but the trim is not white, rather a metallic silver that is applied in minimal flashes to add a little contemporary twist.

The club enlisted players such as Manuel Akanji, Alex Greenwood, Jess Park and Vitor Reis to model the kit, though you might have to take our word for that given that the moodily dark monochrome of the photoshoot might make it hard to distinguish who is actually in the picture.

After unveiling a set of wacky sash-based kits specifically for use at the FIFA Club World Cup and designed in collaboration with New York streetwear brand Kid Super, we think you’ll agree that City’s away kit for next season is mercifully restrained in comparison.