The year was 1984. While I (and others like me) were seeing just how many zippers could fit on a pair of parachute pants, West Bromwich Albion were undertaking a serious campaign with their clothing. They teamed up with West Midlands Health Authority in a stop-smoking campaign. The tagline: “Be like Albion–kick the smoking habit”.
Yes, I’m sure WBA players and coaches did not smoke like chimneys in the ’80s.
Anyway, that’s not what we are worried about. We are worried about how it carried over to their shirts. I’ll tell you this, it was very easy to understand.
A shirt sponsor that’s understood nearly the world over. How great is that? Honestly, it would have been fantastic for the club if it actually sold anything, but instead (once again, Britain in the ’80s) this had the effect of pissing off the WBA faithful.
This was the home shirt for West Brom from 1984-86. It is nearly impossible to find even pictures of these anymore, let alone surviving replicas. Had I had not finally come across the picture above and one other, I was willing to write my 25 year old memory of this shirt off as a fever dream. Yet, here it is, as inoffensive as anything we could put on a shirt today. Even Doctors Without Borders attracts more hatred than a simple non-smoking sign in a public place does. My how times have changed.
What I do not understand is why the Health Authority decided to go with only the circle-ciggie-slash look. Yes, it’s iconic, but couldn’t you let someone know where to turn for help as well? Maybe a little WMHA underneath to spice it up would have helped. A phone number perhaps? Instead West Brom were left with a shirt that looks like it had a sticker slapped on it that some yob stole from the loo while in the pub before the match. And that must be what ticked off the fans so.
In 1984… I was 1 and didn’t know what parachute pants were… Is it strange that I’m 26 now and still don’t know what they are exactly, other than being synonymous with MC Hammer?
I wore parachute pants and may have, on occasion, used a dismantled refrigerator box to break-dance.
MC Hammer wore baggy pants. Parachute pants were something else entirely.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_pants
They went really well with Members Only jackets.
I think this would be a good example
http://www.parachute-pants.com/store/cart.php?target=product&product_id=302&category_id=60
That’s an awesome shirt. And not being born until the tail end of the 80s means I have never worn parachute pants.
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