The Evolution of the Kit
Almost one hundred years of passion for an ideal embodied by the colours green and white, the rampant lion and the spirit of effort, dedication, devotion and the fight for glory has been ever present in the history of Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Many things have changed in Portugal and the world as a whole since the end of the 19th century, however one has remained ever-present: In 1892, nets where used for the first time - borrowed from fishing - as part of the structure of the football goal in order to dispel any doubts about goals; Football is today perhaps the the most universal sport and is certainly the one that mobilises most interest and boasts the greatest number of fans throughout all continents.
Over ten decades, Sporting has become a symbol of the Portuguese, European and Transcontinental reality, evolving tirelessly while still adhering to the noble founding principles of sport that played such a part in the Club's foundation. Loyalty and love for the kit has remained ever present and as strong as that expressed by the Club's founding fathers, who, in times of stringent professionalism in the area of sport, found spirit in the kit of the Club.
The shirt of the Club adopted the colour white during its time as Sport Club de Belas (Sports Club of Belas), the precursor to Sporting Clube de Portugal. The colour white changed with the transition into Campo Grande Football Club, eventually finding its root with the foundation of Sporting Clube de Portugal on the 1st of July 1906. With this foundation, the Club assumed the colour green for its background, mounted with the image of a golden lion.
Campo Grande F.C, in 1904,
This original shirt joined the colours green and white in two vertical stripes, which still exists today as one of Sporting's alternative kits, in homage to "Stromp": one of the founders of Sporting, who was a talented footballer and athlete.
Stromp Kit, em 1924
The green and white stripes of today drew inspiration from the kit of Sporting's rugby team, which has today evolved into the kit that demonstrates a touch of personality and difference, distinguishing Sporting's kits from those of the rest of the world. With the 1980's came the birth of advertisements. However, Sporting still to this day preserves the genuine kit of those original Sportinguistas.
The level of competition, aesthetic creativity, the relevant spectacle and commercial dynamics all play their part in the determination of the variants of Sporting's kit. However, the colours green and white and the rampant lion always serve to identify this mystical club.
