Old Sporting Lisbon shirts, from the 1970s - green white hoops

This page shows the history of Sporting Lisbon football shirts and jerseys in the 1970 decade. Practically all these old Sporting jerseys are match worn (worn by a Sporting player on the pitch or on the substitute bench during a game, or prepared for the team players that were not called for the game). At the time, replica shirts as those sold in the official Sporting Lisbon shop were mostly unavailable.

At the time, there weren't specific numbers assigned to specific players, and the shirts of the initial team were simply numbered one to eleven. Sporting Lisbon often used different jersey models in the same season, and also used the same shirts in different seasons, sometimes years apart. This makes identification of shirts difficult, and it may not always be possible to assign a given kit to a given season, let alone player. This means that there are no guarantees that all the shirts here are correctly identified. Some of the shirts come from sources close to the players and are very well identified. Others are difficult to tell exactly. In any case, this is the best that could be done and any further information is welcome.

Sorting Lisbon match worn shirts from the beginning of the 1970s - the perfect lion

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1971/1972

Match worn by José Augusto (sub-21)

With thanks to the owner of the shirt, grandson of
the player, Mr. Igor Nunes

The match worn shirts attributed to the brilliant center defender Bastos are with absolute certanty worn by Bastos. The origin of these shirts, sourced from close relationships, leaves no doubts. As for the year, it is harder and some uncertanty may remain, except when a given date has been assured. In the beginning of the 1970s at least four different home kit models were used by Sporting Lisbon players.

Sporting Clube de Portugal

Probably 1972/1974. National champion in 72/73 and Cup winner in 72/73 and 73/74

Matchworn by Bastos. Similar shirts were already used in the 60s.

Sporting Lisbon game worn shirts from the mid 1970s

The lion in the Sporting Lisbon crest can be useful when trying to identify the origin and season of match worn shirts of this period. In the beginning of the 1970 decade, perfect and stylised lions were used in the players worn jerseys. This is documented by many period photos and pictures. Then, later on in the 70s, more primitive looking lions showed up, which looked a bit more fat. In the md 70s, the Sporting lion could change from shirt to shirt, and there s evidence that in some cases players commisioned their own shirts. This was probably more the exception than the norm, anyway, the Club crests looked as they were sewed manually. The lions shown below belong to this category.

One interesting note is that the first Sporting Lisbon shirts with sponsor were used in 1974/75, in a friendly game in France. Sponsors were only finally introduced in 1987/88.

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1972/1973. Cup winner.

Match worn by Bastos against Benfica in the away game 8 October 1972. Sporting lost 4-1 (photo from the game, where Bastos is making a faul on Eusebio leading to a penalty that Eusebio scored).

With thanks to Joana Pessoa

Sporting Clube de Portugal

Match worn home shirt from 1974/1975 or 1980/81. The Sporting symbol is equal to that of the following shirt so they should be from the same year.

With thanks to Mr. Nuno Ruivo

Sporting Clube de Portugal

Team training kit. The symbol is equal and made of the same material as the one from the previous shirt, so they must be from the same season.

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1975/76

Home shirt worn in match

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1975/1976

Matchworn

With thanks to Mr. Nuno Ruivo

The shirt worn by Sporting Lisbon players at the end of the 1970s

Sometime near the end of the decade, the lion in the Sporting Lisbon shirt crest was once more stylized, elegant, perfect, with a machine-stich look. In fact, it became what it had been at the beginning of the 1970s. There are Sorting Clube de Portugal shirts from the early 70s exactly equal to shirts that are with absolute certainty from the late 70s. This is hard on a Sporting Lisbon shirt collector, because particularly jerseys worn by the team players on the pitch become that much harder to identify.

In some cases, like the Inacio shirts show here and in the Sporting shirts of the 1980s, are unproblematic, because their source precludes any doubt, but this is not always the case.

From the considerations above, one might think that Sporting Lisbon shirts with chubby lions stitched by hand are necessarily from the mid 1970s. Unfortunately, exactly the same feline symbols showed up again in the Sporting Club Portugal shirt of the early 80s.

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1976/1977

Home matchworn shirt

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1976/1977

Traditional hooped shirt, matchworn by Inácio

With thanks to Mr. Nuno Ruivo

Sporting Clube de Portugal

Probably 1976/1977

Match worn shirt of the great captain Manuel Fernandes, on display at the Sporting Museum

With thanks to the photographer, Mr. Rui Trindade, on his first visit to Alvalade

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1977/1980

Match worn shirt, unknown player

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1977/1980

Matchworn shirt, player Jordão

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1977/1980

Match worn jersey, unknown player

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1977/80. There are shirts with the player number in this format at least in 77/78 and 79/80

Worn in match by an unknown Sporting Club Portugal Player

Sporting Clube de Portugal

1977/1980. There are shirts with such numbers
at least in 77/78 and 79/80

Match worn shirt, unknown player

With thanks to Mr. Nuno Ruivo

Concluding remarks on the Sporting Lisbon 1970s shirt

What we can conclude from all these match worn Sporting Lisbon kits from the 1970s, is that this was the last decade where Sporting used equipments without a brand or official maker. These shirts are absolutely perfect, they scream SPORTING through each thread: the fabric (pure cotton), the shape, the colour, the elegance. The current Sporting jerseys, as beautiful as they are, cannot compare.

In the end of the 1970s and in the beginning of the 1980s, some Sporting goalkeepers used Adidas jerseys.

As a final note, the size of these shirts can be surprising: if held or worn they look very small. This is how they were used by the Sporting players on the soccer pitch, tightly fitting.

Click here to see all the Sporting Lisbon jerseys from the 1980s.