‘The Athletic Rooster’ - Le Coq Sportif were founded in 1882 as a maker of sportswear in the Champagne region of France, but it wasn’t until the 1950’s that word of their versatility truly started to spread. It was at this point that the familiar rooster logo started to appear on the outfits of Tour de France cyclists, the French national football team and athletes of all kinds.
Where soccer is concerned, Le Coq Sportif apparel was naturally most prominent in France itself, but it was by no means confined to the Gallic mainland. Aside from the likes of Monaco, Nantes and Saint-Etienne to name but three, many other top clubs were starting to wear LCS kit. Ajax Amsterdam won the European Cup in 1973, Tottenham Hotspur won the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982, Aston Villa won the European Cup in 1982 and Argentina attempted to retain the World Cup in the same year - all wearing kit made by Le Coq Sportif.
In England, however, no team in the top four divisions of the professional league wore Le Coq Sportif until 1978, the point at which Derby County wrote their name into the history books.
In the seven seasons leading up the 1978-79 campaign, Derby County wore five different home kits - at least four of them made by Umbro. All stuck to the newly-appropriated Derby template of white shirts, navy blue shorts and white socks, and all differed primarily in collar style. In addition, the 1976-78 home kit introduced some flamboyant logo taping to further reinforce the Umbro branding.
When Le Coq Sportif began their three-year deal with Derby, the home kit they provided was modest in aspect while the away kit contributed a more vibrant, modern outlook. The home shirt sported a navy blue v-neckline and a fashionable winged collar - much like the preceding Umbro shirt. Perhaps more significant was the synthetic material that the shirt was made from, contrasting notably from the previous one made from cotton. In that regard, this was the first toe into the water of modern kit design as we know it today.
Aside from the shirt, the only other amendment to the home kit was in the sock colour which changed from white to navy blue (except where a colour clash demanded otherwise). So far, so conventional.
For the away kit, however, Le Coq Sportif opted for orange as the main colour of the shirt. To the best of my knowledge, Derby never wore the colour prior to this point and only used it on the goalkeeper shirt a couple of times in the years that have followed. Does it work? Well yes, in my view. Does it provide a dark contrast to a light home kit? Tick. Does it provide ample, sumptuous colour which the white home shirt lacks? Tick. Is it bold and daring? Tick.
Worn with black shorts and orange socks, the orange away shirt was the perfect attire for those trips to the likes of Tottenham or Leeds or anyone whose home kit was white. Alas, this pair of simple yet stylish kits were to be associated with a period that most Derby County fans often choose to forget. In the 1978-79 season, The Rams finished just one place above the relegation zone in the old First Division, the following season they were relegated after finishing 21st of 22 teams and in 1980-81 they remained in the Second Division after finishing in sixth place. Within a few years, they’d dropped to the Third Division and wouldn’t return to the top flight again until the 1987-88 campaign.
All of which is a shame and an unfortunate association for a manufacturer of Le Coq Sportif’s stature. Their arrival in English domestic football may have been ultimately a low-key affair, but the years to come would see their presence grow and grow. Since that initial partnership with Derby County, LCS has provided kit for the likes of Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Manchester City, Watford, Wolves and many more besides. Sadly, their last kits to date were worn by Everton in 2011-12 and they haven’t been seen since in England and Wales since, but they do continue to do fantastic work for the likes of Saint-Etienne in France and Fiorentina in Italy.
Hope therefore springs eternal that Le Coq Sportif’s lovingly-crafted football kits will be seen again in the Premier League or Football League. Without question their quality is sorely missed and other manufacturers could certainly learn a thing or two by observing what Le Coq Sportif do best.
