Here’s a rash prediction: the 18 UK professional soccer teams whose home colours seem to me a reasonable reference in a present-day Times crossword. This is partly based on the fame of the team, partly on whether their colours are one of the things people are most likely to know about them – Plymouth Argyle are the classic example here (shame the socks are plain green). Obviously the claret and blue and stripes/hoops ones are less likely. In case you think I’m football mad, I haven’t been to a league football match since a relative who did some refereeing took me to see Leeds Utd and Spurs playing games against Crystal Palace in 1971.
| Colour(s) | Team(s) |
|---|---|
| White | Leeds United (Don Revie copied the strip of Real Madrid, though not all of the success) |
| White (Dk blue shorts) | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Red (all) | Liverpool |
| Red, white shorts | Manchester United, Arsenal |
| Orange | Blackpool (“Tangerines”) – not a great team now but Stanley Matthews played for them in a famous cup final; Wolverhampton Wanderers – ditto but a famous club in the past – officially they wear “Old Gold” |
| Yellow | Norwich City (“Canaries”) – whether there’s any connection with mustard, grown nearby, I don’t know. |
| Green | Plymouth Argyle (traditionally the only football league side in green, which was traditionally the goalie’s shirt colour) |
| Blue | Everton, Rangers, Chelsea |
| Light Blue | Manchester City, Coventry City (“Sky blues”) |
| Claret and blue | West Ham, Aston Villa |
| Black/white stripes | Newcastle United (“Magpies”) |
| Green/White hoops |
Celtic |
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