Why did Manchester United wear two different kits against Southampton in 1996?

Gray shirt with white shorts and socks: this is the kit with which Manchester United took the field on April 13, 1996 to face Southampton at The Dell stadium. However, when referee Graham Poll blew the final whistle, confirming a 3-1 victory for the home team, Manchester United was wearing a different kit: a shirt with vertical blue and white stripes, the Third kit for the 1995/96 season. This happened because, at halftime, following an order from manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United changed their look, playing the first half in one shirt and the second half in a different one. A curious, unique scene that became part of Premier League history.

The Curse of the Gray Kit

At that time, Manchester United's technical sponsor was Umbro, and the English company decided to introduce an away shirt for the 1995/1996 season that deviated from tradition: a gray shirt, far from the white or blue kits that Manchester United was used to wearing as an alternative to their iconic red shirt. However, the kit quickly became cursed, as Manchester United suffered heavy defeats on the pitch against Aston Villa, Arsenal, and Liverpool while wearing the gray shirt. Despite these setbacks, United was still in the race for the title, and when they arrived at The Dell that April afternoon, they were coming off 12 consecutive positive results. A streak that seemed set to end after 45 minutes of play, as Southampton led 3-0 at halftime. Therefore, when they entered the locker room, Ferguson ordered his players to change shirts, and in the second half, Manchester United took the field wearing the white and blue kit, designated as the third kit for that season.

Sir Alex Ferguson's Mind Game

Returning to the gray shirt, Ferguson, at the end of the match, stated that the players didn’t like the kit because, due to the bright light that afternoon, they couldn’t recognize each other on the field. For this reason, he decided to order a change. A version later confirmed by Gary Neville, who explained that Ferguson, at that time, was very attentive to science and details, even hiring Gail Stephenson, an optical specialist. She once explained to the players how it was impossible to spot a gray shirt in a crowded environment. Thus, this became the official reason for the shirt change. However, this explanation was never fully accepted, and indeed, the phrase uttered by Matt Le Tissier, the historic captain of Southampton, at the end of the game went down in history: "I think it's the worst excuse I have ever heard."

Obviously, superstition was talked about, given that Manchester United had already lost several matches that season while wearing the gray shirt. However, it was one of Sir Alex Ferguson's most successful mind games, as that defeat could have led to harsh criticism of his team at a crucial time in the season. But by doing so, the attention shifted from the players' performance to the bizarre decision to change shirts at halftime. A choice that proved to be a smart one, as Manchester United won their next two matches against Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough, ultimately becoming English champions. As for the gray shirt, it was abandoned at the end of that season but made a return in 2017 when Manchester United decided to produce a fan-designed kit, also gray, featuring the silhouette of the Holy Trinity, the statue outside Old Trafford dedicated to George Best, Denis Law, and Sir Bobby Charlton.