FeatureA history of Liverpool's shirt sponsors
To mark today's announcement that Liverpool FC and Standard Chartered Bank have extended their partnership to 2027, take a look back at the history of the sponsors to have adorned the Reds' shirt through the years.
1979-1982 – Hitachi
Liverpool broke new ground in English football when a shirt sponsorship deal – the first ever for the club – was agreed with Japanese electronics company Hitachi in the summer of 1979.
The move came as part of then-chairman John Smith’s desire to secure new sources of financial income for the Reds, whose excellent achievements on the pitch domestically and in Europe at the time were not, he reported, being reflected on the balance sheet.
Hitachi’s striking, block capitals brand logo – in crisp white font on the home strip – therefore assumed a central position on the team’s jersey for the next three seasons.
The Hitachi-sponsored shirt earned a fond place in history courtesy of the players’ success during its tenure as Liverpool accrued two league championships, a European Cup and two League Cups.
1982-1988 – Crown Paints
The now-established shirt sponsor berth went on to be filled by Lancashire-based paint manufacturer Crown Paints for much of the 1980s.
Where the Hitachi-featuring kit had remained unchanged, though, the new logo was deployed on several different designs across its six-year spell.
As well as changes to the way the Crown Paints branding itself was used – including varying fonts and iterations of the words being on top of or next to each other – the Reds’ strip evolved and changed too.
Pinstripes adorned the Liverpool jersey for the first half of the association, while the kit supplier and latterly the style of crest etched on were changed during the second half.
But what remained largely consistent was the flow of trophies; four league titles, one European Cup, an FA Cup and two League Cups were lifted during the Crown Paints period, which culminated with Kenny Dalglish’s vintage 1987-88 team.
1988-1992 – Candy
While the name might stir thoughts of American confectionary, Candy is actually an Italian company that has specialised in domestic appliances for almost 80 years.
And for four years of that history, Candy was at the centre of the Liverpool jersey, with the brand logo displayed in an elegant, looping white typography against the red home strip.
The home shirt featuring Candy in 1989-90 and 1990-91 remains a popular retro item among supporters to this day, standing out in particular for the striking geometric white shapes featured throughout the design.
Helping the appeal, too, is the fact Dalglish’s Reds clinched the league championship in 1990 while wearing it, as well as FA Cup victories in 1989 and 1992.
1992-2010 – Carlsberg
Coinciding with the launch of the Premier League in 1992 was the introduction of Liverpool’s fourth different shirt sponsor: Danish brand Carlsberg.
It would prove to be just the start of a long and loyal relationship between the Reds and the beer makers, with Carlsberg holding the shirt sponsor position on the club’s jerseys for 18 years.
The company’s iconic logo remained steadfast as the team’s kit evolved and changed around it over the course of that lengthy spell – one that included some memorable highs.
There was the League Cup win of 1995, the unforgettable cup treble in 2001, the miracle of Istanbul in 2005, a UEFA Super Cup, The Gerrard Final and plenty more moments to treasure along the way with Carlsberg at the fore.
Though its role as shirt sponsor ended in 2010, the association between Carlsberg and LFC – the longest in the Premier League era – continues to this day, with a five-year extension as official beer partner agreed in 2019.
2010-present – Standard Chartered
The fifth and current custodian of Liverpool’s shirt sponsorship arrived in 2010 as bank Standard Chartered became main club partner and took over the role.
In the dozen years since the partnership began, the Reds have returned to the summit of English and European football while also conquering the world for the first time.
A Premier League title, a Champions League trophy, a FIFA Club World Cup, an FA Cup, two League Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and two Women’s Super League titles have been lifted in kits sporting the Standard Chartered name.
The branding has featured in both white and yellow on LFC’s home strip, while Standard Chartered has for one match each season swapped out its logo to be replaced by that of an important charitable initiative to raise awareness and funds.
As part of its association with the club, Standard Chartered has also provided dedicated support for the women’s team, delivered a range of digital activations for supporters, teamed up with LFC to host fan events across the world, and much more.