White socks in football

White socks. A staple in a man's drawer. A fashion faux pas along with double denim, mirrored baseball caps and short sleeved shirts with ties.

Aston Villa fans have tried a campaign to stop white socks in their team's home colours for this season, albeit perhaps not with much success, 1897 views so far...

Ruud Gullit brought a lot of things to our shores. 'Sexy football', dreadlock wigs on the terraces, and the popular idea of his teams wearing white socks. He claims it worked for Milan. Various theories remain, that it brought luck, or a claim that it helps players pick out team-mates easier. Chelsea boss Tommy Docherty also did it in the 1960s, and white socks tend to come back into vogue every so often.

Arsenal these days tend to alternate between red and white, depending on the opposition. Man Utd famously have black socks for home, only changing to white in case of a clash or Europe, and it's done ok for them, as the 1999 Champion's League final shows.

Funnily enough, white socks at Newcastle are nowadays thought of as unlucky, except in perhaps the more retro bars of the Bigg Market... Along with the double denim.