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It’s 1981 and schools, as well as at home are a lot stricter with corporal punishment regularly carried out and uniformed inspects sometimes carried out, even for the girls, knicker inspections!

Girls, even sometimes in 6th form, have to wear regulation school approve knickers, always cotton, and either navy blue or white in colour. Mothers across the land liked this policy, and approved of it, but some girls were more rebellious than others, and were more intrigued by fabrics such as lace, nylon, silk or satin

Also, what added to the confusion was the national game of football (soccer) as the football kits were coming away from heavy cotton, over to newer lightweight fabrics, such as nylon and polyester. This was the time when football/soccer shorts were made by brands such as Le Coq Sportif, Hummel, Umbro, Puma, Adidas and the soccer shorts were of a silky, shiny, smooth 100% nylon satin shorts material, almost a lingerie type fabric. Football is popular and so it seems the football shorts with certain people!

Burgundy red

Bright Red

Purple

Light teal green

Dark Emard Green

Bright green*

Dark navy blue*

Royal blue

Sky blue

Grey

Black*

White*

Yellow*

The shorts indicated with the * Umbro also did with a softer, silkier nylon, which was totally amazing to wear. They were really sold from the early 90s and if you can remember retail Sport shops like First Sport, JJB Sports and leading independents.

Will they ever be produced again…no, very unlikely as you can’t find the fabric anymore.

A story:

I started from a very young age of my like wearing satin PE shorts. From a early age I took every chance I could to wear or buy these beautiful shorts.

I loved the slippery satin, and you may remember in the 80s nearly every football team wore nylon shorts, great times for sure. I remember being in a small sport shop in North London and looking at rows upon rows of silky nylon shorts. I was addicted to buying nylon shorts, and the two brands I loved most was the Sports & Leisurewear plan nylon shorts, really really silky, soft and of course, the Umbro 0052s.

Anyway, as they started to die out, I had to look harder and harder for pairs of nylon

shorts. By the 90s I was living on my own, and my search became more focused on what shorts I loved. These were the Umbro ones. I called many shops up around the country and called JJB Sports over in Plymouth. I called them as I had to go down there on

business. Anyway, not to so too strange on the phone I called them up and by chance a lady called, and I asked if they had any Umbro nylon shorts in stock. Wow, she asked if I meant the silky one, yes! A girl that knew what I was talking about, my luck was in. Anyway, after a quick chat (By which time I was hard!) she came back

to say I was in luck, and she had loads in. All could just image her going through the rows of shorts and checking for me. I would have loved to know what she

thought???

A week or so later, I was in Plymouth. And of course, Imade my way to the shop. It was a large one and my heart was beating when I got there. I was in a suit and it was fairly early on the morning, and time was not on my side as I had a business meeting coming up

there.

Not trying to look too out of place I am start looking for their football shorts. I took me a few minutes but then I came upon what I was looking for, row upon row of silky shiny soft satin nylon football shorts all of different colours and sizes. Then I saw what I was really looking for, the racks, with the neatly row of Umbro 0052 ‘The Classic’s range of Umbro nylon shorts. Yes, yes, Yes!

I was fairly quick and brought about 10 pairs of silkies. I remember, getting either 40” and two pairs (Royal blue and red) in XXXL 42” a few pairs of navy blue and bright green as they were the silky slippery nylon of their range.

When I went to the till there was two girls serving. One kind of laugh as she must of guessed what I was up to. Anyway, it was a great feeling and again I loved to have known what they thought and talked about after I left.

I left, slightly embarrassed, but relived with a JJB Sports bag just full of slippery nylon shorts and just couldn’t wait to get home.

I would love to have known what they thought then when they were putting the nylon shorts out that they themselves would have like to have slipped a pair on and stroked themselves through that slippery nylon...

In answer to questions of the Umbro Classic 0052 range of nylon football shorts

Yes, regarding the Umbro 0052 range (The Classic’s) of their most amazing colures they produce in the range of these fine silky shiny nylon shorts were as follows:

Burgundy red

Bright Red

Purple

Light teal green

Dark Green

Bright green*

Dark navy blue*

Royal blue

Sky blue

Grey

Black*

White*

Yellow*

I’m so lucky to own all colours available and my favourite’s of the range, was the dark navy blue as they also did these shorts in a finer, silker nylon. The *symbol also applies to these short also where Umbro used the finer silker nylon for these shorts.

RED These totally amazing red Umbro nylon shorts were the Classic 0052s from Umbro, circa 1997, if I go from the sticker on the package.

They are the most amazing, football shorts ever produced, super silky, satin nylon and wear I just get turned on by looking at them or wearing them as regular underwear.