Hull City Away Shirt 2017-18 Umbro Vintage | 9/10

Hull City Away Shirt 2017-18 Umbro — The Season of Return to the Championship

In 2017-18, Hull City embarked on their first post-Premier League season after the 2017 relegation, with their backs against the wall, and the ambition of immediate promotion. This Umbro away shirt sponsored by SportPesa is a direct witness to this period of rebuilding — a club accustomed to rollercoasters, with a fanbase that sticks with them no matter what. A pure Championship jersey, not necessarily flashy, but 100% authentic.

Shirt Details

Season: 2017-18
Club: Hull City
Type: Away
Kit Manufacturer: Umbro
Sponsor: SPORTPESA
Condition: 9/10
State: SPONSOR: SPORTPESA — authentic wear of a worn vintage shirt

What this shirt represents

The 2017-18 season marked a painful turning point for the Hull Tigers. After two seasons in the Premier League — including an FA Cup final in 2014 and a narrow escape from relegation in 2016 — the club dropped back into the Championship and had to rebuild everything. The context was tense: backstage uncertainties, ownership contested by fans, and a team that needed to find its identity again. This Umbro away shirt embodies all this ambivalence — that of a club proud of its history but forced to fight in a lower division.

On the pitch, the Tigers tried to rely on players who knew the club. Players like Jarrod Bowen, then a promising young winger at the beginning of his rapid ascent, or Kamil Grosicki, with speed and technique serving the transitional play, embodied the fighting spirit of that season. The Championship means 46 matches of often underestimated intensity, and this away shirt certainly experienced its share of difficult trips to unforgiving English pitches.

Moments etched into this shirt

Return to the Championship after the 2017 relegation
Hull City left the Premier League after the 2016-17 season despite efforts at the end of the championship. The descent was hard to swallow for a fanbase that had tasted the big stages of English football — this away shirt symbolizes the new beginning.

Jarrod Bowen, the rising star
The 2017-18 season saw Jarrod Bowen gradually establish himself as one of the most exciting players in the Championship, before becoming a beloved star at West Ham and for the English national team. Wearing this shirt also means owning a piece of a pre-West Ham English international.

SportPesa as sponsor — a very specific era
The sponsor SportPesa, a Kenyan sports betting company, marked a very specific era in English football from 2017-2019, appearing on several Football League clubs. This logo on the Tigers' shirt is a perfect temporal marker for collectors keen on historical authenticity.

Authentic vs Replica

An authentic vintage shirt is an item that was actually in circulation at the time — not a reproduction printed ten years later. The original Umbro finishes, period flocking, the characteristic cut of the late 2010s: you won't find all that on a modern-fit replica designed for the nostalgic market. A true match-worn or fan shirt from 2017-18 is a time capsule.

This one is in 9/10 condition — which, in the world of vintage football shirts, is frankly excellent. We're talking about a shirt that has lived without suffering: the SportPesa sponsor is clearly present and legible, the Umbro stitching is intact, the whole is preserved. For a Championship piece from this period, it's rare to find one in such condition.

Vintage size guide

The vintage Umbro shirts of this generation have a cut that doesn't always correspond to current standards. An XL from 2017-18 can easily be equivalent to a modern L depending on the brand, or even a slim-fit M if you're used to today's very fitted cuts. Never rely solely on the letter on the label — sizing standards have evolved, and each manufacturer has its own patterns.

Before confirming your order, get out your measuring tape. Measure your shoulder-to-shoulder width and chest circumference. Then compare with the actual dimensions of the shirt indicated in the description — this is the only reliable method to avoid unpleasant surprises. A collector's shirt that doesn't fit is an avoidable frustration.

Why have it in your collection

Championship shirts from yo-yo clubs like Hull City are systematically undervalued compared to Premier League shirts — and that's precisely why they deserve a place in a serious vintage shirt collection. These are rare pieces, produced in smaller quantities, less sought after at the time, and therefore less present on the secondary market today. Hull's 2017-18 season is a specific page in the club's history — not the most glorious, but a real page, with its context, its players, its stakes.

And in 9/10 condition with the SportPesa sponsor perfectly visible? There aren't many in this condition on the market. Most Championship away shirts from this era were worn to death — finding them so well preserved is an achievement in itself. If you collect English second division clubs or if Hull City has ever thrilled you, this Umbro away shirt 2017-18 definitely belongs in your frames.

To go further

• Hull City - Wikipedia
• Football Kit Archive - Shirt History
• UEFA - European Football

This Hull City away shirt 2017-18 won't be available for long in this condition — if the Tigers are part of your football history, you know what you have to do.