Leeds United home kit explained: How Real Madrid influenced famous white shirts
Leeds United have worn a white home shirt since 1961.
Leeds have had some memorable occasions in their famous white kit, with seven major honours achieved since the change.
The first arrived in 1968 when the Whites won the League Cup, with the same season ending in a First Division title at Elland Road.
Plenty of success has been found in the now-familiar colours, with Leeds currently looking to achieve Premier League survival as their latest milestone.
However, where did the colour white stem from for Leeds?
Real Madrid had a huge part to play in Leeds’ home colours
Before the 1960s, Leeds United wore blue and gold kits, representing the colours on their badge.
However, that all changed in 1961 under Don Revie, and La Liga giants Real Madrid had a major part to play.
Revie wanted to transform the Whites into a club capable of competing at the very top, and while looking to achieve that, he was a constant admirer of Real Madrid.
| Competition | Times won |
| La Liga | 6 |
| Copa del Rey | 9 |
| European Cup | 5 |
The Spanish giants were the side that everyone looked to, with hopes of replicating their success both domestically and in Europe.
As a result, Revie made the decision to change Leeds’ home shirt to White out of admiration for Madrid, with the colour sticking ever since.
Minor changes have been made to each year’s kit ever since, though the shirt has always remained predominantly white.
It wasn’t just the colour of the shirt that changed, but also the fortune of Leeds, who then went on to have their most successful spell in their history.
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What have Leeds won since 1961?
Success has been hard to come by for Leeds as of late, but as soon as the colour white was introduced to the shirts, success started flooding in at Elland Road.
The Whites won three First Division titles, the last of which came the season before the Premier League began.
| Competition | Times won |
| First Division | 3 |
| FA Cup | 1 |
| League Cup | 1 |
| FA Charity | 2 |
| Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | 2 |
In 1972, they won the FA Cup and reached the final again the following season, only to fall to defeat against Sunderland, with whom Leeds have started somewhat of a rivalry this season.
Plenty of success arrived in Europe for Leeds as well, but Revie’s exit in 1974 was the start of their decline.
Now back in the Premier League, the hope will be that they can slowly start returning to the English powerhouse they used to be.
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