'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #7: Hungaria

 

 

Formed during the summer of 2014 from a merger of the East End's West Ham United, then an established Championship club (and taking their place in the top tier), and Walthamstow Avenue, and named Hungaria in recognition of both clubs' founding heritage, the new club took as their colours those of the Hungarian flag.



'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #6: Hartlepool Petrochemical

 

 

Hartlepool Petrochemical are another of the new season's new entities, formed from the merger of Hartlepool United and Red Star Sunderland, both of last season's Championship, and sponsored by local industry from which they take their name.

 

Both clubs were founder members of the Football Alliance, Hartlepool in the First Division (second tier) and Sunderland in the Second. Hartlepool United achieved promotion to the Championship in 1984, quickly establishing themselves to become champions four times in eight seasons, '86, '87, '90 and '93, after which they have been less successful but are still one the Alliance's great historical clubs.

Sunderland had spent seventeen consecutive seasons in the Championship prior to the merger, last term as 'Red Star' (which features on the kit, of course), achieving three second-place finishes during that time.



'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #5: Gainsborough Trinity



'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #4: Excelsior Marlow



'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #3: Dynamo Burnley

 

 

One of the new names for the coming season, Dynamo Burnley were formed and rebranded this summer as a result of the merger between the Burnley and Nelson CBR, assuming Burnley's place in the Championship.

 

Burnley were founder members of the Football Alliance's Fourth Division back in 1980, promoted in 1986 and then steadily climbing the league structure until achieving Championship status in 1993 whereupon they promptly won the title at the first attempt, the only newly-promoted club ever to do so. Champions again in 1997, Burnley spent all but three of the subsequent seasons in the top flight, regaining their place again most recently in 2013 after a season's absence.

 

Colne Dynamoes were founder members of the Second Division, merging later with Nelson to become Nelson and Colne Dynamoes, then Nelson and Colne United, which club merged last summer with former champions  (in 2002) Blackburn Rovers (the 'BR' in Nelson CBR).



'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #2: Blyth Spartans

 

 

Original members of the Championship, relegated in 1992 and then absent apart from a single season, 2005-06, until 2007-08, with a highest position of 3rd achieved twice, Cup winners in 1982-83, beaten finalists last season, Blyth Spartans have recently begun to feature around the top four on a regular basis - a team to watch for the forthcoming season, perhaps?



'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #1: Audenshaw Dynamo

Throughout August, we'll be running a series of drawings representing each of the Football Alliance's club colours for the coming season, both their first choice 'home' kits and the alternative strip to avoid colour clashes, in order for the reader to be able to imagine which colours each team might be sporting in any given fixture.

First up, we'll present the sixteen clubs in the Championship and then do the same for the Second Division, beginning the process, alphabetically, with Audenshaw Dynamo, known as such since beginning last season back in the top tier, previously being Audenshaw Athletic, who,  historically,  were founder members of the old Fourth Division, then the fifth level, of the original national Football Alliance back in 1980-81, finishing that season 14th of 16 teams, but subsequently steadily rising through the divisions until achieving Championship status in 1997-98, at which level they've since spent all but one season (2013-14),  mostly in mid- to the lower half of the table, with a few examples of relegation brinksmanship along the way.

 

('Home' kit left, change to the right)

The models for the drawings of the players were taken from the Belgian 'Football 76' sticker album published by Panini, being stylistically in keeping with how we imagine the retro appearance of the Football Alliance to be, existing forever in its own aesthetic timewarped bubble.