Why, 30 years on, this Arsenal shirt still splits opinion

Some Arsenal shirts get universal love. The 1991-93 away kit is not one of them. Ask ten Gooners what they think of the ‘bruised banana’ yellow and blue patterned shirt worn byIan Wright and David Rocastle three decades ago, and you'll get five different answers and at least one argument.  

We've interviewed hundreds of collectors, ex-players and lifelong fans about the shirts that mean the most to them, and this one comes up more than almost any other - always with the same split reaction. Half the room calls it ugly. The other half calls it a masterpiece. 

What Arsenal fans say about the bruised banana?

"My other one, I liked the Arsenal yellow-and-black away kit. People hate that, I love it! I saw Dennis Pennis [played by Paul Kaye] once at Highbury wearing it, and that really cemented in my opinion that it was one of the greatest shirts of all time." Chris Scull

"This was the away kit during the year I was born and although back then it wasn't very popular, it has since generated a cult following from retro shirt fans. It is just a classic." Tom, Stylus FC

"It was the scrambled egg, dazzle ship horror show from 1992, clearly designed by people who'd had a lot of fun in the acid house years. I've supported Arsenal since 1980, but that was the first shirt I ever had and I bought it as a joke - that's how eye-stingingly foul it was. I could never have guessed that 20 years later it would gain cult status."  Chosen by: East Lower

Who wore it?

One reason to love this shirt is it was worn by Ian Wright on his debut where he scored away to Leicester City.  David Rocastle his best mate was on the pitch too.  Was a special moment. 

It was also the shirt worn in the 1992 double cup run, although it wasn't worn in the final.

What we love about the shirt?

• The crest. A classic Arsenal cannon crest on the chest - and if you're comparing shirts, this is your tell for authenticity. On play-issue versions the crest is stitched on, not heat-pressed like the replicas.

• The pattern. Nothing before it looked like this, and nothing since really has either. Whether you read it as dazzle-ship camouflage or a fried egg that's gone wrong, it's one of the most instantly recognisable designs in football shirt history.

• The felt numbering. Raised, tactile, unmistakably early 90s. It's a small detail, but it's the kind of thing that separates a shirt you remember from a shirt you forget.

• Finer details If you look closely you can see AFC embroidered into the pattern of the shirt.

Where can I get the shirt?

If a shirt this divisive is still getting people talking three decades on, it's earned its cult status fair and square. We stock genuine, verified vintage Arsenal shirts from this era - including the bruised banana itself.