IT will be one of those question asked amongst sports fans of all ages; just what is the most famous Scottish sporting kit of all time? 

What one did you want to wear as a kid or a fan, and what one made you close your eyes? Was there a shirt you wished your team wore, or another you just wanted to see disappear?

And what about those other items in sport, the colour schemes, race suits, helmets and clothing that meant so much to so many?

Read more: Herald Sport's 100 Most Memorable Scottish Kits: Numbers 70-61 featuring David Coulthard, Rangers and Hibs

Every reader and aficionado will have their own ideas on this one, just like they will know the outfits that made them cringe.

Over coming days, we will be counting down to what is the Most Memorable Scottish Kit of all time, and what makes the most famous – and infamous – designs over the years.

Read more: Herald Sport's 100 Most Memorable Kits: Numbers 80-71 featuring Scotland, Dundee and Cillian Sheridan's Christmas jumper

If you’d like to vote or have a say on what colours make it on to the top 100, either contact us through Twitter, @hssport, or through the Herald Sport Facebook page - and let the debate commence.

Pictures: Herald Archive, SNS group, Getty Images
Graphics: David Moor (Historical Football Kits)

40. Scotland 1988 - 1991

hit Or maybe it’s a miss? The jury (or it could be the Durie) is out on this one, which first saw the light of day in the late 80s. This was the decade where Scotland went from conservatism (in terms of what they wore for away games), to utter craziness.

Having got away with one (in the shape of the garter-band shorts worn with such pride for the World Cup in Mexico), the next redesign wasn’t entirely eagerly anticipated. What we got was the first generation of a Scotland away shirt that could also double as beachwear. Indeed, to that end, it was a perfect match, because it looked a cross between a towel and a deckchair.

But, it was a place in the sun, namely Cyprus, where this kit suddenly grew on folk.

Scotland were going nowhere fast – especially not the World Cup finals in Italy the following year – when they trailed the Cypriots in Limassol.

However Richard Gough equalised, then scored a winner six minutes into stoppage time. After that near miss, we should have known this strip could mean trouble.

Unfortunately, that was confirmed at Italia 90 against the might of Costa Rica.Glasgow Times:

39. Hearts 1971 - 1972, 1973 - 1977

HIT: If one or two kit manufacturers have pushed the limits, both in design, and with the patience of those willing to fork out on the replica shirts of their favourite team (and today you will see some real extremes on both fronts), then there is always a default setting they can adopt if they go too far overboard.

Every club has what their fans know as their traditional colours and outfit.

For Heart of Midlothian (to give them their Sunday name), but for a few tweaks along the way, nothing much has changed since 1877.

The regular kit that makes this particular listing is one that dates back to the early 1970s.

This was a period when the talk o’ the toon may well have been the boys in maroon, but only in the eyes of the Tynecastle regulars. On the pitch, certainly in terms of success, Hearts had given way to Hibs. When Hearts were finally presented with the chance to clinch a piece of silverware, they fell shy against a Treble-winning Rangers side in the 1976 Scottish Cup final.

Nevertheless, this kit remains a favourite – but not the favourite. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for that one. 
Glasgow Times:

38. Andy Murray 2014-Present

MISS: Twenty years ago, it was unthinkable that tennis would even have made such a list. But thanks entirely to Team Murray (who just a year ago were topping our 100 Greatest Scottish Sporting Icons poll), tennis is firmly on the map.

Strange, perhaps, that Andy Murray in particular should make our 100 Most Memorable sporting kits when most of what he does is performed playing in white.

Yet, criticism of Andy’s attire the rest of the year couldn’t go unnoticed.

His black ‘stealth look’ is a real double fault with tennis watchers, compared to some of the more vibrant colours displayed by his opponents. Maybe he is just living up to his dull and dour demeanour.

So why can’t he wear something more colourful or patriotic towards Scotland, like he did when winning gold at London 2014?

Maybe because he was playing for Team GB? 15-0.

Or what about in Rio? Again, that was picked for him. 30-0.

Remember, he might not have much choice on the matter. Or maybe what he needs is something from Umbro in the 90s ...Glasgow Times:

37. Motherwell 1960s

HIT: Since adopting this design back in the late 20s, the claret band around the amber shirt has proved a firm favourite for Motherwell fans, and, is probably considered as the classic Well kit.

Not to say that others were ignored, far from it.
Motherwell’s home kit during the mid 70s, with a diagonal, claret sash across the jersey was one that quite a few haven’t forgotten.

And while there were various mixtures in terms of shorts – amber, black and white – and socks – claret, black, amber, even white, often accompanied with stocking tops in at least one contrasting colour – the shirt, believe it or not, stayed virtually unchanged from 1928 all the way through to the end of the 68/69 campaign.

That took in league titles and cup success. But once again, those who have a good enough memory (probably because they were around at the time), reckoned this kit looked at its best on the likes of St John, Quinn, McCann, Hunter, McBride and Martis during the 60s.

And, despite various changes over the last few decades, this design is still around to this day.

Glasgow Times:

36. Scotland (Away) 1995-1996

MISS: The Umbro design office must have been some place to work during the 90s.

Given that two of their creations make today’s list, you can draw your own conclusions as to what they were about.

For my part, I was never quite sure if they just had the most wicked sense of humour, whereby they’d offer up the most bizarre or garish design possible, then have a real belly laugh to themselves if anyone, either in high office or on the high street, bought it.

Others suggested magic mushrooms and large quantities of alcohol. I couldn’t possibly comment, other than to say that this kit could not be looked at for too long without the room spinning. Then, it was the 90s and anything went.

Unattractive as this looks, bizarrely, it was being worn when one of the best individual goals of the decade was scored by John Collins, against San Marino in a 2-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico. He picked up the ball in his own half, counter-attacked, jinked between two centre-backs before stabbing the ball past the on-rushing ‘keeper.

Brilliant. This strip however is filed under ‘mental.’Glasgow Times:

35. Rangers 1982-1984

HIT: This was a Rangers kit many liked and championed, unlike the team that wore it. Thankfully, we’re not here to debate that. But this Umbro kit – especially the jersey – was fondly recalled by many Gers fans for various reasons.

The thin pinstripe certainly made it different from Rangers kits that had gone before. The away kit too featured a similar design, and a few opted for that ahead of the home outfit.

What swung it in favour of the blue jersey was one game in particular. Rangers had slipped to being the fourth team in Scotland, behind various permutations of Aberdeen, Celtic and Dundee United. The Ibrox club had flirted with cup success, but got it right one March afternoon in 1984.

Faced by Celtic at Hampden in the League Cup final, two goals from Ally McCoist looked to have won it for Jock Wallace’s side. But Celtic hit back, equalising with a last-gasp penalty to force extra-time.

It stayed all-square until the 114th minute when Roy Aitken clattered McCoist in the box. From the spot, McCoist had his kick saved by Pat Bonner, but knocked home the rebound, turning both player and kit into instant favourites.

Glasgow Times:

34. Celtic (Away) 1998-2000

HIT: A predominantly black Celtic away kit was nothing new. The club had something not dissimilar in the early 90s, albeit the jersey was broken up with green – or greenish – vertical stripes. Either way, it didn’t really gain universal acceptance. This effort however did.

And it’s one I particularly like, for no other reason than I had the exclusive that this would be the new Celtic away kit.

Now, breaking such a story is fraught with danger, simply because there are so many rough sketches and layouts for supposed new kits flying about around at any time.

But when a friend rang to say that a guy had turned up at the fives wearing the new Celtic away kit, being unveiled the next day, I was pretty confident I’d got it right.

For an hour, I sat with a graphics guy, laying out the new strip, as my mate gave a running commentary on the narrow bands, style of collar, and what the socks looked like, as someone ran around like a madman playing five-asides. Celtic stuck with this outfit for two years, the only change coming when Umbro’s sponsorship ended and was replaced by NTL.Glasgow Times: