The Clive Kit
Today, the Portland Timbers unveiled something special: The Clive Kit. This post celebrates that release and the legacy of Clive Charles.
The Timbers released this video the day after my initial post here. It’s worth putting at the front—it’s very good and speaks to the impact and person:
From the team’s press release: “The kit celebrates Timbers legend Clive Charles’ legacy and his global impact on the sport. Charles (Oct. 3, 1951 – Aug. 26, 2003) was a beloved player during the Timbers’ NASL era from 1978-81. Beyond the stadium walls in Goose Hollow, Clive left an impact everywhere he went. He featured as one of the early Black players in the English Premier League for West Ham United, coached U.S. teams in the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Olympics, and was instrumental in the grass roots development of Portland soccer at the youth and collegiate levels. For his contributions to the club and to the sport, Clive is a member of the Timbers’ Ring of Honor, and his No. 3 jersey was retired by the club shortly after his passing in 2003. To this day, No. 3 is the only retired jersey by the Timbers.
“The Clive Kit features a victory crimson jersey, representing Clive’s passion for the game and his players, his influence on the City of Roses and impact at West Ham. Shadow maroon piping down the side and adidas stripes across the shoulders help frame the jersey, with accents and elements in traditional club colors of Ponderosa and Bold Gold. A vintage look inspired by Timbers kits of the late 1970s and early ‘80s, this jersey features thin striped trims around the neck and sleeves. Reminiscent of Timbers shirts worn by Clive, a Timbers script is displayed across the chest and the club’s Heritage logo is placed over the heart.”
You can hear from Clive and celebrate Timbers history in this previous Green Is the Color post:
"Portland Timbers All Year 'Round" (Video)
Special thanks to Brian Gant for lending me the original film reel and a big thank you to Portland’s AVP Media for digitizing—and therefore preserving—this fantastic piece of our story! #RCTID
Or take a deeper dive and read my three-part essay on Clive Charles here:
Charlo The True (or, The Three Provides) [Pt. 1]
![Charlo The True (or, The Three Provides) [Pt. 1]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-Qmb!,w_1300,h_650,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82fe9304-93cf-4efe-9b39-51f50a1d3290_1620x730.jpeg)
Tiffeny Milbrett called me one Friday afternoon. She was driving to the University of Portland, where she’d recently started as a volunteer assistant for her alma mater’s women’s soccer program. Her name on the incoming call screen wasn’t entirely out of the blue. I’d interviewed her for this story a cou…
Charlo The True (or, The Three Provides) [Pt. 2]
![Charlo The True (or, The Three Provides) [Pt. 2]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-6H!,w_1300,h_650,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f218a0c-b07f-4df6-b627-c2ddc419bfaa_311x640.jpeg)
Part 2: Gary of Troy Gary Osterhage has the head that launched a thousand ships. It happened October 22, 1987 in Portland’s Civic Stadium. Just before halftime of a match between the University of Portland and an undefeated Notre Dame side ranked seventh in the nation, Osterhage’s magic melon met a Joey Holloway cross to score Pilots’ game-winner.
Charlo The True (or, The Three Provides) [Pt. 3]
![Charlo The True (or, The Three Provides) [Pt. 3]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8y33!,w_1300,h_650,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2bc0995d-aa85-43fb-ae82-f1ea793d0210_1830x1367.jpeg)
Part 3: The Only United Here’s a Clive Charles Soccer Story: His first assist in the United States came in the 79th minute of a 2-1 Timbers’ North American Soccer League loss to the Washington Diplomats on June 24, 1978. Down two goals, on the road in front of 10,816 at RFK Stadium, left back Charles’s long ball found the head of teammate Pat Howard, whos…
Click on the image below to order from the Clive Collection:
#RCTID