By Grey Whitebloom It wasn’t until the mid-1970s, more than a century after the FA Cup’s inauguration as the first major football competition, that fans could buy the same kit as their sporting idols. Admiral pioneered the newfangled idea in 1973, manufacturing Leeds United’s iconic white strip in their title-winning campaign after a travelling salesman had a chance encounter with manager Don Revie at the club’s training ground. Five decades on, shirt sales and the flood of accompanying merchandise are a staple of each club’s financial portfolio. Leeds may have been the pioneers but just miss …