Since getting excited over numerous trips abroad this year, it hasn’t been without contemplation how on god’s green earth I’m going to pay for it all. A recent rummage through the garage encouraged me enough to finally sell 25+ years of my football shirts. Football shirts that I have literally grown up in, from the 1992-94 ‘youth’ size Manchester United home kit to last season’s 5XL Newport County strip. Don’t take 5XL too seriously. For years football shirts have been mugging people off with shirt sizes – I’m a comfortable XXL in Primarni, and it doesn’t help that several kit manufacturers have been located in Italy and Thailand, where perhaps no-one ever buys anything more than a medium. The South Africa shirt below from 2002 is a large and still fits – so work that out.
Anyway, the reason for the blog post is that I’ve decided to flog them all to raise some funds but I hope this will work as a keepsake. Until 4th and 5th May 2018 they are on eBay and as a proud 100% positive feedback eBay seller after some 15,000 transactions, I’m a bit worried that some morons won’t read the item description which clarifies these as used, with some being worn on hundreds of occasions.
Without going into a huge amount of detail I’ve split the shirts in to three categories being Newport County, Manchester United and International teams. Let’s hope I don’t regret selling the shirts further down the line!
If you do have an interest in football shirts, fellow Newportonian Neal Heard has written a whole bloody book about his collection! Here is his website: http://www.nealheard.com/
Newport County
You would really expect me to have more of these, wouldn’t you? Around 2003 Wales played Azerbaijan and a well-known County and Wales supporter made a request for old NCAFC shirts, to which between me, my mother and sister must have donated 30+ shirts, some of which would be worth a few quid today no doubt. The shirts were donated to charities working with Azerbaijani children so it’s not the most #hownottolife moment I’ve ever had.
I’ll be keeping the Reid shirt myself along with the current 2017/18 amber and black shirts (not shown) that have been the best for a number of years even if the FTB manufacturer isn’t the best quality.
Manchester United
Many of you know that I grew up supporting both United and the County, albeit it wasn’t until 2003/04 I went to see my first game. A couple of seasons later I was going regularly and by the time 2006 came along I was going to most home, away and European games, funding it through the sales of football figures and student loan! I cut the season ticket in 2008/09 after seeing the pinnacle Champions League final in Rome (we lost) and have only been to four games since.
Still, it’s a time I look back on fondly, not just because of the “I was there” moments but the people I became good friends with and those European games I’m starting to replicate with Wales. Copenhagen, Porto, Lille, Lyon, Glasgow, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Rome twice and Arsenal if you’re interested!
International Teams
With my underlying love for Ronaldo back in the day (honestly probably up to today) there was always going to be a few Portugal tops included. Argentina I can’t quite think of apart from I thought they would win in 2002! I’m certain I have 3 or 4 Wales shirts somewhere but during the noughties especially it was impossible to find a suitable size. Kappa FFS. Refer back to Italian manufacturers!
The obvious gem here is the South Africa shirt that has United LEGEND Quinton Fortune on the back. My father (we don’t talk about him) brought me it back from a regular trip to see his family around 2002. Hopefully he is there now if not eaten by a lion…. but a nice shirt nevertheless.
Names on the back
Something I have grown out of now, I’ve had a few dodgy names on the back of shirts through the years. Nicky Butt #8 was chosen on the simple basis that it would have cost the least, which at the time I wish I had paid the extra £1 and gone for Veron #4! When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came back from injury during 2005/06 it started a trend for a number of years. Solskjaer retired in 2007 and the next season I decided to have Forever #20 on the back. What a daft decision that was, and unless it was a match day at OT it just looked stupid. Out of all the shirts this must be the one worn the least… fifty quid down the drain. Luckily the seasons after this I reverted back to old, and the only United shirt to be kept is a well-worn 2008 blue away kit, in part as a thanks for relegating Cardiff in 2014 maybe?
How Not 2 Life 