For some time now, we've heard about the man behind Calcio 90 in almost hushed tones. "His is the collection," people would tell us. You learn to take all these things with a pinch of salt, especially at Showboat where we've seen collections worth well into six figures. But the rumours were true about the guy who runs Calcio 90. It's the real deal and that hasn’t got a thing to do with value. It’s a personal collection, something that has been built and nurtured. It’s involved sacrifice. It’s now joyfully discussed by the owner, who’ll remain nameless by request. He’s one of the nicest, most interesting people we’ve met since starting Showboat. We think you’ll enjoy our chat.
Calcio 90 is a private collection first. Was there a single shirt that made you realise this was no longer just a hobby?
My grandmother was an art dealer in Palermo for over 50 years, and I once asked her how she came to terms with selling paintings she really loved. Her reply was simple; “c’era, non c’è più," which roughly translates as “you had it, now you don’t”. I love the principle, but, goddamit, I hate selling my stuff.
In an ideal world I don’t think there should be any separation between life and work so if Calcio 90 can afford me the joy of maintaining the collection while also generating enough for me to live off then I’ve really hit the jackpot.
Growing up in England with Italian parents, what did Football Italia mean to you at the time?
It was a lifeline for me, a window into my roots. I mean, what a huge source of pride it was for a small Italian kid to know that what everyone in England couldn't wait for was James Richardson to start leafing through the pink pages of the Gazetta dello Sport every weekend. There would be no Calcio 90 without it.
Do you remember the first 90s Serie A shirt you owned? And do you still have it?
It’s a bittersweet kit. A fake AC Milan Mediolanum shirt from 1989 - the only thing my father ever gave me. It’s single-handedly responsible for the size of collection I have today. I’d probably have had a nice full bank account if he’d given me a box of Lego instead.
What’s the one piece in your collection that you’d never sell, regardless of the offer?
It’s not one kit, it is 38. I’ve got a list. But if the collection is going up in flames I’d have to rescue Baggio’s match worn and signed 1996 AC Milan shirt and shorts. I flew to Italy to pick it up off Gabriele who spent a day showing me one of the most astonishing collections of memorabilia I’ve ever seen.
There’s a difference between a reseller and a custodian. Do you see yourself as preserving something that might otherwise be lost?
If you collect you become a custodian of history, and there is a huge responsibility that comes with that. Without the hours we all put in searching, documenting, interrogating and sharing, there would be no connection left with the past. What I do feels important even though to most people I’m just collecting other men’s used clothes.
Serie A in the 90s felt almost cinematic. Was it the players, the kits, the TV coverage, or something harder to define?
It was full of violence, elegance, excess and obsession. Some of the football was utterly dreadful, but the chaos was unbelievably compelling - like someone had snapped off the handbrake. Gods were made and came crashing down to earth; there was suffering, addiction and heartbreak, but also moments of real beauty and artistry. Nobody was looking to cover up the imperfections.
Do you collect with your head or your heart?
The heart leads everything, but you have to use your head if you want to be a serious collector. I have spreadsheets of every purchase, archives of photos, lists of details, projections of value, networks of collectors, piles of search terms, and I can focus like a hawk on what I’m looking for.
Tell us about your lived experience of attending games in Serie A? Did it live up to the romance we all saw on TV?
I’ve been so lucky to see almost every great player who played in the 90s - Baggio being unveiled at Bologna’s training ground, Ronaldo’s first goal in an Inter shirt, Zidane, Del Piero, Maldini. But last year I went to Naples to watch them win the Scudetto. Holy shit. The city literally exploded when McFratm scored. Old men wept, children partied deep into the night, grandmas sang till they lost their voices. The city disappeared in blue smoke. Nothing will ever top that.
Which shirt got away?
Another collector once told me that the bigger your collection the harder it becomes to appreciate it; for years I was always thinking about the shirts that got away, but I just won’t do that anymore.
It has taken a hell of a lot of sacrifice to build this collection, so I prefer to focus on what I have rather than what slipped away. When I look at what I have I can’t believe how lucky I am.
How do you know when it’s time to release a piece from the archive?
When I was 9 I was collecting soft drink cans; I had about 1,000 in my room. One day a friend came over, kicked a ball around and crushed a couple. That evening I threw out every single one.
I collect to complete a collection, if one piece vanishes, then everything else must go as well.
Best 90s Italian home shirt?
AC Milan 1996-97 Player Issue. Terrible season, but my god what a shirt. And an enormous improvement on the store version.
Best sponsor logo?
Mediolanum. It is almost ancient Roman in its elegance, and perfectly encapsulates Milan’s total domination of that era.
Favourite manufacturer?
ABM. I think the Palermo 1990 away shirt is one of the most beautiful kits in history.
Favourite Serie A player?
How can anyone look past the elegance and anguish of Roberto Baggio.
Espresso or pint?
Pint, I’m an Italian trapped in an Englishman’s body.
