Now, this isn't an easy job. And you can bet your life it's subjective because if we went purely on value, this article would be dominated by matchworn shirts every time we write one (there's a stunning Kevin de Bruyne one on Showboat currently btw). So here you go. The 10 shirts that caught our eye this month. And once you've skimmed the list, why not treat yourself and update your collection with something from the Showboat Marketplace. We've worked for a year pulling the best independent sellers in the U.K. all together in one place. We'd love it if you could support what we're all doing. Now, time to put my tin hat on...
10. Arsenal (Home Jersey) 1986-88
Before Arsenal were everyone's most hated club, they were everyone's second favourite team. It was largely down to the fact that they had lovely kits. That and the fact they never really won much and all the players liked a pint. But it was mostly the kits. Look at this number. Not the bed spread. The shirt. The real deal. Our boffins valued this one at £185. Worth every penny if you ask us.
9. Chemnitzer FC (Home Jersey) 1999-00
Had to check this wasn't a made up club. But no, they exist alright. Live? We're not sure you call the German fourth division living exactly but here we are. Chemnitzer FC produced this classic in 1999 and, digging into our football shirt archives we can see they actually made a series of blinding shirts in the mid 90s too. This is why we love this game. You learn something new every day.
8. Italy (Training Jersey) 1995-97
We've seen a white version of this before but this blue one is a real stunner. It was unveiled as Nike sought to put their 1994 heartbreak behind them and move confidently into a new ear. These iconic training kits were actually the first we saw of that. And look at those cuffs. Mamma mia!
7. PSG (Home Jersey) 1993-94
This is now a shirt that every serious collector needs to have in their collection and it's one we're seeing uploaded onto Showboat with increasingly regularity. It might not have been PSG's golden era in terms of trophies but it's from a time when they felt like a real club and not a plaything. Interestingly, when we spoke to the legendary Nike designer of this decade, Drake Ramberg, he said how the number of sponsors used to cause him no end of problems. Fortunately, Nike found a way to make it all work beautifully.
6. Netherlands (Home Jersey) 1981-83
Now, we know what we said earlier about matchworn shirts but sometimes our collectors drop something that is just too good to ignore. Take this one from the Netherlands in the early 80s. Good condition. Long sleeves. Our team put a £650 estimate on this.
5. Tokyo Verdy (Home Jersey) 1993-95
A J.League 90s classic. Perhaps the J.League classic full stop. This one comes with the famous #11 number set worn by the legendary Kazuyoshi "Kazu" Miura in the first of his two spells at his club. We value this around £150 and if you see it going for that price, you'd be silly not to pull the trigger.
4. Racing Club de Avellaneda (Away Jersey) 1994-95
This is one of those shirts you see once and you never forget. You might forget the team name, sure. You will almost certainly mispronounce it. But this shirt is immaculate. Long sleeves. Sponsor-less. Argentinian. We could go on.
3. Eintracht Braunschweig (Away Jersey) 1976-77
Now, this isn't the shirt that is widely considered to be the first with a front of shirt sponsor. Eintracht had that the year before with the same Jägermeister logo. But any Eintracht shirt from this decade is a bonafide classic and this one is just fraction cheaper than the one it preceded. We value it at £350.
2. Fiorentina (Home Jersey) 1991-92
Lotto's first spell with Lotto is widely lauded for producing the brilliant 7UP sponsored shirt that many regard as one of the greatest of all time. This one, sponsored by the little known, Giocheria, has subsequently become a tad underrated. The geometric shapes and shades of purple mean it feels new every time you see it. And, of course, made famous by Gabriel Batistuta. A 90s gem.
1. Ireland (Away Jersey) 1990-92
It's all subjective isn't it, the shirt game? But this one is just undeniably good. It's a shirt that holds special memories for anyone old enough to remember Ireland playing in Italia '90, the tournament where they announced themselves on the world stage. They wore this against Italy - though without the Opel sponsor. Side note: we'll have a story on that subject in upcoming article later this week. For now, let's just breathe it in. Our favourite shirt of the month. And don't forget to head to the Showboat Marketplace and check out the thousands of origina classic football shirts on sale. We'll see you there.
But for us, this is our favourite shirt of the month. Now, don't forget to head to the Showboat Marketplace and check out the thousands of original, authentic shirts now on offer.
