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Above, you see two third choice kits – West Ham’s and an absolute hideous monstrosity from Manchester United. It made me think yet again about the obscene commercialism of the kit business. Many teams now have three kits, marketed in the sure and certain knowledge that the third choice will rarely if ever be worn. Some teams even have “cup” kits to be worn in European games etc. I leave it to the reader to muse as to whether they want to spend over £200 on 3 or 4 shirts. Then, of course, there are the goalkeeper shirts and the “Leisure wear” shirts. Where does it end? How does the parent with two children who are massive football fans afford to buy them both all the shirts they want (not to mention the overpriced shorts and socks!)? Clubs, think long and hard. With the Covid 19 virus hitting hard, can your cash cow be milked this season?

Harry Kane picks Haven House for Leyton Orient shirt deal

We are thrilled to be chosen as a charity beneficiary in Harry Kane and Leyton Orient sponsorship deal. 

Leyton Orient announce the club’s groundbreaking front of shirt deal for the 2020/21 season. Haven House Children’s Hospice will feature on the team’s away kit.

Cast your mind back to the 7 January 2011, when a young man joined The O’s on loan from across London. Making his first-team debut for Orient against Rochdale, he scored his first professional goal a week later in a 4-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday.

His career went from strength to strength; from PFA Young Player of the Year, through to winning the Premier League Golden Boot for two years running.

In 2017 he became Europe’s top goal scorer, breaking a seven-year dominance of Messi and Ronaldo, and the next year he won the Golden Boot for England at the World Cup – only the second player to do so. If you haven’t got it already, he wears the captain’s armband for the Three Lions.

It is with great pleasure we announce that Harry Kane has taken our front of shirt sponsorship for the 2020/21 season.

With approval given from the Premier League, FA and EFL, a first of its kind deal has been agreed which the club are extremely proud of. During these troubling times Harry wanted to support the club that gave him his first professional start and not only has he been so generous to the club, but he has also donated the shirt sponsorship to the following three causes.

Home Shirt – A thank you message to the frontline heroes
Away Shirt – Haven House Children’s Hospice
Third Shirt – Mind mental health charity.

This donation will enable the benefactors to receive hospitality, where guests of both Haven House and Mind can escape reality for an afternoon at the Breyer Group Stadium to enjoy The O’s in action.

The hospice will also receive huge coverage during the season, and we are pleased to announce that 10% of proceeds of each shirt sale will be passed to the charity beneficiaries.

Giving Back

“I was born and brought up only at a couple of miles from the stadium and I am really happy to have the opportunity to give back to the club that gave me my first professional start,” said Harry Kane on the sponsorship.

“This also gives me a platform to be able to say a big thank you to the many frontline heroes and charities out there who provide care and support during these challenging times.”

A True Role Model

“Well where to start,” said Danny Macklin, Leyton Orient Chief Executive. “What started with a simple idea has escalated into a very unique and emotive shirt sponsorship agreement.”

“When we discussed with the England captain Harry Kane and his team at CK66, we all decided that we wanted this to be unique.

“We wanted to say thank you for the exceptional hard work and dedication of the frontline heroes during this pandemic and also bring attention to the other charities out there who are suffering financial losses due to the pandemic.”

“We are in uncertain and worrying times across the world but thanks to their efforts we will get through this together.”

“Thank you, Harry, for your amazing support and generosity – you are a true role model for the modern game.”

Josh Stephens, Head of Commercial, said: “Further to Danny’s comments, I think every Orient fan has a soft spot for Harry and it’s fantastic that Harry is supporting three extremely worthy causes.”

“He is also supporting the club during these challenging times and we are extremely grateful to him and all at CK66.”

“As we all look forward to live football, I for one cannot wait until the O’s run out at the Breyer Group Stadium donning the ‘Thankyou frontline heroes’ message.”

Pre-Order Your Shirts Now

We’re delighted to say that all three shirts are available to pre-order right away – with three fresh and eye-catching designs. They will all be dispatched closer to the start of the 2020/21 season. 

To purchase yours, please visit the Leyton Orient online store by clicking here.

The season is nearing (hopefully!) and the shirts keep coming through!
Brighton and Hove Albion

Who better to tell us about Brighton’s new shirt than my friend and fellow Hispanophile, Russ Pearce. Russ is a huge Brighton (and Real Betis) fan living in Spain.

“In recent years, blue and white stripes have been the combination of choice for Brighton and Hove Albion. For the 2020/21 season they have decided to break with recent tradition and have released a first kit which is predominately blue with white pinstripes running down the front. It has divided fans like Marmite! Younger fans cannot believe the stripes have been abandoned, whereas older fans will recognise it as a homage to the FA Cup finalists of 1983. Sadly, that season and that kit also saw the end to their only other stint in the top flight of English football!!

Modelled here by Brighton fan and author of www.anythingbutpaella.com in Spain, you’ll see the white collar rather stands out. Worn with the button undone it’s fine, but few fans like the buttoned up version comparing it to a girl’s blouse!!! The new kit made a successful debut with a victory at Burnley to close out the 2019/20 season.”

Anything But Paella – A Different Side of Spainanythingbutpaella.com

Norwich City

Relegated from the “Top Flight” at the end of 2019/2020, they will be promotion candidates again such is their yo-yo existence.

Leyton Orient

I think the shirt designs are fine but much more important is the story behind it. It is far too good a story to be squeezed into a blog post like this, so please see the Harry Kane post.

Blackburn Rovers (VERY unofficial)

… and don’t forget to keep your sense of fun during these challenging times.
This T-shirt was sent to me by a Blackburn Rovers fan. Their neighbours Burnley finished in the top half of the Premiership but let’s not get facts stand in the way of local rivalry!

Manchester United 2020 – 2021

I am struggling to know what to say about my beloved Manchester United’s shirt. The pluses are that it is red and the sponsor’s badge is not that of a betting company. Apart from that …..

Predictably there are multiple new shirts to be lapped up by eager rich buyers from Korea to the Cook Islands. All at www.ManUtd.com

The brand new European Football Stadiums Poster 20% off with code EURO

NEW European stadium poster – out now!Order the new European football stadium poster today! And save 20% with code EURO.Our brand new A1 poster features all UEFA nation stadiums with a capacity of more than 40,000. From Villa Park to Valencia, Old Trafford to the Olympiastadion, this brand new map charts the biggest and best stadiums that Europe has to offer.The poster is printed on high quality 170gsm paper and includes a number of statistics, beautifully illustrated shirts and the ability to physically “tick off” the grounds you have been to.This is an essential purchase for any European groundhopper and looks great on any bedroom or office door or wall!All posters include FREE UK delivery. Payments taken by PayPal or credit/debit card. Click here – with 20% off using code: EURO

….and still they keep coming. Here a few more of the new offerings for 2020 – 2021. The good, the bad and the ugly! You decide which is which!

Drawing inspiration from the 85/86 Away Kit, adidas have reworked and revamped the classic lime green number, to create a strip that is sure to be a hit when the champions take to the road.

The 85/86 season saw Danny McGrain captain his Celtic side to a 5-0 victory at Love Street, sealing their first league victory in three seasons in front of a euphoric travelling support in Paisley.

This is what away days are all about. It’s moments like these that we never forget. It’s games like this that go down in history.

Well, I guess nobody has any real idea when the “next” season will start. As I write this on 16th July the 2019/2020 season still has not finished!

Nevertheless, the new shirts are coming through apace and I picked up a couple of interesting ones.

Leyton Orient

Celtic

FC Barcelona

Newcastle United

It is always a great pleasure when I come across a dedicated shirt collector and, more so, when the collection is from just one club. So, I was delighted to learn of the superb collection of Tottenham Hotspur shirts that Øystein Haugen from Trondheim, Norway has collected. Yes, you read that correctly Trondheim and not Tottenham, Norway and not N17!

I met him on a Facebook group (Football Kits the World Over ) where I quickly realised that he had a fantastic knowledge of the shirts as well as a love for the club. I decided to drop him a line and found that he was very happy to talk of his love of all things Spurs. He told me that he had a complete collection of replica Spurs shirts from early 1970 to 2020, and a few cup shirts etc, except 83-85 home with Holsten!

He continued, “I started to support Spurs in the late 70’s. In those days in Norway we only had a few games on the TV like Saturday’s Match of the Day. If you were lucky, they showed Spurs. Then came BBC Radio 5, Panini stickers. We got Match and Shoot and that is how Norwegian kids started to follow English teams..”

“My first trip to White Hart Lane was New Years Day 1988 against Watford (2-1) On that trip I bought my first Spurs shirts – the home shirt and the navy blue away shirt. To this day, that navy blue shirt is one of my favourite. Since then, buying a shirt every season became a must – I always wanted to stay updated with the newest kit(s). Over the last 10 years I have started to buy on eBay, trying to get hold of some of the shirts I was missing. This last year – and especially since the Covid lockdown – I have really put my mind to getting a complete collection of replica shirts. Yes, home, away, 3rds etc. All are originals except a few from Toffs of retro shirts. Spurs started to sell through the shop in 77/78.”

” I’ve managed to get hold of two Spurs shirts made by Coffer Sports which I am really proud of – a 1966-77 home shirt and a yellow away shirt 75-77. These are the oldest shirts in my collection. In total, I have about 120 Spurs shirts. I am just missing the 83-85 Le Coq Sportif home shirt with Holsten as sponsor. I do have the 83-85 light blue shirt with Holsten but it was not cheap! I’m also missing a couple of cup final specials and 2 or 3 away shirts with Investec as sponsor. I’ve been to 50+ Spurs games both home and away, some European Cup (h/a) , cup finals and friendlies ……..and the past few seasons I have been the proud owner of a season ticket. “

What an interesting story! I thanked Øystein for taking the trouble to speak to me and we agreed to have a coffee the next times are paths crossed.

Spurs’ kit for 2020/2021 has not not been officially unveiled, but the official club shop does have some huge discounts on 2019/2020 kit. Check their website here

I was delighted to reach a post by Papilios Creative on a Facebook Group that I joined recently. Dave Baldwin is a huge Aston Villa fan and a very impressive artist. He has painted many of the UK grounds and showcased a few on Facebook. I thought the images of various stadiums were truly excellent and brought back many happy memories of my visits to grounds over the past 50+ years.

I introduced myself to Dave Baldwin, the owner and artist, and asked him to tell me a little bit more about his passion. He was kind enough to reply.

“Welcome to Papilios Creative commissioned bespoke watercolour paintings and specialist in football and sports stadiums paintings. As a specialist in football stadiums if there is a particular team that you want, and you can’t see it on our website, then let us know and we will add it as soon as possible for you.

Sports stadium paintings are available as A3 or A4 prints, coasters, keyrings, fridge magnets and greetings cards. It is the aim to eventually paint all 92 English Football League Club grounds which may also include any old grounds that teams used to call home providing that bit of nostalgia. We also do Non-League Football Grounds when requested. Football greetings cards are available in several options such as Father’s Day, Birthdays, Mother’s Day or just blank. You can add that personal message which will be printed inside.

If you want a custom watercolour painting of something that you treasure, send us a picture and I will turn it into a unique keepsake artwork!

A beautiful gift for every occasion, for parents, for an anniversary, birthdays or other special event.

Give someone a special artwork that they will treasure forever!
Sports stadiums, Pet portraits, landscapes, your favourite vehicle or even your house.

Visit our website and browse the galleries of existing paintings. There is also a library of other watercolours from landscapes to wildlife if you are looking for general art. Visit: www.papilioscreative.com“

• 

As I write this, the world is in the middle of the CV-19 crisis. Many people are doing all they can to help, whilst others are ignoring the advice of their respective governments.

The NHS in the UK has been absolutely magnificent. Despite the lack of the necessary PPE and the failings of the government, the staff have worked as one to try to minimise the scale of the tragedy. Every week, millions of UK residents take to the streets to clap them in a united show of support and many others are doing more. I offer my heartfelt thanks to every single member of the NHS. I truly appreciate every shift you cover. Thank you!

One of the novel initiatives is this limited edition shirt being marketed by the Keighley Cougars Rugby League club. All profits will be donated to the NHS and, in order to maximise the profits, the shirts are on sale at a very affordable price. I offer my thanks to everyone at Keighley. I spent many a (cold!) Sunday at the Lawkholme Lane ground in the 70s and 80s. Happy Days. The rugby season has been suspended but I wish the club when battle recommences ……. which hopefully will be very soon once the authorities deem it fit.

You can secure this unique shirt at www.CougarMania.co.uk

Get Kitted Out Like The Champions

Grab a bargain and get kitted out like the champions, with huge price reductions across all season 19/20 kit ranges!

Keep it classic with the Hoops jerseys now down to £35 or get your hands on the Away and Third shirts, now down to just £25.

It’s the perfect time to make a saving with Celtic!

Visit the Official Celtic Online Store here