Author Archive

Yes, it’s that time of year again and on Sunday we have the Mega West London Programme and Memorabilia Fair.

It’s going to be a special one for me as I have even taken a stand. Why? Well, after 60+ years health and old age are forcing me to sell up. So, where better to stall out than at Barry and Mark’s Mega Event.

FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES FOR SALE 

Sole reason for sale – health and retirement 

My entire collection is for sale as one single sale. It is 20,000 plus or minus items.

A quick overview:

# Approx. 20,000 programmes including hundreds and hundreds of big game programmes (Cup Finals/Internationals etc) and probably 500+each from Spurs, West Ham, QPR, Chelsea, Palace, Arsenal and Brentford.

# There are 3500 (counted) non league programmes going back to the 1970s.

# I also have almost 900 books about football and another 100 on different sports (primarily cricket but many others)

# I have 250+ Cricket magazines (Wisden, The Cricketer etc including 20+ complete years in binders) There are 100+ football DVDs and a similar number of annuals going back to the 1950s.

I need to be realistic on price and will be. I also have 18,000 non-football books and 500+ DVDs/Blu-rays available either as a separate one off sale or at an absolute give away price with the programmes. That is almost exactly 600 cubic feet of collections. They are available for collection from a storage unit near Heathrow. 

I repeat, l am not going to sell anything individually. No, this is a one-off sale at a bargain price.
It has been a great hobby for over 60 years but realistically now is the time to say goodbye.

See www.TheShirt2010.co.uk/uncategorized/programmes-for-sale

Please contact me on 07950 656654 (text only, I am deaf) or steve@theshirt2010 co uk

Lee Hermitage from North West Middlesex Football Programmes and Memorabilia will have a big stand bursting with goodies as always and I am sure Mark Barnes will have a great display of shirts and programmes. Please shout him in advance if there are any particular shirts you are looking for.

After too many years of pretty disappointing results and managers who have never really impressed me, it was fantastic to finally crack a 50 year old record with twenty-one games undefeated. Congratulations to all at the club. This run also took us to the number one position in Division Two. Sweet but…..

Yes, in true Gillingham style, we blew it at home the next week in front of a bumper crowd but it was nice whilst it lasted. The new manager, Gareth Ainsworth had phenomenal success at Wycombe and whilst QPR was maybe a gig too far, he has done a huge job at the Priestfield Stadium and has got the fans’ vote whilst being very appreciative of the rapidly returning supporters’ base. He said, “I get fans coming up to me and they are saying, ‘Thanks for what you are doing.’ I am now saying to the fans, thanks for what you are doing, because you are getting right behind these boys, and that means a lot to them. You don’t realise how important the support and positive vibes are. You can feel them inside the stadium. When it goes the other way, you can feel that too. I don’t like the other way.

I will fight for anything with this group of boys, but I haven’t just got the squad, I have got the fans as well. That’s superb to have.”

Sadly we have now lost our top spot but still very much in the mix and, of course, just weeks away from what hopefully will be a long cup run. I fancy a big team (or Arsenal) in the 5th round at Priestfield, then Man Utd away before, say Liverpool or West Ham at Wembley! A man can dream. (Do you know Gillingham have NEVER played Manchester United and our last time at Anfield was over 100 years ago!) Whilst I am on, best wishes to Gareth as he enters hospital this week for an important procedure. Welcome back soon.

To ensure nobody forgets this historic achievement, Jim at Gillingham Legends has created a superb poster (above) that is available from his Gillingham Legends online shop Please check it out and all his other Gills-related memorabilia and artwork.

Brentford FC Community Sports Trust

‘On your bike!’

They weren’t the exact words of Norman Tebbit but I am getting on my bike soon to raise money for Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, says my local MP, Ruth Cadbury.

I have worked with BFCCST since the late 80’s when they were “Brentford FC Football in the Community” and we were working to ensure there were holiday activities for teenagers teenagers living on the local estates.

I have seen the work of the Trust grow and develop to provide so much more – and across West London and beyond.

That’s why I have signed up for “Going the distance” on the Palace to Palace 2025 event – to raise funds for the Trust’s work and I hope you can support my ride.

Together with strategic partners such as The Premier League, The PFA, Local Councils and corporate partners as Worley Parsons and EnjoyWork, the overall fundraising efforts will enhance long-lasting community work across key priorities areas as:

– Crime and anti-social behaviour: collaborate closely with local authorities and police units, to reduce anti-social behaviour and across Hounslow and Ealing

– Regional Expansion: Increasing engagement with economically deprived communities and key areas with low physical activity levels, in new areas such as Berkshire & Spelthorne

– South Asian Communities: building stronger links between the Trust, Club and South Asian community in Hounslow and Ealing through community activation events and targeted programmes

– Unlocking pathways: Supporting communities in need with bursaries to engage in organised paid activity

It will make a huge difference to their work & any donations will be really appreciated. You can see the link below

https://brentfordfccst.enthuse.com/pf/ruth-cadbury-mp

I had a little Google and found what the guys and gals are doing, “Welcome to the Brentford FC CST ‘Go the distance’ Palace to Palace campaign! 

As a result of the Ride London 2025 hiatus, we are excited to be part of the Palace to Palace event this October, by “Going the distance” to communities in need:

The Event:

Our riders will be taking on the 45 mile or 90 mile challenge on the 5th of October 2025 from Buckigham Palace, through the rolling Surrey countryside, down The Long Walk, past the iconic Windsor Castle all the way through the finish moment at our Finish Festival.

Fundraising Target:

Thank you for your donation in support of all the riders! Collectively we’re aiming to raise a vital £20,000, in support of communities in need in London!”

So a nice little morning ride and all proceeds to a great cause.

I got an interesting message from the Somerset Football Association this week. They have a number of sponsorship opportunities available and I thought these could be of interest to the readers of TheShirt2010.co.uk

We are the Somerset County Football Association, the official governing body for football in Somerset.
Established in 1885, we oversee the development, governance, and promotion of grassroots football across the county. Based in Glastonbury, we support over 400 clubs and thousands of teams, working to ensure the sport’s continued growth and integrity at the local level.

Our mission is:
To provide opportunities for everyone to fall in love
with the game
To provide all Equality for All across Somerset football
To Strive for Achievement

CREATIVE – INCLUSIVE – DEDICATED

SOMERSET FOOTBALL FAMILY

38,587
Players

450 2,554
Teams

3,500
Coaches &
Volunteers

691
Match
Officials

Clubs

(Data correct as of May 2025)

The Somerset FA proudly supports a thriving football community made up of passionate players, clubs, teams, volunteers, and officials. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive game for everyone across the county.

We work hand-in-hand with local communities to create safe, positive environments where people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can enjoy the beautiful game. Whether it’s helping a child take their first kick, supporting a volunteer coach, or delivering safeguarding and referee training, we are committed to developing every aspect of the game in Somerset.”

All sounds very impressive for a county association, perhaps even more so when you think that Somerset is not a place many of us would consider the hotbed of football. They tell me that they have a limited number exclusive sponsorship opportunities for local businesses.

Benefits include:

~ Brand exposure online & at events

~ Connecting & supporting grassroots football

~ England & FA Cup tickets

They have put together a very professional pack that is online here (No registration or similar!)

Hope that helps some of you. Please do let me know how you get on.

Football plus “New Technologies” have pretty much been my life since I left university back in the 70s. This week I came across a very exciting cutting-edge solution whilst I was, of all place on the Parma website. I was expecting to catch up on Italian football news and not find a new personalisation product.

Take a bow, Tailoor They say, “Tailoor is the first AI-powered phygital 3D  platform designed to transform how people  interact with products. By merging advanced 3D configuration, artificial intelligence, and immersive shopping  experiences, we empower brands to deliver personalized, made-to-order products—across all channels. Whether online or in-store, customers can co-create unique items that reflect their identity, values, and lifestyle. 

Advanced Customization for Sporting goods

We bring innovation to the sports industry by offering advanced solutions tailored to players, brands, and organizations. Tailoor redefines fan engagement using cutting-edge technologies like generative AI and 3D configurators for any kind of sporting goods.

With our tools, fans can design personalized, branded apparel in real time via an intuitive 3D platform. This strengthens their connection to their favourite teams and opens new revenue opportunities for sports organizations through customized merchandise.”

That might be a bit techspeak but, in layman’s language, it simply means that any sports club can simply and cost effectively visualise any product whether it is the first team home shirt that might sell hundreds of thousands or club memorabilia that is ultra niche – maybe a keyring for an important game or a player’s testimonial match or whatever.

I have seen SIMILAR many times before but nothing as spectacular nor which offered so many options both in 2D and even more excitingly in 3D.

Have a look at the website and see whether your club could benefit.

PS. It has been a tough start to the season for Parma but hopefully all will be well with a couple of less tough-looking games in the next few weeks.

I am shocked, disappointed, saddened and a few other emotions that I had not heard of Danny Brazenell  until this week. Very sad. Like me he cycled to all the 92 clubs – unlike me he did it in only 30 days. Total respect.

To try to be complete on this blog about people as mad as me, I asked Danny whether he was happy for me to mention him and he kindly agreed. Top man.

So, let’s look.

Danny Brazenell undertook an epic cycle ride around all 92 national league football clubs in 2023, raising essential funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital. 

Sponsorship and Just Giving donations were all channelled towards GOSH, helping to fund technology procurement & research, patient & family support services and investment in child safe environments.  Every penny donated has since helped a young child, no matter how severe their health situation is.  

2,500 miles in 226 hours across 23 days! Legendary. I literally could not have dreamt of doing it at that speed! In my defence Danny had a much better route! See here Even his route planning impresses me!
(Doing thirteen London clubs in one day must be some sort of record!)

He wrote, “Now that my giving page has come to an end I’ve finally got the pleasure in going to Great Ormond Street Hospital for a cheque presentation with Katie GOSH. I handed over an amazing amount off money £14.513.45 couldn’t off done it without all the help and support from amazing people family and friends thank you all so much. It was an incredible journey from start to finish. Sam O’Rilley from gosh thank you for all your support much appreciated. Was a pleasure to meet the beast Eddie Hall at the end off the day outside Great Ormond Street Hospital.”

When all was over he raised an incredible figure of £15,000 for GOSH.

I mentioned last week that I was selling my entire programme collection for health/retirement reasons. I have had a couple of expressions of interest but nothing tangible. Here’s an offer that might help swing someone’s mind.

Let me remind you…..

Some of you know that I have not enjoyed the best of health for several years. A Cardiac Arrest, 16 months in hospital and most recently a stroke. The doctors have been very honest this month and say I have had more lives than Top Cat and I am very much on borrowed time. So, it is with great dismay that I announce that l am looking to sell my entire programme collection.

The entire collection is for sale as one single sale. It is 20,000 plus or minus.

A quick overview – ca 20,000 programmes including hundreds and hundreds of big game (Cup Finals/Internationals) and probably 500+each from Spurs, West Ham, QPR, Chelsea, Palace and Brentford.

There are 3500 (counted) non league programmes going back to the 1970s.

I also have almost 900 books about football and another 100 on different sports (primarily Cricket but many others) I have 250+ Cricket magazines (Wisden etc including 20+ complete years in binders) There are probably 100+ DVDs and a similar number of annuals going back to the 1950s.

I need to be realistic on price and will be. They are available for collection from a storage unit near Heathrow. I also have 18,000 non-football books and 500+ DVDs/Blu-rays available either as a separate one off sale or at an absolute give away price with the programmes. That is almost exactly 600 cubic feet of collections.

I repeat, l am not going to sell anything individually. I am not scouring 40, 000 items for Hilton United v Liverpool Rangers Reserves re-arranged game single sheet from 1987. No, this is a one-off sale at a bargain price. It has been a great hobby over 60 years but realistically now is the time to say goodbye.

Please contact me if interested. HERE or steve (@)theshirt2010 co uk


If I agree a price with anyone I will offer a stand at either/or/or both Kensington and Chelmsford fairs. Additionally, if you wish, I will even help man the stall for you.

As some of you know, I am selling off my programme collection. (See here )

Realistically it will be to a dealer and I hear that many of the biggest and best are in Derby this weekend so I shall take a wander.

I am told it is easy from Derby city centre and everywhere else in the Midlands.

I am particularly keen to find out what the Blue Peter Island is. Will Valerie Singleton or John Noakes give me a badge? Intrigued.

PSA For those keeping up with O-M, we are excited to confirm that we are well now well over 80% complete and with a few “promises” in the post, he is really on the final lap. Do YOU have that elusive programme from the 80s or 90s? O-M would love to hear from you.

I read a very interesting article on Substack this week about the the printed programme by Trevor Knell, a professional writer and someone whose opinion I value. Now, I have been collecting programmes since 1964 and although I am now looking to sell my entire collection of some 20,000 programmes, programmes and shirts (obviously!) are close to my heart. More about my sale below.

With Trevor’s kind permission, he has allowed me to reproduce part of the article. Because of the T&Cs of Substack, you will need to read the rest here You are also able to access Trevor’s entire Substack library. You are welcome to contact Trevor via Substack or if you prefer here.

The Printed Matchday Programme.

The printed matchday programme. A staple of the game for so long, a
legacy part maybe but every season it’s under threat. That is despite
clubs actually moving back to a printed copy and more so since 2020.
It’s something that divides opinion throughout the game and more so
now than ever before. As a kid I was I guess an avid collector, more from
the point of view that it contained information and tons of it.

I do have a vested interest in the printed copy; I run a little sideline
business that offers a column to clubs on a home game basis for a full
season. It’s been running since 2020 and currently sits at 11 clubs in
total.

There are columns out there to use that can be downloaded, but I don’t
even find these in some of the publications I’ve picked up. That is the
minimal work you can do to add something to a programme.

The cost as well considering clubs have been paid by their sponsors for
their adverts is pretty high in some cases with no real reading material.
Some do make a great effort, some produce some stunning work to pick
up and muse through.

Continue reading here

I would also think this is an appropriate place to remind people of O-M Matihalti’s incredible programme quest. Think of it as a massive treasure hunt! See here It is a great way to build your programme collection fast and at no cost. Shout me or O-M for more details

…. and, sadly, I also need to make an announcement.

Some of you know that I have not enjoyed the best of health for several years. A Cardiac Arrest, 16 months in hospital and most recently a stroke. The doctors have been very honest this month and say I have had more lives than Top Cat and I am very much on borrowed time. So, it is with great dismay that I announce that l am looking to sell my entire programme collection.

The entire collection is for sale as one single sale. It is 20,000 plus or minus.

A quick overview – ca 20,000 programmes including hundreds and hundreds of big game (Cup Finals/Internationals) and probably 500+each from Spurs, West Ham, QPR, Chelsea, Palace and Brentford.

There are 3500 (counted) non league programmes going back to the 1970s.

I also have almost 900 books about football and another 100 on different sports (primarily Cricket but many others) I have 250+ Cricket magazines (Wisden etc including 20+ complete years in binders) There are probably 100+ DVDs and a similar number of annuals going back to the 1950s.

I need to be realistic on price and will be. They are available for collection from a storage unit near Heathrow. I also have 18,000 non-football books and 500+ DVDs/Blu-rays available either as a separate one off sale or at an absolute give away price with the programmes. That is almost exactly 600 cubic feet of collections.

I repeat, l am not going to sell anything individually. I am not scouring 40, 000 items for Hilton United v Liverpool Rangers Reserves re-arranged game single sheet from 1987. No, this is a one-off sale at a bargain price. It has been a great hobby over 60 years but realistically now is the time to say goodbye.

Please contact me if interested. HERE or steve (@)theshirt2010 co uk

It is always good to get a newsletter from my friends at COPA in the Netherlands and this week’s edition focused on their countrymen’s kits. As a huge believer in the “Less is More” and “Less is better” philosophies when it comes to shirts, the Dutch national shirts have always impressed me.

They say, “The Holland Retro Collection, created in close collaboration with the KNVB, brings the legacy of Dutch football to life for today’s fans.

From the golden era of ‘Total Football’ in the 1970, a style that redefined the game, to the heartbreaks and near misses that only made the Oranje spirit stronger, the Netherlands has given the world both unforgettable heroes and unforgettable moments. The early 80s tested the nation’s resilience, before a new wave of talent in the late 80s and 90s once again captured the imagination of football lovers worldwide.”

The 1978 World Cup final is unforgettable to me as my father actually died during the actual game. It was not until YT became so readily available that I saw the whole game. That 78 is surely one of the great shirts of all time ….not that the Argentine shirt was shabby!

So, shoot off to CopaFootball.com and check their entire range. Remember as a new subscriber you get 10% off for registering.