Author Archive

Park to Wembley – A Story in development!

So here we are. Three mates; Sam, Will and Mike, have over 20 years of friendship, and not nearly enough time these days to just hang out together. Between families, work, and bills, the proper “lads’ days out” have become few and far between. That’s partly why Park to Wembley exists. It’s our excuse to get back together, do something we love, and hopefully share it with a load of you along the way.

Back in April, Sam had this lightbulb moment: “What if we followed the FA Cup all the way from the very start to the finish?” Not just tuning in when the TV cameras show up in January, but actually being there from the extra preliminary round—those park pitches, the tiny grounds, the die-hard fans—right through to the final at Wembley. Imagine standing under the arch in May, knowing exactly where that journey started months earlier. That’s the magic of this competition.

The FA Cup is, for us, the greatest club football tournament in the world. Where else do you get those stories? A pub team giving a scare to a professional club. A striker scoring the goal of his life in front of a few hundred people. Fans who follow their local side through thick and thin, dreaming of “one of those days” that will never be forgotten. Sadly, in recent years, things like the scrapping of replays have chipped away at that romance a little. But we think the heart of the FA Cup is still alive, real fans still cherish this competition and there are so many stories just waiting to be told.

That’s what Park to Wembley is about. We want to capture those stories, the real ones, from real fans and real communities. We’ll bring you along through our vlogs. We chose a starter club, a club that is close to you that enters the extra preliminary round, and you follow that whole journey. As soon as a team you are following loses, you follow the victor in the next round and repeat.

Every time we start following a new club, we will do a biography on that club and learn about the history and tell their story. It’s a platform where in the qualifying stages, we want to tell the local clubs stories. As the tournament progresses, you could be standing at Wembley stadium, and you know this journey started in front of a few hundred local fans before any league football kicked off. It’s about showing the side of football that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. 

As for motivation? Well, we’ve got two. First and foremost, it’s about us spending time together and having a laugh while following this mad journey. But secondly, we’d love to see this grow into something bigger. We’ve got a clear vision for Park to Wembley… and that is to make it a go-to football channel on YouTube. And down the line? Why not expand to the FA Trophy, the FA Vase, and maybe even other cups across the UK or beyond?

As much as telling the story of the FA Cup, we want everybody to get to know us as well. We are not special, we are three normal lads, normal lives with all the ups and downs you would expect.

We’re already sharing vlogs, club stories, and matchday experiences over on our YouTube channel Subscribe so you don’t miss a single step on the road from the first whistle in the extra preliminary round all the way to Wembley.

And if you fancy even more content, follow us on Twitter (X), TikTok, Instagram, Facebook
Wherever you hang out, we’ll be there, just search for Park to Wembley.

Every legend starts local. Ours starts here.

Editor’s note: I thought this was a great story, so made contact with Sam and he’s going to forward the updates from the various rounds so that you can also see them here on TheShirt. I have pinged O-M as this is exactly the community story he loves so much.

Well, the new season has really “begun” for many fans now that the Premier League Prima Donnas are back. Gillingham are now unbeaten since March and squeaked an injury time point at Tranmere Rovers to take us to five points. On the Sunday live game, we saw an incredibly poor Manchester United lose to an even worse Arsenal. I think even their fans were embarrassed at just how poor they were and how little they deserved the points. The fact that Raya, their keeper was M.O.M sums up how bad they were. DEFINITE relegation fodder. Manchester City, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest had all impressed earlier in the weekend.

More importantly, Darren Ashley is back with his vlogs and yesterday he had an absolute belter of a game he says. He was at HALESOWEN TOWN v REAL BEDFORD for the NONLEAGUEvlog Check it out – he chose a fantastic game and clearly had a great time. Hopefully he will be as fortunate this week coming.

I noticed he had been out the week before so it would be rude of me not to add Newport Pagnell v Nuneaton Town here Watch both and subscribe for free to his channel.


She Can Kick It

I also got a very interesting newsletter from Clare at She Can Kick It. She says, “It’s about 15 minutes since the Euros finished and today the women’s football season starts again. The FAWNL in England and the SWPL in Scotland begin later today (1pm in Scotland; 2pm in England).

During the last couple of weeks I’ve been on the Brazilian Football Shirt Podcast (streamed live as well as recorded – terrifying) and have been frantically getting the website in order and writing for a new and exciting project I’m part of (stressful). I’m very much looking forward to a holiday next week.

The project is an online women’s sport magazine, not just covering football but as many sports as we can cram into our digital pages (I interviewed a double world kettlebell sport champion this week – I kid you not). The New Women’s Sport Magazine will launch on Wednesday 20th August and if you’d like to keep up-to-date and show your support, you can find us on Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/thenewwomenssportmag/

Now

I’ve been writing the FA Women’s National League preview articles for The New Women’s Sport Magazine (TNWSM for short) and have a new appreciation for the league – it’s fascinating. It’s tier 3 of the pyramid and is split into a Northern Division and a Southern Division.

Here’s 3 reasons to keep an eye on it this season:

1. It’s a very competitive league with loads of really interesting battles at the top, middle, and bottom of the table

2. It’s a great place to spot future stars: Hannah Hampton, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, and Fran Kirby all played in the FAWNL

3. For this season only, there are 3 promotion spots across the Northern and Southern Divisions meaning a play-off final between the second-placed teams for promotion to WSL2.
They’ve just announced a decent investment package and a new strategy to grow and improve this middle level of football. With focus on club environment, individual welfare, fan experience, and commercial sustainability. It’s an exciting time.

Then
I was on The Brazil Shirt Podcast alongside a Brazilian journalist. As we talked about the Euros versus Copa America, it became clear how far behind South America is in its treatment of women’s football (a concern since Brazil host the World Cup in 2027).

I was asked where the differences might be. I instantly said, “Hope Powell” who hasn’t actually been mentioned in the wake of England’s success. So here’s why I think English football owes a great debt to Hope. I’ll caveat this and say with that without support from the FA, Hope wouldn’t have been in the position to change things, but aside from that, she was the driving force of the modern Lionesses.

At the beginning of the new millennium, Hope was hired as England Women’s first full-time coach. She was in charge of the whole international pathway from under-15s to seniors. She improved the entire pathway. The number of Centres of Excellence increased. Hope introduced a scholarship programme meaning 19 young players had fully funded scholarships so they could concentrate on football whilst still receiving an education – players like Ellen White, Jill Scott, and Karen Carney benefitted.In 2009, Hope introduced central contracts: 17 players were now paid a salary to play football. The Lionesses were professional for the first time.And she made all these improvements whilst constantly having to battle for everything, including office space. Without Hope’s determination and persistence, England may not have won the Euros yet. “

Well, here is a quirky one. A friend from Wales sent me a copy of his local newspaper, fortunately in English!

CPD Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch FC

A Welsh football club with the ‘biggest name’ in world football has netted a high-profile sponsorship deal with Mastercard, riding the wave of Welsh teams to score A-list investment.

CPD Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch FC, which plays in North Wales Coast West Division One, has agreed to a three-year-shirt deal with Mastercard to kick off the new season. At 58 letters, the 126-year-old team, which plays in the fifth tier of the Welsh league, has the longest club name in world football.

North Wales has proved to be an unlikely hotspot for football investment in recent years. Since 2021, Wrexham AFC has had Hollywood owners, with hit documentary series Welcome to Wrexham following the club’s fortunes. This season they will play in the Championship, having become the first team in Football League history to win three consecutive promotions.

Meanwhile, in South Wales, fellow Championship side Swansea City also announced A-list investment with rap superstar Snoop Dogg as the side’s US owners look to build the club’s reputation on the world stage.

The new sponsorship strengthens Mastercard’s connection with the Llanfairpg community. In February, the village was chosen, alongside seven of Europe’s longest-named places, to become pioneers of Mastercard Click to Pay, a new one-click payment technology removing the need to enter personal details like long card numbers when shopping online.

Samantha Jones-Smith, Llanfairpwll FC chairman, said: “You only have to look down the road at Wrexham to see how football partnerships can inspire success on the pitch and a huge feel-good factor off it.

“This isn’t just another sponsorship deal for our club, it’s a collaboration that builds on the strong relationship Mastercard has forged with the Llanfairpwll community throughout the year. They’re not just putting their name on our shirts; they’re investing in our future, our facilities, and most importantly, our supporters.”

 

Mastercard has become the official shirt sponsor of the ‘biggest name’ in football, Welsh team CPD Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch FC. The three-year deal continues a trend for big-name investments in Welsh football following the Hollywood takeover of Wrexham in 2021, and Swansea announcing their music industry A-list co-owner last month. The new home, away and keeper kits, designed and made in nearby Bangor, feature all 58 letters of the town name and are inspired by its railway station’s windows. Mastercard recently teamed up with the town of Llanfairpwll…, home to the North Wales Coast West Division One side, to drive awareness of Click to Pay, a simple payment method that removes the need to enter personal details when shopping online. A ‘Click to Pie’ van will appear at the club’s first home game vs Llangoed on August 25; to feed the fans, and help residents and local businesses get onside with the new technology. Please contact Chris on +44 (0)7967 392 908 or Mastercard@TheAcademyPR.com if you require any further details.

Barcelona meets Bangor

Llanfairpwll’s new home, away and keeper kits are an all-Welsh affair, designed and created in neighbouring Bangor by football shirt specialist Andrew Maclean and manufacturer Teejac Sports. Andrew said the striking blue-and-black striped home design is “part-inspired by football giants Barcelona’s 2017/18 kit, as well as by the windows at Llanfairpwll railway station”, one of the town’s most popular attractions.

The shirt, which has a yellow trim, carries all the letters of the town name, along with the club badge, Welsh dragon and Mastercard and Click to Pay logos. The white away shirt also features the window motif, along with the burgundy that matches the colour of the railway station’s iconic sign.

Simon Forbes, Division President, UK and Ireland, Mastercard, said: “Football clubs are the beating heart of communities across the country, and we’re proud to announce this long-term partnership, cementing our links with Llanfairpwll. This expanded collaboration reflects our commitment to backing grassroots football and local businesses and driving forward technology that helps support everyday transactions across small towns and villages as well as global cities.”

To mark the team sponsorship and the launch of Click to Pay in Llanfairpg, Mastercard will host an event at their first home game of the season vs Llangoed for residents and local businesses. Visitors to the Maes Eilian ground on Bank Holiday Monday, August 25, will be able to see the kit in action, sign up for the Click to Pay technology with partner the Co-op, and receive exclusive club merchandise. There will also be free matchday food, Co-op pies courtesy of a Mastercard ‘Click to Pay’ pie van!

It’s not often that the Times runs a story on football kits and, in all honesty, I did not expect it to be too accurate but checking through football sites like FootyHeadlines it seems absolutely legitimate. The story is based on the 2025/2026 away kit

Genoa CFC has revealed the 2025-26 away kit, and it’s a stunning tribute to both club and footballing heritage. The new shirt features the iconic red cross of St. George on a clean white base, paying homage to the shared legacy between Genoa and England – where the roots of the game run deep.

The Kappa Genoa Cricket and Football Club 2025-2026 away jersey is defined by the unmistakable St. George’s Cross, printed boldly across the front. Set against a minimalist white background, the design reflects the Republic of Genoa’s historic banner, which also appears in the club’s crest alongside the Griffon. The 2025-26 Genoa away kit has a white base with a prominent red St. George’s Cross, gold trim, and a smaller cross on the upper back.

Inspiration and Availability: The kits pay tribute to the club’s heritage and Genoa’s connection to the origins of football.

…..and delving deeper on Soccer Bible there is more to the story. I quote, “It’s a look that we’ve seen before, notably with Inter Milan’s away shirt in 2007/08. So why does an Italian team have England’s flag plastered all over it? Well, glad you asked. See, back in the Middle Ages, the Republic of Genoa granted English ships the right to sail under the Cross of St. George in exchange for tribute. That emblem now lives on — in both the city’s flag and the club’s crest, sitting beside the ever-iconic Griffin. This shirt is a celebration of that history, of ships and shields, ports and pitches, and the journey of football itself. There you go.

Refined detailing sets the tone throughout. An embossed Griffin lurks in subtle sophistication, while premium finishes in gold round off a design that feels both heritage-heavy and future-facing. On the reverse, just below the collar, the red cross reappears — a sharp reminder that Genoa doesn’t forget where it comes from.

But Kappa and Genoa have gone deeper still. The launch campaign taps directly into the club’s English DNA with the slogan “It’s coming home” — a clever twist that links Genoa’s English founders with the global movement of the game. The campaign journeys back to James Spensley’s London neighbourhood — the English doctor, goalkeeper, and pioneer who helped bring football to Italy and founded Genoa CFC in 1893.

Shot through the lens of Sam Gregg, the campaign imagery is a visual handshake between London and Genoa. It’s gritty, romantic, and steeped in character — two port cities, two footballing cultures, one shared heartbeat. England U21 Euro winner Brooke Norton-Cuffy stars in the campaign, representing the new wave of talent and bridging Genoa’s English past with its vibrant present.

This isn’t just a kit — it’s a love letter. To heritage, to football, and to the people who’ve carried both across centuries and seas.

Here’s an interesting game of chance where you can win £1,000,000 with NO stake. Yes, you enter free of chance. I will not promote betting but this seems a fun way to follow Arsenal’s relegation fight! It’s Andy Robson’s season-long prediction league. I’ve already had a go, you’ll see my predictions in the image attached. Let me know your thoughts.

Premier League Predictor game

Here it is, your chance to win £1,000,000 cash.

My Premier League Predictor game is now live and it’s completely free to play.

Play here: http://bit.ly/1M-PL-Predictor

The premise of the game is that if you predict the Premier League table correctly, you’re a millionaire.

You might be thinking where the hell have I pulled £1,000,000 from and it’s a fair question.

I’ve basically paid to insure the game and payout. My money is gone so I’m really hoping someone wins it.

Make yours here: http://bit.ly/1M-PL-Predictor

You have up until the end of Gameweek 5 to cement your picks so there’s plenty of time.

IN PURSUIT OF PROGRESS – BRENTFORD FC LAUNCHES 2025/26 THIRD KIT

Brentford FC has launched the club’s 2025/26 third kit. 

Created by official kit partner, Joma, the shirt focuses on the Brentford’s original colours from the club’s creation in 1889. 

Our third kit is available for purchase online, and in our club shop The Hive Superstore now. 

As with our home and away kits, this season Bees fans have the option to purchase our authentic shirt, worn by players on the pitch to support their performance, as well as a replica kit.  

Our colours from the start 

This season’s third kit commemorates the club’s history using the original Brentford Rowing Club colours that were adopted when Brentford FC was established in 1889. The blue shirt features a striking claret and salmon stripe across the front as well as on the sleeves and sides of the shirt. Brentford’s crest is seen in the middle of the shirt. The back of the neck also includes a special ‘1889’ logo. 

The authentic shirt is created with a jacquard weave. Intricate designs are woven directly into the fabric rather than being printed or embroidered. This technique and the micro-mesh ventilation panels keep the kit lightweight and breathable, so our players’ bodies stay dry even during peak performance.  

To support our efforts to be more sustainable, our replica third shirts are made of 100 per cent recycled polyester. Using recycled polyester prevents materials from being sent to landfills and requires less energy than conventional polyester.   

The traditional colour scheme continues onto the shorts and socks which are blue and feature panels of claret and salmon.  

Our third shirt features the logo of our official kit partner, Joma on the top-centre of the shirt. This season our front of shirt partner is Hollywoodbets, while Cazoo is our sleeve partner. Kits for our Brentford B team, Brentford Women and academy teams will feature Cazoo on the front and PensionBee on the sleeve.  

A relentless pursuit of progress 

This season’s third shirt remembers Brentford FC’s origins, first established in1889 and pursuing progress ever since. 

On 7 October in 1889, a meeting was called by Archer Green – the secretary of the Brentford Rowing Club. The idea of creating a football club was discussed, and all those who were interested in football gathered in the pavilion of the Oxford and Cambridge hotel in Kew Bridge.  
 

It was agreed that a vote would be taken on Wednesday 16 October to determine whether the rowing club would play football or rugby; football was favoured by eight votes to five.  

As a result, Brentford Football Club was formed, adopting the claret, salmon and blue colours of the rowing club which are seen on this season’s third shirt. Since then, the club has looked for progress in every aspect, which eventually led the club to the Premier League in the 2020/21 season.  
 
The launch video for the shirt features men’s first team players Fabio Carvalho, Sepp van den Berg and Yunus Emre Konak and women’s team players, Chloe Logie and Maddie Philips. 

Purchase your third shirt  

As with our home and away shirts, our third shirt adult price is frozen at £65 in our ongoing commitment to affordable football. Junior shirts will also be available at a reduced price of £45, down from the 2024/25 season.   

In line with the Premier League’s voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsors, like our home shirt, this season’s third kit will follow a one-year cycle as our partnership with front-of-shirt partner, Hollywoodbets will come to an end after the 2025/26 season.   

Buy your Brentford 2025/26 third shirt now 

It is always good to hear from my friends at Stanchion Books and this week’s newsletter threw up an interesting new book that I had not even seen mentioned elsewhere.

xGenius: Expected Goals and the Science of Winning Football Matches

By James Tippett

From the publisher:

‘Eye-opening. An essential read for any football fan’ – Jamie Carragher

A new, expanded and super-charged guide to Expected Goals (xG) analysis from the bestselling author of The Expected Goals Philosophy. The concept of Expected Goals – or xG – has changed how we understand football.

Every fan will have heard of xG, many will understand what it is, but few will know exactly how it’s being used by football teams to improve their chances of winning matches. xGenius explores the interplay between analysis, tactics, and decision-making. It seeks to put the sport of football under the microscope with the aim of getting closer to the ultimate truth of what makes players, managers and teams successful.

What, ultimately, wins football matches. Packed with examples from the Premier League and beyond, xGenius shows how xG and other performance analysis tools are helping answer previously unanswerable questions. Were Brighton the unluckiest team in recent history? What is ‘The Timo Werner Paradox’? How many titles did Liverpool deserve to win under Jürgen Klopp? Is Son Heung-Min the greatest finisher in the modern era? xGenius demonstrates how clubs and coaches are using data as a major tool to improve performances on the pitch.

It reveals how xG helped Brighton and Brentford transform themselves into established Premier League clubs, and how such analysis was integral to Liverpool and Arsenal’s renaissance in recent years. As teams have realised the importance of amassing high xG numbers, the average shot distances in Europe’s major leagues have plummeted, dead ball situations have become ever more important, and players who are able to accumulate large xG volumes have become increasingly valuable. Clubs have developed new systems, formations and strategies as they strive for ‘big chance creation’.

xGenius shows how top-level football analysis is being carried out by the very best in the business. The insights explored in this book will change the way you watch football.

The author:

James Tippett started his career as a freelance Football Analyst at Smartodds, a betting consultancy highly skilled in the science of predicting match outcomes. He is currently a Sports Partnerships Manager working across Oddschecker and WhoScored.

Tippett is the author of ‘The Expected Goals Philosophy’ and ‘xGenius’

The book is available from Stanchion Books.com

Bloomsbury Sport

21 x 14 cm

Paperback

272 pages

August 2024

English

9781399411554

England vs Spain: Women’s Euro 2025 Final

I spent most of the afternoon with Europe’s “The Final Countdown” in my head. Joey Tempest and his rock -star hair were haunting me all afternoon. The perfect way to enjoy the build up for a huge game. Yes, England were through to the final of the UEFA Women’s Euro Final in Basel, Switzerland. What were the chances? What is the history? What is the background?

I remembered a text conversation I had with Clare McEwen earlier this week. It’s from the National Archives, “In light of England’s semi-final victory in the Euros last night, we share this incredible Victorian photo from our collection. The British Ladies Football Club was established in 1895. Players were recruited via newspaper ads and two teams were formed, named North and South (pictured here).
The teams travelled the country playing each other in a series of matches, including at Crouch End and Greenwich in London, as well as Hartlepool, Burnley, Montrose and Belfast. The matches aroused great attention, with their first game at Crouch End attracting 10,000 spectators.

Head to our blog to find out more: https://linktr.ee/thenationalarchives ” ….and I do indeed recommend a read. What a fascinating history.

For those who don’t know Clare, she is “Ms. England Women’s Football” my go-to for everything about the women’s game and a huge font of knowledge. She recently published a definitive history of the game. View here

So, that’s a little background. In this year’s competition, it is fair to say that things had not been as smooth as England would have wanted but they showed incredible resilience in tough games against Sweden, France and Italy. The girls were in top gear against Wales and the highly-rated Netherlands but the defeat to France showed we are not invincible.

On paper, the game could have gone either way. Fortunately, as we all know, the game is not played on paper but both sides could have had reasons to feel confident before kick off. England were the holders and had “done it.” They had also fought back from the absolute brink of defeat against Sweden and Italy. The way they demolished the Dutch showed they had more than a passing understanding of commitment and determination. However, the Spanish have played magnificent football and have some outstanding players including Aitana Bonmatí and Patri Guijarro whose stats for this competition are phenomenal. The Spanish team had also swept past both the Italians and the Germans ….. and put a dozen goals past Belgium and Portugal!

The game itself delivered everything we could have expected. Sadly although it was a sell-out crowd, the Swiss stadium only accommodates less than 35,000 spectators. For millions of other we had to be content with the TV. I was often minded of Pep Guardiola and his “tiny margins.” Did one team deserve to lose? Debatable, but that is the nature of cup football and I think everyone will agree that on the day England were worthy winners. Are penalties cruel? Obviously for the losers. Did some of Spain’s players freeze on the big stage? I think that’s maybe unfair but clearly….history will remember the winners. Football was the winner. Let’s leave it like that. It has been a fantastic competition with every single nation adding value and whilst winning the ultimate prize eluded 15 teams, I am sure their countries are proud of them.

It would be rude not to share Clare’s excitement: “I’m so thrilled and excited by England’s win last night. Incredible. Only the second team to win back-to-back Euros (Germany the other) and this will again increase the visibility in England and the rest of the UK, hopefully increasing commercial opportunities and strengthening infrastructure. Another group of young girls gets to fall in love with the beautiful game. England have built on their legacy and we can all be so proud of what the Lionesses have done and continue to represent.”

I also managed to get hold of Vernon Grant who like me has lived in Hounslow and Spain. From the frying pan of Andalucia he adds some thoughts.

BACKGROUND: In 1995 TV Producer Vernon Grant was contacted by an American client who wanted him to produce a series of videos after the women’s European Championship final in March of 1995. Germany won. Three months later the women’s World Cup was staged in Sweden. America had won the very first women’s World Cup four years earlier. Norway won it in 1995.

Vernon says: “I asked the experienced football commentator John Helm, a long time friend, to voice over the commentaries. All he and I had to go on was team sheets. For World Cup commentaries John learned how to pronounce some difficult names (China were a decent side). I fell in love with USA star player Mia Hamm. Ex TV colleagues laughed at me when I told them what I was working on. They couldn’t believe anyone was interested in women playing football. But the American client told me that it was popular in the States. Attendances were nothing like what we have just seen at the 2025 tournament. Indeed, back then there was just one England fan, a London taxi driver, following what we now call the Lionesses around the world. It’s wonderful to see how excited young girls are by the success of the Lionesses today. And those ex colleagues who mocked what I was working on thirty years ago. They’re not laughing now. They’re celebrating.”

Thanks, Vernon. Fascinating backstory!

Sarina Wiegman congratulates Ella Toone in an earlier game.

One last word from me? I am hugely impressed with Wiegman. She is obviously a great motivator and, whilst her tactical knowledge cannot be questioned, it is perhaps most her ability to get the very best out of every single member when they tread the grass. If things do not go quite as planned, she is never afraid to change mid-game to ensure that the desired result is achieved. #respect

CONNECTED BY OUR NATURE –BRENTFORD FC UNVEIL 2025/26 AWAY KIT

Brentford FC’s new 2025/26 away kit celebrating our relationship with the bee is now on sale in the new club store, The Hive Superstore and online.

Brentford FC has launched the club’s new away kit for the 2025/26 season in partnership with official kit partner, Joma.

Celebrating the bee 

The new away kit celebrates Brentford’s connection with the bees which goes back to the early part of the twentieth century. 

The new brown away shirt features gold coloured detailing and marks the first time the club has used our single Brentford bee logo. It features a bee-wing pattern throughout the shirt. Gold detailing is also seen across the collar which has a special ‘Bees’ logo on the back, as well as the sleeves.   

The authentic shirt is created with a jacquard weave. Intricate designs are woven directly into the fabric rather than being printed or embroidered. This technique and the micro-mesh ventilation panels keep the kit lightweight and breathable, so our players’ bodies stay dry even during peak performance. To support our efforts to be more sustainable, our replica away shirts are made of 100 per cent recycled polyester. Using recycled polyester prevents materials from being sent to landfills and requires less energy than conventional polyester.    

The away men’s first team shirt features this season’s front of shirt partner, Hollywoodbets and Cazoo as our sleeve partner. Kits for our Brentford B team, Brentford Women and academy teams will have Cazoo as the main shirt sponsor and feature PensionBee on the sleeve. 

Connected by our nature 

Our new away shirt launches with a campaign film paying homage to our history as ‘The Bees’. Men’s first team players, Mikkel Damsgaard, Yehor Yarmoliuk, Michael Kayode and Brentford Women players, Nikki Woods and Lucy Potter all feature in the film set in the nearby Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.  

Looking ahead to the new season, the film draws inspiration from the buff-tailed bumblebee, the bee that is featured within our crest. Its traits of resilience, adaptability, determination, purpose, and connection mirror the spirit we bring to the pitch and our community. 

The narrative celebrates the hive-like unity of the club and our supporters – a unified collective where every individual plays an important role. Just like bees working together for protection, regeneration, and success.  

Purchase your away shirt 

As with our centenary home shirt, our away shirt adult price is frozen at £65 in our ongoing commitment to affordable football. Junior shirts will also be available at a reduced price of £45, down from the 2024/25 season.  

In line with the Premier League’s voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsors, like our home shirt, this season’s away kit will follow a one-year cycle as our partnership with front of shirt partner, Hollywoodbets comes to an end after the 2025/26 season.  

Purchase your 2025/26 Brentford away shirt now 

Yesterday we talked about Huddersfield Town’s new Castore strip and today we look at Forest Green Rovers. I am a bit challenged on this. I LOVE the sustainability focus but I am afraid that the design is in my opinion absolutely hideous. Let’s see what their fans think!

“Forest Green Rovers, widely recognised as the most sustainable football club in the world, reveals a bold new playing strip for the 25-26 season. Alongside Official Teamwear Partner, Reflo, both organisations have been working hard with the Vegan Society to create the world’s first fully certified vegan kit.

Both the home and away kits feature the same bold design; a striking leopard print pattern inspired by nature.

The new home shirt will be worn for two seasons, part of a commitment the club makes to reduce waste and lower the burden on fans to purchase a new design every year.

The vegan kit is emblazoned with Ecotricity across the chest, DPD on the lower back, Candriam on the left sleeve, and Smyths Toys on the back of the shorts.

Below the neck features the infamous Three Stars. This reflects the club’s long term ambitions to gain promotion into the championship.

As well as being vegan certified, the new kit is powered by Reflo’s pioneering Reloop™ technology — a fibre-to-fibre mechanical recycling solution that means every shirt is made from recycled mono-fibre materials and designed to be fully recyclable at end of life. When the kit reaches the end of its playing days, it will be broken down and remade into new products, giving fans and players a true circular alternative to landfill. It’s a practical solution to help tackle the millions of tonnes of textile waste generated by the sports industry each year.

Dale Vince, Chairman of Forest Green Rovers, commented: “We like to push the boundaries on sustainability issues, including what our shirts are made from because the materials we use to make things really matters. In pursuit of the most sustainable football kit we’ve experimented in previous seasons with both bamboo and with coffee grounds.

“This season our new strip pushes the boundary again – we’ve created the world’s first fully certified vegan football kit, by making sure the dyes we use, which are an often overlooked ingredient, are plant-based. Our new shirt is also fully recyclable and will be turned back into future items by Reflo. I’m really pleased to unveil our bold, bright new kit that’s inspired by nature and helping nature – that’s pretty fabulous.”

Alex Markland, Senior Account Manager at The Vegan Society: “This is another exciting development in The Vegan Society’s relationship with Forest Green Rovers. We’ve been working with Dale and the team for eight years and have awarded our Vegan Trademark certification in a number of areas of the club’s operations but this kit is the first in the world to be certified vegan and is the most visible demonstration yet of Forest Green Rovers’ pioneering approach to sustainability in football.”

Rory MacFadyen, Co-Founder of Reflo, said: “This is exactly what Reflo was built for — pushing what’s possible for sustainable performancewear. Partnering with Forest Green Rovers to create the world’s first fully vegan shirt, made from recycled materials with the ability to be recycled at end of life. It’s a milestone moment for us. FGR have led the way in showing football can be a force for good, and we’re proud to help them take another step forward with a shirt that looks amazing, performs at the highest level and helps keep kit out of landfill for good.”

The kit is available to buy from the FGR online store with more information at reflo.com.