Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Well, nearly Easter and there seems an awful lot of things to update on so without delay.

Darren continues to vlog. This week he was not vlogging a dead horse (sorry, I’ll get my coat) but revisiting his friends at Harborough Town. What a story! One hundred plus Spanish fans came to see the Step Three/Level Seven team. What’s the story?

“Spent Saturday afternoon at the wonderful Harborough Town FC, where, due to absence of some of their brilliant media team, I was asked do the post match interview with charismatic manager Mitch Austin…yep, I was really looking forward to doing this one, especially after ‘The Bee’s’ lost to a stoppage time wonder strike which brought their 10 match unbeaten run to a sudden end ….as always though, Mitch was fantastic and delivered, yet again, interviewee gold!

Here is us trying to make ourselves heard in front of an amazing Spanish contingent of over 100 fans ……oh, and the sort of vlog I did of the match is here “

So, who are the Spanish fans and what brings them to Market Harborough? “La Media Inglesa” is a Spanish “company” that says “La Media Inglesa es un medio dedicado al fútbol inglés. Todo con un toque de humor. No siempre inteligente.” Basically it is a Spanish language channel ALL about English football …all with a touch of humour. Think Skinner and Baddiel, TWTWTW, HIGNFY etc etc. Banter, news, rumours etc etc Whilst I love “Il Calcio a Londra” their Spanish cousins take an altogether more irreverent view of the Beautiful Game. I will be inviting them to FC Deportivo Galicia next season and hope they can double their numbers. Heathrow’s suburbs are a lot easier to get to than deepest, darkest Leicestershire. you can literally walk to our ground from the runway! See their video here

In news still breaking it looks like Gillingham will stay up 9despite having had more managers tahn goals this season, that FC Deportivo Galicia will not be promoted and that Arsenal have BLOWN IT AGAIN! (Oh, dear. How sad!)

Happy Easter.

Well, this is a bit different from my recent blogs but absolutely in keeping with TheShirt2010.co.uk
I heard about Kilo Warehouse from a flyer and read they had a good collection of second hand football shirts. So, Steve “Nil to Landfill” and obsessed with shirts took had a double reason to visit. It’s on the Elizabeth Line to West Drayton (Hayes & Harlington would do to but then with a short bus.)

In a huge, huge warehouse there are rows and rows and rows (and rows!) of second hand clothes all at discount prices. Interesting enough, indeed, and I love the ethos but what I really wanted to see were the football shirts and I was not disappointed. There was a huge selection and not just the usual Liverpool, Spurs, West Ham and Barca knock-offs. No, this was a very eclectic mix. If you in or around West London, it’s definitely worth a rummage.

Their website states ” High Street and Vintage Clothing by KG

Welcome to Kilo Warehouse in West Drayton, London which is open to the general public. We have a network of vans collecting pre-loved, vinted and sustainable unwanted clothes throughout the UK which can include retro, branded and vintage high-street fashion. Our team carefully selects desirable clothing so the public can visit our depot and buy clothes by kilo weight. Our warehouse is now open daily so come down to grab yourself some bargains.

We are one of the largest second-hand clothing specialists in London with a warehouse covering roughly 1000 square feet and 10000kg of clothes including footwear, sportswear, childrenswear, womenswear, menswear, summer and winter wear and a variety of accessories like handbags, wallets, purses and decorative items. You can expect to find fashion brands like Nike, Adidas, Denim, Top Shop, Marks and Spencers and many more.

Due to demand we are now open Monday – Sunday 08:00 – 16:00

We have been working in a second hand clothing business for over 35 supplying our best quality product to various customers across the world. We are very proud of the positive environmental impact our second hand product have and now we are very happy that we can share our best British, Worldwide, vintage brands we have with you. All our clothes are checked and prepared by our dedicated team. Please, visit our shop and go on a hunt for best brands and price available only at our store.

We open our warehouse doors to the public 7 days a week. See our Contact Us page for our opening hours.

You can browse through our extensive collection of clothing and purchase items by kilo weight. With the cost of living crises upon us all, we provide a much cheaper alternative to buying brand-new clothing. Our friendly staff are always ready to assist in any way they can.”

The website has full details of contact details, directions and opening hours etc …. and if the chance of finding a Peruvian Fifth Division match-worn away shirt is not enough you could always throw eggs at Stockley Park* right next-door.

* Stockley Park, most famous for the VAR studios for the English Premier League!

Oh, the life and loves of a Brighton fan. Just when you were recovering from being kicked out of your home, playing your home matches at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium, the embarrassment that was the Withdean …you draw at home to Leicester City! Yes, Brighton and Hove Albion reminded every football supporter why we love and hate football in equal ratios by drawing 2-2 at home to the surely-doomed Leicester yesterday. Note Leicester had not previously scored since January and had lost their last eight HOME games without scoring a single goal.

The good news is that a new book about the trials and tribulations of being a Seagull has hit the shelves. Maybe today’s fans can take solace in that and muse over how instead of pushing for European qualification they might well have been playing Horsham, Dover Athletic or Chatham Town in the Isthmian League or worse!

The writer, David Atherall, kindly sent me his press release.

Brighton fan and local writer, David Atherall has chosen Brighton and Hove Albion for his latest novel, ‘Embers.’ The novel is set in 1996/97, an iconic season for the Albion. They looked destined to drop out of the football league and potentially go extinct. They’d sold their home ground, The Goldstone Ground and the situation for the club looked desperately bleak. Every Brighton fan knows that the arrival of Steve Gritt as manager and Dick Knight as chairman changed everything for Brighton that season.

The novel follows the chaos of that season alongside the life of sixteen-year-old fan, Danny. Not only did it look like he was losing his football club, his dad had walked out on his family and without a job, his days were filled with watching Neighbours and playing Sensible World of Soccer. All he wants is to follow the Albion up and down the country but getting and keeping a job are tough tasks. Brighton fans have immediately connected with the book, enjoying the nostalgia of going back to the toughest time in Brighton’s history. Steve Gritt has written the foreword; super-fan, Atilla the Stockbroker has described it as an ‘excellent tale’ and Brighton winger, Paul McDonald has called it an ‘amazing story.’

Find out more here

Sadly, I did not hear about this until after the event but it deserves a BIG shout-out and if nothing else I want to show my respect.

The University of Bradford Stadium’s centre circle was the finishing line for the 56for56 Walk – a fundraising campaign marking the 40th anniversary of the Valley Parade Fire Disaster – prior to last Saturday’s match against Crewe Alexandra.

Crews from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Bradford Fire Station embarked on a remarkable 75-mile journey from Lincoln City to Bradford, raising vital funds for the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU) in memory of the 56 supporters who tragically lost their lives and the hundreds more left with life-changing injuries on May 11 1985.

The walk will began on Friday April 4 from Lincoln City’s LNER Stadium, with firefighters from Lincoln Fire Station accompanying the Bradford crew on their journey towards Valley Parade.

Among those joining the walk at its halfway point were Bradford City legends Gary Jones and James Hanson. They will bring with them a football that has been partially signed by the Lincoln City squad. After the match, the ball will be completed with signatures from the Bradford City squad before being auctioned to raise additional funds.

Fans can still show their support and donate via the following channels:

• Online: https://www.justgiving.com/page/56for56
• Text donations: Text 10BRADFORD or 20BRADFORD to 70470 to donate £10 or £20.

The 56for56 campaign also includes car washes, fire station open days, a Legends match and a black tie dinner, with all proceeds going towards PSBRU, with the target of raising £56,000.

Here is a short video for those who don’t want to go on Twitter

Friend of TheShirt2010 and a huge ambassador for non-league football, Christian Obray kindly sent me details of this interesting event. I am of course, delighted to share it. To catch up with Christian, his tours of the UK and his various endeavours click on his website.

Christian explains, “In the latest edition of Parks to Pitches I sat down with Michael from the amazing charity The Harvey McWilliams Foundation . A charity named after Michael’s late son Harvey, they provide kit and equipment to those most in need.

They have just announced their 2025 annual event, where they will have a team of 6 walking approximately 350 miles starting from Darlington FC in County Durham and finishing at Exeter Royals FC in Devon. These are the last two teams Harvey played for. This is to help spread awareness & to raise funds to help us continue the work we are doing in the community.

Darlington FC,
Blackwell Meadows,
Grange Rd,
Darlington
DL1 5NN

to

Exeter Royals FC,
King George V Playing Fields,
Topsham Road,
Exeter EX2 6HE.

For Harvey Walk 2025. Start Sunday 25th of May – 31st of May 2025 Open invite to the general public to meet us at Blackwell Meadows home of Darlington FC at 9am for a start time of 10am in which you can walk with us as we head out of Darlington.”

Want to find out more and donate to this amazing cause?

More info:

https://gofund.me/c40091e4

Christian, by chance I was looking at Darlington and Dagenham&Redbridge for the Programme Project today. O-M recently completed the full 50 years of Darlington programmes. One per season since 1967. We had great support from the Darlington Football Club Supporters Group so I know they are a good set of lads up there!

Full details here https://theshirt2010.co.uk/uncategorized/o-m-matihalti/

Please pass my best wishes to the guys on the walk. If between them they can fill any of O-M’s gaps I am sure we can make an even more generous donation to the Harvey McWilliams project. Go, warriors!

Many of you will know that COPA have been a long time supporter of The Shirt project. Recently I was in their flagship store in Amsterdam and was amazed at how big the range has become. I am not sure of the Dutch for “From little acorns, great apples grow,” but that is definitely the case.

As you may be aware their AS Roma (#DajeRomaDaje) has been a major part of their range and it just got bigger and better.

“From the unforgettable kits of the past to timeless casual styles, our AS Roma Retro Collection is one of our most popular and most extensive collections to date. Featuring retro shirts, jackets, casual styles and everyday essential accessories like scarves, socks, and beanies, this collection celebrates the rich history of the Giallorossi.”

Some favourites of mine …

View their entire collection here

…and in other news just in, Stanchion Books have been busy again. A favourite writer Miguel Lourenço Pereira launches Pasión – journeys into the heart and soul of Spanish football

Pasión journeys into the heart and soul of Spanish football, examining the rich diversity of the country’s footballing culture and how the game unites the nation.

Follow-up to Pereira’s widely acclaimed study of Portuguese football, Bring Me That Horizon. If you loved that, you’ll love this!

Taking you on a road trip through space and time, this immersive book:

• Will help you to understand what has made Spain the greatest continental football power so far this century
• Brings you exclusive insider views and insights on Spanish football, from World Cup-winning managers, to elite players, to renowned football writers and journalists
• Takes you around dozens of cities and football grounds, presenting Spain as one of the most complex and diverse nations in Europe
• Tells of the love story between Real Madrid and the Champions League as well as fairy-tale triumphs involving footballing minnows
• Investigates the origins of Iniesta and the political and social struggles that left an imprint on Basque, Galician and Valencian football
• Explores the cultural nature of vanguard managers such as Pep Guardiola and the social relevance of Spain’s sporting press

From European glory nights to the lower leagues, this compelling book celebrates the diversity of the nation’s cultural and footballing identity.

The author:

Miguel Lourenço Pereira is a Portuguese journalist and football historian. Author of several sporting books, including Bring Me That Horizon: A Journey to the Soul of Portuguese Football, Noites Europeias, Sueños de la Euro and Cruyff: Anatomy of a Genius, his work has been published in Portugal, Spain, Brazil and the UK for more than ten years. He has also written for Panenka, Libero, Futebol Magazine, In Bed With Maradona and Corner.

More about him here and an opportunity to hear Miguel live:

Brentford FC partners with tech provider SmartFrame

Brentford announces new partnership with SmartFrame Technologies to revolutionise sharing club photography

Brentford FC has signed a partnership with SmartFrame Technologies, a leading UK-based image streaming platform

SmartFrame’s technology allows Brentford to widely distribute and share its official photography taken on matchdays and at other official events with publishers through a digital image library. The club will retain all associated rights to the images and SmartFrame’s technology will also create new opportunities for advertising and commercialising the images.

A London based company, SmartFrame Technologies was founded in 2015 and brings together sports brands and content owners with publishers, advertisers and online audiences.

Fran Jones, commercial director of Brentford FC, said “At Brentford FC, a forward-thinking approach and innovation is a part of our DNA. We’re pleased to be partnering with SmartFrame who align so well with us on these values. Our partnership will give us access to their advanced technology for documenting and sharing our moments both on and off the field.

“We look forward to collaborating with SmartFrame and transforming the way we present and licence the club’s imagery going forward.”

James Prosser, global sports director of SmartFrame Technologies, said: “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Brentford FC to the SmartFrame family. We have already built a strong rapport with the club’s commercial team over the past few months, and their positivity and openness have made it clear that we share many common values. As more high-profile organisations join us, we move closer to our goal of revolutionising online image publishing and commercialisation.”

I came across a post from my amigo and fellow hispanophile Phil Morrison this week. He kindly said that I could share it. Phil is one of 210 Chelsea supporters who contributed to this gorgeous little book. It is available on Amazon (and everywhere better) at a ridiculously inexpensive price. I commend it.

Phil Morrison

Age 72 (currently)

I was born in Clapham in 1951 at Nightingale Lane, just 3 miles from Stamford Bridge.

For the first five years of my life I was brought up in the environment of my grandparents’ home in SW17 where my mother’s eight brothers and sisters were also raised. Starting with my granddad, who was actually born and raised in east London (Bow), was an avid Chelsea fan and that filtered through the family right down to me.

I don’t know for the life of me, and it wasn’t for the lack of whinging and cajoling on my part, but I didn’t get to watch my first match at Stamford Bridge until I was nine years of age.

Over the years I conflated two closely played matches so that for a long period of my early life I thought my first time was against Braford Park Avenue in the FA Cup. It was in fact a league match against Leicester City on the 2nd January 1960 which ended in a 2-2 draw.

My uncles, Terry and Tom were regular attendees together with their friend Roy. Occasionally other uncles would appear but they were never devotees.

Anyway, my whinging and cajoling finally paid off as I was told that tickets for the East Stand were being purchased for a forthcoming cup match and one of them had my name on it. This was around late November but January seemed like a life time away.

One gloomy day and with little notice, I was told I was being taken to my first match against Leicester City, one week before the cup match with Bradford. Again, and to this day I don’t know why but we would be sitting in the East Stand because from these two occasions onward we never attended a home game where we weren’t stood on the terraces in front of the Bovril entrance.

On the big day I was collected by my uncles from my home in SW19. I bet my Mum and Dad were glad to see the back of me. Somebody gave me a bobble hat to wear, presumably on account of the cold and grey weather, however, it was light blue and when I half-heartedly complained I was told not to worry as it would double up for when we supported Cambridge in the university annual boat race. I didn’t realise we followed the boat race let alone supported one of the participants.

Anyway, off we set in uncle Tom’s light green Ford Consul towards Mitcham to pick up Roy, who I later also called uncle. He lived in Mitcham and I would soon learn that it was out of our way and so it added to what seemed like a long journey time of around 40 minutes. I should have taken a comic.

Depending on the traffic when crossing Wandsworth Bridge my uncles would gauge the size of the attendance taking into account the parking spaces around the gas works which was the favoured parking location. It was near an old pub sat upon a corner – it was a real big old boozer, packed and full of smoke which would waft my way when the door opened as I had to wait outside with a lemonade and a packet of Smiths crisps. I lost count of the number of times that my nose was tweaked unknowing that the following season Jimmy Greaves would tweak my nose on the return train trip from Molineux. Needless to say Jimmy Greaves was my boyhood hero.

It was a ten or fifteen minute walk to Fulham Road where everybody was heading in the same direction as us. I seem to recall we accessed the stadium through the main entrance, where uncle Terry bought a programme and collectively they bought me a rosette. We walked along the main stand to the east stand and queued up before pushing through the turnstile then up a flight or two of wooden stairs to our seats. The stadium and pitch looked big; I mean really big and the whole arena swallowed up the less than spectacular 24,000 spectators. Despite four goals, it wasn’t a spectacle and I had to wait one more week to watch Jimmy Greaves score a goal.”

Me? My first game Gillingham 1 Doncaster Rovers 1 February 1964. Gillingham went on to be Champions of the Fourth Division on Goal average. I still have the programme. My first Chelsea game was in 1972 against Ipswich. No real memory apart from the size of the crowd and how everybody moved 10 feet each time there was a goal or a near miss etc. (Health & Safety had not been invented then!) I still have the programme.

I asked around on Facebook for people’s first game and Man of Many Clubs, Lee Hermitage said, “Tottenham v. Sunderland, Saturday 20th September 1980. 0-0 draw, att 32,020. I still have the programme. ” He has even framed a montage. Look at the ticket price £3. Levy would have charged more!

If you are looking for sporting memorabilia have a butcher’s at the huge selection on his website

If you want to let me know your first game, I’d be delighted to add it on TheShirt2010

Chelsea : The First Time
Tim Rolls … and 200+ fans!

Nearly every football supporter recalls aspects of their first ever match. The journey. The sights and sounds and smells and tastes. The people. The pitch. The players. 

Chelsea: The First Time contains the first-game memories of over 200 Chelsea supporters. The earliest dates back to 1951, the latest is from 2019. 

Some are utterly hilarious, others deeply moving. Memories of a time gone by, of relations and friends no longer with us. Of a very different Stamford Bridge, of a very different atmosphere and crowd make-up.

The matches. 13-0 and 7-0 victories. 7-1 defeats. Glorious comebacks. Abject surrenders. Tedious draws. 

The stars. Roy Bentley. Jimmy Greaves. Bobby Tambling. Peter Osgood. Charlie Cooke. Alan Hudson. Ray Wilkins. Kerry Dixon. Pat Nevin. Ruud Gullit. Gianluca Vialli. Gianfranco Zola. John Terry. Frank Lampard. Didier Drogba. Eden Hazard. Fran Kirby.

Packed tube trains and buses. Being parked outside the pub with a bottle of pop while dad drank with his mates. Streets packed with spectators, an entirely new experience for wide-eyed youngsters. Vendors selling hot dogs, peanuts, rosettes and programmes. The smell of fried onions, unsavoury toilets, horse sh*t and cigarette smoke. The turnstiles. The packed (or not so packed) terracing. The first sight of the pitch. The players. The match itself (often a blur). The journey home. The company of family and friends.

The memories combine to give a wonderful impression of what watching Chelsea was like for impressionable youngsters over a period of nearly 70 years.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I asked for contributions to this book. I expected maybe 100 and was amazed when I got more than twice that number, clearly written with feeling and from the heart. Together they create a unique picture of watching Chelsea for the first time was like from the days of rationing and national service, right through to the modern era.

I really enjoyed editing the book and I would hope it will be of interest to any Chelsea supporter, young or not-so-young.  

Editor’s note: (that’s me, Steve!) I am delighted to read that, “Net proceeds from the sale of the book is split between Hammersmith & Fulham Food bank and Barons Court Homeless Project, charities supported by Chelsea Supporters Trust.” See the bottom of the page.

It is incredible to think that we are already in March and that for many clubs the season is coming to a close. For Arsenal it figuratively came to a close when they dropped more points in an entertaining 1-1 draw versus Manchester United yesterday. For FC Deportivo Galicia and our dreams of promotion we must wait one more season. With only four more games left, promotion is mathematically impossible. For Gillingham promotion is still mathematically possible BUT relegation is a fear. Two wins in twelve (admittedly two in three) have realistically killed any chance of League One next season. That’s football.

Meanwhile our intrepid traveller and vlogger, Darren has been busy again and this week even took his assistant, Thunder. Let’s see what he has been up to recently. He says, “…vlogging at Nuneaton yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting another Darren A(cton), the joint manager of Nuneaton Town

What a top fella he was, and I had the bonus of being joined at the match by a slightly less top fella, Thunder (Robin Atkins), and Daniel, son of Thunder. (Ed’s note – Magni? I will get my coat!)

Was a great game, and also, a nice change to watch the footy, in the sunshine, and also, being able to ditch the orange coat….what was even nicer, was the people at the club…..and the food and drink they gave us at half time.

Feel free to click on the link and have a look at the vlog

Clare is still very occupied with the women’s game and send me her recent newsletter that I have promised to spotlight. If you are interested in the growth of the women’s sport, please register with her for regular and interesting updates.

She explains the inexplicable….

The start of the women’s UEFA Nations League has taken centre stage in the last couple of weeks and the opening matches provided plenty of excitement.

A mixed bag for the home nations but highlights included:

• 1-1 draw for Wales against the very strong and experienced Sweden. A really excellent result and a marker of Wales’ improvement and ambitions
• 3-2 win for Northern Ireland over Bosnia and Herzegovina with 2 late strikes by Simone Magill
• 1-0 win for Republic of Ireland over Turkiye.
• 1-0 win for England over current World and Nations League champions Spain, at Wembley. And more importantly, a really strong performance.

Here’s a quick run down of how the Nations League works.

There are 3 Leagues: A. B, and C. League A is the top 16 teams in UEFA, B the next 16, and C the rest of the developing teams. There are 53 teams in total.

Within Leagues A and B there are four groups of four teams. The top team from each group in League A plays off in a semi-final then final for the title. The bottom team in each League A group gets relegated to League B next time around. In return, the top team in each group of League B gets promoted into League A. The same is true at the bottom of League B and the top of League C. So it’s a proper league system but with a short knockout phase to determine the overall champion. It’s really quite elegant.

 


‘Around The World in 95 Games’

Some of you will remember I recently spotlighted Rob Cavallini’s definitive history of Dorking Wanderers. Uploading that blog reminded me of another book he published recently. It is the remarkable tale of the Islington Corinthians. He kindly forwarded me a press release and confirms that the book is still available.

The amazing story of the Islington Corinthians 1937/38 World Tour

It is September 1936 and your team has just beaten the Chinese Olympic team at Highbury; a casual invitation is extended by your visitors to visit China. What would you do? If you were Rotarian Tom Smith of the Rotary Club of Islington you would start planning a record breaking trip which would cross countries, continents and war zones.

The Islington Corinthians started life as a mid-week team whose primary function was to raise money for local charities. Smith and his new club were successful on and off the field of play and raised over £600 for charity at a time when you could buy a four bedroom house in Islington for £400. Ultimately though, they were destined to become football ambassadors for Britain when they embarked on the game’s first ever world tour, just two years before the outbreak of World War Two.

Smith, set about selecting a team from the cream of amateur clubs in the south and Midlands, raiding Barnet, Kingstonian, Dulwich Hamlet, Leyton, Moor Green, Sutton United, Nunhead, Tufnell Park and Wimbledon. The team travelled through Europe playing in Holland and Switzerland before progressing south to Egypt and then enjoyed six weeks in India, where they were attacked by the British Army during a visit to the Khyber Pass. 

After New Year, the tour got even more exotic with visits to Burma, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippine Islands and Hong Kong, when the players were taken on an opium den raid by the Hong Kong Police. Tom Smith’s vision was fulfilled when the Islington Corinthians reached war-torn China, although it did not all go to plan when several members of the team were arrested for curfew violation by the occupying Japanese troops, who released them only when they realised the team was due to play in Tokyo several days later.

The tourists travelled on to Hawaii and then America, where they were entertained by an endless list of Hollywood movie stars such as David Niven, before travelling across Canada and then sailing for England.   

Tom Smith’s team had travelled 40,000 miles and played 95 games in eight months, losing just eight games en route. The Islington Corinthians had succeeded when popular expectation was that they would return to England within a month, at a time when the world was on the brink of war. It was a truly remarkable achievement which has largely been ignored and now, for the first time, has been told with the memoirs and quotes of Tom Smith and captain Pat Clark and the marvellous surviving photographic record of player, Eddie Martin .

Around The World in 95 Games is available from Rob Cavallini priced £14.99 (plus £3 postage).  Available at www.dognduck.net