I have mentioned Kettering Town several times in the past. Most football fans can remember the whole Kettering Tyres story. It was a pleasure therefore to hear of the activities around a forthcoming league match when many of the Legends of that era will come together……..and there is an exciting shirt side-story (see below.)

The story so far – click here

BUT

On January 17th there will be a very special reunion of the legends of the 70s. Paula Conde-Sharpe sent me this,

“The 50th celebrations are going to be epic. We have 7 of the original players from that legendary team attending the celebrations as our guests in Hospitality. I think that’s pretty incredible!!! They are in their late 70’s and 80’s My dad is one of them!! Kettering Town are just outside the playoffs in the Southern League Premier Central so three points will make it a great day.

This is an exclusive opportunity to experience the club1872 Hospitality Suite alongside true Kettering Town legends, including six of the original 1976 players who proudly wore the pioneering Kettering Tyres shirt, joined by other iconic figures from Kettering and the wider footballing world.

The day begins at 12 noon with engaging talks from our special guests, followed by a two-course meal and a complimentary drink. You’ll also have the chance to meet the manager and players, all of whom will be wearing the iconic Kettering Tyres kit, making this a truly unforgettable celebration of the club’s heritage.

This is a landmark occasion and a historic day of celebration not to be missed.

Places are strictly limited and can be booked via Fanbase accessed via www.ketteringtownfc.com.

Book now to secure your seat and avoid disappointment.
Here’s the schedule

NOTE: The legends are going to be wearing a replica shirt with their name and number on which they will sign and we will auction post match.

They are doing a retro cover programme for the day like the old style. They are going to put the shirts to be auctioned on the FB page ahead of 17th as well for bids

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The Complete Non-League Groundhopper’s Guide

Well, where do I start?
Amorim…Gone
Nancy…Gone
Marseca…Gone
Moore …Gone

The merry-go-round keeps going round. Port Vale’s league position and Celtic’s form perhaps mean that the departures were inevitable. The situations at Chelsea and Manchester United are far more intriguing.
Just hearing that a certain José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix AKA “The Special One” is interested in the Chelsea role. Yo-Yo …….. but NOBODY has EVER brought them more success! What about Ole Gunnar Solskjær to United? I’d be very happy with either returning to Old Trafford!

All good banter but in the real world both my games were off this weekend. Holmer Green and Meadow Lane Notts County are grounds I have been to before so no ticks but this is a very worthwhile addition to any groundhopper’s library. (See below for my own personal January offer)

Let’s look at “The Complete Non-League Groundhopper’s Guide “

Join Alan Burge on this odyssey of exploration around some of football’s lesser-known – but by no means less remarkable or significant – football grounds.

No breeze block and plastic identikit stadia here, just unique and inspiringly creative incarnations and interpretations of the humble host of the truly beautiful game.

Superbly complemented by Alan’s unique diary entries, explore weird and wonderful structures, the meeting of old and new and the unashamed collaboration with their natural habitat.

You’ll never share the away end at The Emirates with a tree, or the Anfield Kop with a replica shirt-wearing Great Dane, but they can be found right here – along with hundreds of other equally enchanting and evocative images, in The Complete Non-League Groundhopper’s Guide.

Available at Amazon in paperback: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FCY35YXD

…or Kindle: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FCSK2F48

Or, save £2 when you buy from the Victor Publishing online store: https://www.victorpublishing.co.uk/47qr

….and, finally, don’t forget I am selling my entire football book and programme collection. See here

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….and we all now look forward to the New Year’s Fixtures. Hope everyone had a good one! It seems there was a lot of hot air spoken about Boxing Day or not-Boxing Day fixtures. Some are forgetting that there has long been changes over the Christmas period and others still remember the days of matches on Christmas Day! Seems a long time ago BUT on the human timeline only very recent (1965 in England and 1976 in Scotland) I note that the people who normally scream about the lack of Saturday fixtures are the same ones screaming about the abundance of Premier League fixtures on the 27th! Nine tenths of me say they haven’t been to a game in real life since the Seventies anyway! For those genuinely missing a PL game on Boxing Day, there were a lot of games in the lower divisions without the same number of prime donne! MANY seem to hark back until 1963 …which was two months before my first ever Gillingham game!

Anyway, one thing I did remember to add was the launch of a retro shout by Copa for Port Vale.
The Stoke-based club returned to the second tier in 1989 after 33 years, beginning a proud new chapter in the club’s history. The early 1990s brought fresh faces and memorable occasions that supporters still cherish.
 
The 1991 – 92 season saw the arrival of record signing Martin Foyle, who wasted no time in making his mark, netting 16 goals in his debut campaign and laying the foundations for a career that would cement his status as a Port Vale legend. Alongside him came Dutch midfielder Robin van der Laan, whose energy, determination and eye for goal made him a popular figure with the Vale faithful and a key part of John Rudge’s side.

A standout moment arrived in the League Cup, when the Valiants produced an excellent 2–2 draw at Anfield against Liverpool. That performance captured the spirit of the team and gave supporters a night to remember on one of football’s biggest stages.


The iconic shirts are available here
 

Happy New Year

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I think my collection of sports’ books is now just over 1,000. On that basis it is fair to guess that I have read “a few” but I must say I came across a most interesting book over the holidays. Look, how many autobiographies of “legends” can one read? How many ways can they regurgitate, “The Title Season?”
You know there are going to be a bucket full of cliches about taking each game as it came, “sometimes we had to win it ‘ugly’, long winters, disappointment with penalty decisions etc etc etc

Occasionally, just occasionally, a book comes across my desk that it is totally different. Excellent. Even more excellent (English?) is when it is about something I genuinely knew absolutely sweet nothing. Take a bow Ashley Ball and Chris Brook ….

A book charting the life and career of a footballing super scout who discovered 114 players including a World Cup winner and FA Cup Final heroes is now available to buy.

Feeding The Wolves tells the remarkable story of Mark Crook, a Yorkshire-based talent finder who ran a pioneering feeder team for Wolves.

Crook, a one-time Wolves player, unearthed the likes of England World Cup winning star Ron Flowers, England internationals Terry Cooper and Cyril Knowles and Wembley FA Cup winning heroes in George Robledo and Alan Sunderland.

From setting up the team in 1938 to his death in 1977, Crook sent player after player to Molineux.

The book, written by Barnsley Chronicle journalist Ashley Ball, aims to tell the whole story of what was a groundbreaking idea.

Ashley said: “Mark’s story was in danger of being forgotten but through a lot of research and interviews it’s now, thankfully, been preserved and told in full.

“What struck me through the course of interviewing many of the former players is that their lives were completely altered by Crook’s intervention.

“A small thing like a scout believing in your potential completely changed the lives of all these men.

“Alan Sunderland and Bob Hatton in particular admit that Crook’s faith in them propelled them into football and ultimately changed the course of their lives forever.”

The book contains more than 50 interviews and has a foreword written by Mick McCarthy.

Mick said: “Anybody can tell you who the best player is. That’s easy.

It is sometimes the player who you don’t notice that you need because he allows the other players to do their jobs.

Those clubs who are spending money now can rely on data but that was not always there.

Getting recruitment right can be the difference between a good season and a bad one.

To think Wolves could rely on somebody like Mark Crook for more than 30 years is incredible.”

Profits from the book are heading to the Wolves Foundation and Brampton United FC who play on the same pitches that Mark’s Wolves Juniors team did in South Yorkshire.

To order a book, visit: tinyurl.com/crookwwfc

As many of you know, I have decided that now is the time to sell up, so if you are interested in 1000 books and 20,000 programmes, please take a look here

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OK, I give in. It is indeed “almost” that time of year. ALMOST. It has been a strange month. FC Deportivo Galicia have played on ONE Saturday in the last five but are now undefeated in two games which is a massive improvement from the start of the season, Gillingham have now slipped far from the automatic promotion places and whilst having the best player in League 2 (Dack) have fallen into mid table. The only good news on the football front is that Arsenal are predictably imploding. They are still not mathematically safe from relegation and already their long-suffering supporters are muttering “next season, Europe, saving ourselves for the cups etc.”

Always nice to hear from regular contributors and Darren “You had only one Job” Ashley has been very busy with visits to Brackley in the FA Cup, being featured on and “…delighted to have met one of the biggest names in non league today….which is something Dorking Wanderers boss Marc White didn’t say after I interviewed him a couple of times this afternoon.

Seriously, Marc was great fun, lived up to what i thought he would be, and, he didn’t let me down by dropping in a couple of F-bombs.”

His fame has now spread to Scotland as he humbly told me, “……..you know not a lot has happened sporting wise in the Border TV area when they ask me could they feature the goals I filmed on Saturday for their local evening news segment. It was even their first item, ahead of some rugby and Queen of the South FC.”


As always, his videos are here on YT

Marc White with Darren – which one is the legend?

Meanwhile Clare McEwen of “She Can Kick It” fame sent me her Christmas (oops, mentioned that word!) Newsletter. Very interesting it is too.

“Hey Steve,

How’s it going? Are you ready for the festive period?

I’m ready but haven’t been feeling very Christmassy. Bizarrely, The Sound of Football Podcast has got me feeling as festive as anything else has so far this December – I think it’s the gentle shimmering of bells that’s done it!

Every year they do an advent calendar special episode where they open doors and talk about what’s behind them. This year I was honoured to be asked on to open doors 8 and 9 of the calendar. You can find it here and I open my doors on women’s football between 20-33 minutes.

Have a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays and I’ll see you in the New Year.

Now

It would be rude not to do a little look back on 2025’s football at the end of the year, so here are some Euro 2025 stats to remind us how big women’s football has recently become.

Switzerland’s Euro 2025 had a record-breaking attendance. Over 650,000 fans went to games, despite it being an expensive country.

The average attendance for each match was over 20,000 – the first time that’s happened. And the highest attendance ever for a women’s match in Switzerland was recorded with 34,165 fans watching Germany vs Denmark.

It had the most goals in a women’s Euros tournament with 106 – most of which were England coming back from giving the opposition a head start 😉

England had the record for most different goal scorers, both within a match (6 v Wales) and across the tournament (11 different scorers).

Worldwide, TV and streaming reached 500 million+ global viewers.

Then

The Euro attendance figures were amazing but it’s not the first time women have attracted huge crowds of fans.

On Boxing Day 1920, Everton’s Goodison Park ground hosted a match between Dick, Kerr Ladies and St Helen’s Ladies. The official attendance was around 53,000 and there were reports of 10,000-15,000 more outside the ground who couldn’t get in.

The attendance was comparable to men’s games, which helped lead to The FA banning women from playing. At that point, women’s football was as popular and commercially viable as men’s football.

It’s taken over a 100 years to get close to that again and we’re still a long way off.

The outcome of that match was a 4-0 win to Dick, Kerr Ladies. The attendance success helped lead to their downfall.

Hopefully next year brings more excitement, drama, and progress for women’s sport.

Have a wonderful festive season and I’ll be back in 2026.

Clare x “

What a great last minute Christmas Present ……says the guy who hasn’t bought one yet!

A quick What’s On for anybody in the North West this week – just off the A56

Details from Andrew Bowler

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The Weird & Wonderful World of Motherwell Football Collectables Vol.2

dosserdom

101 Motherwell Must Haves (and more you didn’t know you wanted)

The magical world of Motherwell football collectables was showcased in the release of Vol.1 three whole years ago. At the end of the process it was decided there was far too much to feature in just one volume so another was commissioned. That project has now been finalised and Vol.2 has now hit the shelves.  

Editor Matt Johnstone has compiled another blockbuster book filled with all manner of Motherwell related goodies to suit all ages and tastes so whether your souvenir hunting begins and ends with a matchday programme or if you are a collector of all things ‘Weird & Wonderful’ you’re sure to find something here to whet your appetite.

Get your copy on BigCartel

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When the Final Whistle Blows: Glory, Grief and Tottenham Hotspur –
New memoir intertwines football glory, friendship, and a powerful
farewell through voluntary assisted dying

In a deeply personal tribute, British‑Australian author Andrew Pettifer traces a
season of hope and heartbreak – including a friend’s courageous choice to say
goodbye with dignity – and resolves to donate all proceeds to cancer research
Sydney, Australia

As the UK continues to debate the right to die, a powerful new memoir offers an intimate, real-life perspective on friendship, football, and voluntary assisted dying.

When the Final Whistle Blows; Glory, Grief and Tottenham Hotspur tells the story of
a season – and a farewell. For Tottenham Hotspur’s 2024/25 campaign under
Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou, author Andrew Pettifer set out to chronicle
what he hoped would be a season of glory. Instead, his journey became a moving
tribute to Cameron Whyte, beloved former leader of the Sydney chapter of the
Australian Tottenham Hotspur supporters club, OzSpurs.

What began as a passionate travel diary — capturing midnight matches watched
from pubs, hotels, and cruise ships around the world — gradually transformed into
something far deeper. As Spurs battled on the pitch, Cameron faced his own final
battle against cancer, ultimately choosing voluntary assisted dying (often called
voluntary euthanasia in the UK) to end his suffering.“I thought I was writing about football,” says Andrew. “But it became a book about life, love, and the right to choose how we say goodbye.”
The book culminates in a poignant parallel: Spurs lift the Europa League trophy just
four days before Cameron’s passing, offering a moment of triumph amid heartbreak.

At a time when the question of voluntary assisted dying is front-page news in the UK,
When the Final Whistle Blows offers a raw, human look at what that choice means —
framed by humour, friendship, and the unique bond shared by sports fans around the
world.

Andrew believes Cameron’s story makes a powerful case in favour of the legalisation
of assisted dying in the UK, a practice that was introduced in New South Wales in
2023.

“Cameron faced his final days with the same spirit he brought to every
match,” Andrew adds. “This book is for every fan who believes in hope,
and for our Commander, who taught us how to live — and how to leave,
through assisted dying — with dignity.

All proceeds from the book will be donated by the author to Chris O’Brien Lifehouse,
Sydney’s world leading integrated cancer hospital to support their work in cancer
research, in memory of Cameron Whyte.

About the Author
Andrew Pettifer is a British–Australian author whose work explores the quirks of the
human condition, the joys of travel, and a lifelong devotion to Tottenham Hotspur
Football Club.

Born and raised in London, Andrew enjoyed a 35-year career as a chartered building
services engineer, holding senior roles with global firms Arup and Mott MacDonald
after relocating to Sydney in 2007. Throughout his working life, he cultivated an
interest in leadership, human behaviour and storytelling. He has written extensively
for the engineering industry, with articles published in The Fifth Estate and the
CIBSE Journal.

In 2023, Andrew retired to pursue his passion for travel, sport and writing. With
career ambitions fulfilled and a shared desire to live life to the full, he embarked on a
midlife gap year with his wife Tracy that took them across five continents and every
state in Australia. These journeys – filled with humour, insight and a fascination for
people and places – inspired his upcoming travel memoir Travels with Tracy.

Andrew’s first book, When the Final Whistle Blows, is a deeply personal chronicle of
the 2024/25 Spurs season under Ange Postecoglou, and a heartfelt tribute to
Cameron Whyte, former leader of the Sydney OzSpurs and a warrior in his fight
against cancer. Both books are published by Hembury Books.

Andrew’s writing invites readers to reflect on their own stories, embrace new
adventures at any age, and find meaning in life’s unpredictability. With a talent for
finding humour in everyday moments, he shares tales of reinvention and resilience –
and the emotional rollercoaster of following Tottenham Hotspur for over sixty years.

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I saw an interesting post on my FB feed today from Hannah Hampton who has recently been crowned the BBC Sport “Women’s Footballer of the Year” award. She is the Chelsea and Lioness keeper who has overcome much to reach her level. Hampton was born with strabismus, an eye condition that affects depth perception. By the age of three she had undergone three operations at Birmingham Children’s Hospital to try and correct it and is now an ambassador for the hospital. She is currently raising funds and wrote,

“Birmingham Children’s Hospital looked after me for 6 years – and now it’s our time to look after them.

For £5 per ticket, you can enter the raffle and be in with chance to win signed lionesses shirts from Euro Winning Team, to raise money for the incredible kids fighting battles no child should face.

All money raised will go towards supporting the 100,000 sick kids the hospital treats every year.

Enter via the link in BCH bio or visit: uk2.emma-live.com/bch

Entries close at midnight on Wednesday 17

December 2025 and winners will be contacted on Thursday 18 December.

For full terms and conditions, please visit bch.org.uk

Please help whichever way you can, donate, or share – let’s make a difference together.”

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My previous post about James got quite some interest. So it should, QUALITY artist. We were talking earlier and I am delighted to see he has added a QPR History of Shirts page.

As always, all his work is available through his Gallery.
www.jkmartwork.com

Whilst I am choosing the Priestfield Stadium as my favourite, I know he is particularly pleased with his latest Stoke City (Victoria Ground) …and so he should be!

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Yes, it’s that time of year again. It is the last West London Programme and Memorabilia Fair. As always there will be a good range of dealers and hobbyists all with great offers for your loved ones (or yourself!)

I know Lee at NWM football has an extended selection of full season sets of all the main London clubs (and Arsenal) and I am sure Mark Barnes will have a wide range of shirts and leisure wear. Lee says he needs to be away by 1,15 so be sure to visit his corner early!

The Les Easterbrook stall is manly badges. “I have old and new badges. I have most of the current 92 League Clubs with their current crests. I also have 100s of Non League badges.”

BIG NEWS

Barry and Mark have arranged a VERY SPECIAL GUEST – Paul Parker

Paul (Fulham, QPR, Manchester United) will be in attendance and will be signing his Autobiography ‘ Tackling the Game’.

Last time they had a book signing at the Fair was for David Pleat and they ran out of books despite pre-orders being available.

The book retails at £25 and if you want to guarantee your copy at a discounted rate of £20 please email barry@dixey.net or phone / text on 07887 808102.

Look forward to seeing you all this Sunday.

I will not be exhibiting but would remind everyone that I have a large collection for sale.

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

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