I didn’t really intend to start collecting football shirts. It came, in part, from a fasctination with the unrecognised states involved with CONIFA (about which I later wrote a book), and as tournaments approached, those sides started launching shirts to play in, often with unique designs referencing their past or culture. To me, those were irresistable.
From there, I picked up a love for the quirky shirt – while I own some because they mean something to me personally (Villa shirts, in particular), most are because they have bizarre designs, or relate to unlikely sides. Here’s what I’ve gathered so far…
Castel Di Sangro (home, 1996/1997, ‘Miracle’ era, long sleeved, Verolino 18 print)
Tibet National Team (in use around 2018)
Matabeleland (home, 2018 CONIFA World Cup)
Barawa (goalkeeper shirt, CONIFA World Cup 2018)
Cascadia (CONIFA World Cup 2018)
Bohemians (away, 2020 season)
Christiania SC (away, 2020)
Aston Villa Coca Cola Cup Winners Shirt (home, 1994)
