Can I wear my replica shirt now?

Posted by
Liverpool home kit 1979-1982

When I was eleven I got my first Liverpool replica kit,  I remember saving all my pocket money for months and then waiting another two months for it to ship from the UK to Malta.

The kit finally arrived at the end of the 1981-82 season but then the following season the club changed the kit drastically. After 86 years of the shirt being solid red, white pin-stripes were added. The sponsor changed too and now the kit that I had spent so much time saving for wasn’t going to be worn by my heroes anymore.

Needless to say I was gutted, I couldn’t afford to keep buying the kits as they kept changing every two years. So I didn’t buy another replica kit for over 20 years and opted for other Liverpool merchandise instead.

Fast forward to 2002 and now I could order the shirts online, the prices were still expensive but I could afford it. Instead of spending money on a Lacoste shirt I can now buy at least two or three  Liverpool shirts a year. Finally I could wear the same shirts that my heroes were wearing.

Liverpool home kit 1982-1983

As you know, Tom Hicks and George Gillett arrived in 2007, after a few months all hell broke loose and the truth of how and why they bought the club came out. A small number of fans started to call for a boycott of official merchandise.

Since 2008 the boycott call has been growing and like many Liverpool supporters I was thorn about this, not being able to wear the shirt of my heroes is painful. As the 2010/11 season is about to start we are faced with a new home kit. The boycott calls now are louder than ever and I am seeing more and more fans shunning the shirt and opting to wear retro shirts, SOS t-shirts and a group of fans even created their own version of the shirt with proceeds going to SOS and HJC.

The club has reported that demand for the new replica shirts has been very high, this is probably due mostly to demands from countries where the previous shirts couldn’t be sold due to alcohol advertising laws. Of course then there are the kids, how can someone tell their 8 year old that they can’t get a Stevie G. shirt? Because if they don’t, their blue nose uncle Howard is going to be buying them an Everton one.

I don’t think the boycott will have much of a financial impact however it is sending a very strong message. I must admit I do own the new replica Standard Chartered shirt which I received as a gift. I am not wearing it until the club is sold.

Y.N.W.A.

-Antoine

More Stories Hitachi replica shirt Standard Chartered

10 Comments

  1. I’m refusing to but official club merchandise until we get rid of ’em. I’ve also stopped attending home games and only go the odd away game as it’s the host club who makes the money but I still get to support the team.
    Hopefully things will be back to normal soon!

  2. I bought one of the fan created protest shirts and can’t wait for it to arrive. I won’t be buying any Liverpool merchandise or visiting Anfield until our owners have left.

  3. Luckily I live in Dubai and as soon as Standard Charter became the sponsors, they gave the Dubai supporters club a shout and said ‘Look, we are the new sponsors, do you want some free shirts and some PR” and of course the Supporters club obliged, and thank fully Standard charter where true to their word.

    Not only did we have free shirts, they even sponsored the supporters club liverpool website, and gave some PR.

    I was walking through a Dubai Mall and was stopped by a person wearing the old kit and he asked ‘wow, where did you get the new shirt from’ I obliged with ‘Free, from Standard Charter’ this was about 2 months ago. Liverpool prescence is felt around the world and if (fingers crossed) we are going to a new era, lets start helping the club… where our shirts, and lets watch the glory come back to us!

  4. I cant wait to see the yanks out from the club but I also cant wait till I wear that T-shirt that I love, after all I`m a Liverpool supporter . Come on reds

  5. I’m the same. No home games and no merch until the two freeloaders are gone.

    I get given the odd ticket by clients though, so if they’ve paid it’d be rude *not* to go :o)

    YNWA

  6. I totally agree with the boycott of official merchandise and won’t be buying any until the Yanks are gone but disagree with boycotting the games. I know it’s still lining their pockets but it’s also punishing the team. Empty seats means less atmosphere and it’s times like these that we really need to get behind the team. It also looks bad for potential buyers who are expected to build a new stadium when we’re not even filling the one we have. Ban the shirts but back the team.
    YNWA
    Justice for the 96

Comments are closed