A Trip to the Motherland
During my vacation to Europe, I have been asked by at least ten people - “what matches are you attending?” And to each of them, I’ve responded, “I’m with my wife, she already puts up with enough soccer as it is, I’m not dragging her to a match on our vacation.” Maybe not that exactly, but certainly something like it. But we did make one soccer-related stop on our trip so far, in the city of London, to a place I had always wanted to visit from pictures online, Classic Football Shirts.
The shop itself is tucked into a a formerly industrial area, brewery in fact, The Old Truman Brewery. The area has become the home of tons of small, boutique-type shops, featuring kitch, crafts, and art. Sprinkled between the shops is a healthy dose of restaurants, most small and on their way up. It’s the type of area that 15 years ago would be a place to score drugs, but is now a place to buy great one-of-a-kind items (and score a better grade of drugs). The day we visited, the rain was coming down pretty good from Storm Ciara. The storm has made a mess of the day, with buckets of rain falling, matched with a healthy dose of cold wind. Not optimal weather for a quiet day shopping.
The shop was just around the corner from the entrance and as we came around, I turned to my wife and joyfully whispered, “Look!” I’m sure she thought I was an idiot. It’s rad to see something you’ve seen in pictures but never seen in real life. True of a piece of art, true of a building, true of a person, and definitely true of a kit shop! The shop was busy, filled with shoppers and through the window I could see two levels, filled with racks of kits. Behind the front counter, two guys nodded as we stepped in and I wanted to geek out, but managed to contain myself.
The racks are organized into several groups, there’s an under £20 rack, an international rack, some leagues are separated out, it all makes perfect sense. In the bottom level, there’s a legends’ section, which included a XXL Zlatan AC Milan kit for £149. I did not purchase it, sadly. Sizes were an issue for a big guy like myself. Not a lot of XXL and even less XXXL, I assume the healthy people of Europe just aren’t wearing the bigger kits. Us unhealthy Americans on the other hand, are left with what whatever we can get. I did manage to snag two in my size, a slick Danish Superliga kit, SønderjyskE, and a more familiar West Ham kit. The Hammers’ kit ran me £27.99 ($36.51), while the SønderjyskE kit was £17.99 ($23.47).
My finds at CFS.
There was a distinct lack of American kits in the building, with the exception of several NYCFC kits hanging on the wall, where they were ignored by everyone. There were no USNT kits either, which I found somewhat surprising, especially considering the class team that the women have fielded FOREVER. I brought up the dearth of American kits to the front desk guys and we joked about no one wanting to buy a NYCFC kit. I’m happy to report that the shade against NYCFC is universal. I wish I had worn one of my grassroots kits that day, but I didn’t want to be THAT guy, so I plugged a couple of clubs and Icarus (of course) and we stepped out into the rain, two kits richer.
Without a doubt, the shop is a must-stop for any soccer fan, especially a kit head. I don’t know where a shop like this could survive in the states, outside of the soccer hotspots like Portland or NYC. There’s just not enough support for soccer to keep the doors open on a kit-only shop. And that’s why you have to make it a point to get to the motherland. The prices are completely reasonable and the selection is fantastic. You will find something to drop money on, without a doubt.
Visit Classic Football Shirts in London, well worth the stop.
- Dan Vaughn