Continuing on our 'Community Collectibles' series on The Platform showcasing some of the biggest collectors in the Community and with it being the FIFA World Cup 2026, we thought it was only right to catch up with three football memorabilia collectors in the Community.
For this we reached out to @simonr555 @elliot.waters_ and @moz273 to take a look at their collections, find out what started it and hear about the nostalgia that comes with football.
How did you get into collecting football memorabilia?
From as far back as I can remember I had a thing for collecting, not just city stuff, but I'd also get shirts for all sorts of different teams and countries. I spent all of my time outside playing football and the local JJB, Intersport and Gibsons Sport in Bolton always had good cheap shirts for me to collect and not have a concern about ruining them.
What was your first football memory or game that you saw?
I used to go watch my dad and uncle play every week with my cousin and I remember being 3/4 watching them both play locally. The first professional game I ever went to was Bolton vs Arsenal in 1994.
How many items do you have in your collection?
I wish I knew! I'd guess at over 100 City related items though and around 200 other items (mostly shirts and jackets) of other teams and countries. I'm probably best not knowing!
Favourite piece in your collection?
It's definitely an item that's in worst condition but it's the Manchester City 1997/98 player issue third shirt. The shirt was only ever used five times and it was the same set of shirts in all five games. I managed to get my hands on the number 8 shirt, which is a quite iconic number in City history.
Is there a piece that you have your eye on?
I'm always looking! There's a few City shirts that were player issue only that I'm always on the look out for, but no luck so far.
Favourite brand at the moment?
My favourite football related brand is likely to always gong to be Umbro. At the moment I think both Nike and adidas are producing some great gear. It's also good to see Reebok making a little comeback into the football world.
Favourite sneaker in your collection?
Either my Sean Wotherspoon Air Max 1/97 or Nike SB Dunk Strangelove.
Why football memorabilia?
I've always loved football and the memories it generates for me, not just about the games but with people as well. I've always been most comfortable in a football shirt. There's been a huge boom in the past ten years which is great to see, but also seen a massive increase in knock-off gear.
Do you wear the shirts you collect?
If they fit I'll wear them! Although depending on the shirt I am wary of where I'll be going before and after the game...
Do you prefer to store or display your collection?
I wish I had the space to display things. Most stuff is boxed up because of space but also because I am moving where I will have some more space to hopefully get more out and readily available.
Is there a specific piece in your collection with the best backstory to it?
I had to buy the Citt Kappa third shirt through auction, but had a pre-assessment appointment for surgery the same day. The auction time was just before I went in for the appointment and my blood pressure was critically high when they took it! I don't think the thrill and anxiety left my body for about a week!
How did you get into collecting football memorabilia?
I guess you could say that I’ve been collecting football memorabilia and shirts since I was about 2 or 3 years old! My Dad has put me in Chelsea shirts for as long as I can remember (and even before) and it’s continued right through now to the grand old age of 28. The first piece I remember picking up is the 2004/2005 Chelsea goalkeeper shirt as I was a huge Petr Cech fan and an aspiring goalkeeper. This shirt was special to me as it was the first I spent my money on and it all spiralled from there really.
What was your first football memory/game you saw?
My first football memory was England’s gutting loss to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup. I can remember sitting in our school sports hall with all the kids and teachers crowded around a box telly as England crashed out (England has provided us all with some trauma over the years!)
The first game I remember going to in person was the Community Shield between Chelsea and Arsenal at the Millenium Stadium in 2005. Crazy to think that was my first time in Cardiff and 8 year old me was none the wiser to the fact I’d end up moving here for university 10 years later.
How many items do you have in your collection?
Really hard one to quantify as I’ve got a lot of shirts with me in Wales but loads back in Spain at my parents house!
Favourite piece in your collection and why?
Football wise, I’ve currently got 2 pieces I’d class as my ‘favourites’ in my collection. The first one is a Cesar Azpilicueta Atletico Madrid jersey that I picked up on my travels. We were visiting 2 of our best friends who had just moved to Madrid so picking up the jersey from Atleti’s wonderful Wanda Metropolitano stadium was really memorable.
Secondly, I picked up the Travis Scott retro Barcelona jersey last year and that’s seen a whole lot of wear! Anyone who follows me on IG knows I’m a huge Travis Scott and football fan so it’s a match made in heaven really.
Is there a piece you have your eye on?
I guess you could class them as football memorabilia, but I really want to pick up a pair of the KidSuper SuperBapeCups! The whole range of 48 Bapesta’s is stunning and I’ll definitely be looking to grab a pair when I travel to London soon.
Favourite brand at the moment?
It has to be Jordan for me! 95% of the sneakers I’ve picked up in the last few years have been J’s so to see them taking a bigger step into football now is sick.
I want to start a new collection of...
Given how much my bank account suffers currently, it’s probably not a good idea to collect anything else!
Do you wear the shirts you collect?
Of course! As a kid I exclusively lived in a footy shirt and a pair of astros and I’ve started to carry that on now football shirts have become a bit more fashionable again. (Not sure on wearing astros as part of a fit though!)
Favourite sneaker in your collection?
It has to be the first Fragment x Travis Scott Jordan 1 Low! They’ve got a special place in my heart as I had to work around 140 hours of overtime in 1 month to afford these back in the day.
Do you prefer to store or display your collection?
I prefer displaying it as it seems like a waste having things in boxes and cupboards. Space is becoming an issue though.
Why football memorabilia?
My passion and love of the game has definitely translated into me wanting to have a collection of football memorabilia. Having shirts from different seasons acts as a mini time capsule which will remind you of a certain time in your life.
Is there a specific piece in your collection with the best backstory to it?
I haven’t got it any more, as an 8/9 year old me trashed it, but I had an all gold World Cup ball which I bought when I went to Germany for the tournament in 2006. The ball was really special to me as my brother and I managed to buy it after going round the fan camp collecting plastic glasses where you’d be given a Euro for each one you picked up. I think we managed to collect like 90 glasses in the end so we were very flush kids!
How did you get into collecting football memorabilia?
Probably got to thank my parents who kept all the football shirts me and my 2 brothers had when we were growing up. When my son was first getting into football they gave me a couple of bags that were just full of the shirts we'd had which they had been keeping for 20+ years and putting away each time we grew out of them. I've been passing them on to my son and daughter when they grow into them and we've started putting the shirts we have bought for them over the years aside as well so we can do the same in future.
What was your first football memory or first game you saw?
Where I live you are either a Red (Liverpool) or a Blue (Everton) and sometimes you get both in the same house. My Dad's side were all Blues and my Mum's were all Reds and they left me and my brothers to make our own minds up. The first football match I properly remember watching was the 1989 FA Cup Final when Liverpool played Everton. I would have just turned 5 a few weeks before it. Liverpool won 3-2 after extra time and I've been a Red ever since.
How many items do you have in your collection?
I have never counted, but a lot! There's 35 years or so worth of shirts from me, my brothers, my son and daughter and for all different teams - Liverpool, England, other countries and foreign clubs.
Favourite piece in your collection?
It is probably the England shirt from Italia 90 just because it is the oldest one I still have and in really good condition still. But there's others that push it close like the Brazil home kit from France 98 or the away from Japan/Korea 2002 just because of the memories of those teams with the proper Ronaldo.
From the Liverpool kits I have it is the white and green quarter away shirt from the 1995/96 season. It's just so good and can definitely see why Adidas brought it back as a re-release earlier this year.
Is there a piece that you have your eye on?
I have never picked up an original Germany home shirt that they wore at Italia 90. It is an absolute classic. The one they wore at this World Cup is very similar, but the 1990 version is better.
Favourite brand at the moment?
There's a few of the Adidas kits from this World Cup that I have had my eye on - like the Japan away kit. They have ruined some of their shirts this time though by making the 3 stripes on the sleeves fat which I don't like.
Big fan of the Nike Norway home shirt as well. My son liked it too and I am never buying him a Haaland Manchester City kit, so got him the Norway kit with Haaland on the back.
Favourite sneaker in your collection?
Might be an obvious choice but it is probably still the Travis Scott x Fragment Jordan Lows. They're just such a good looking pair. Can dress them up or down so they work in any situation and they have been well worn over the years.
Why football memorabilia?
Football is just something I can always remember being into and new kit day every season was a highlight of the year. My parents keeping all the ones we had has started it and we've just built on it now we have our own kids.
Do you wear the shirts you collect?
A few, but a load no longer fit me as they are from when I was younger. My kids go through them every few months though and pick out the ones they like that they have grown into. My son has been wearing the Spain and Brazil shirts from France 98 a lot recently.
Do you prefer to store or display your collection?
Plan has been to sort the spare bedroom into a proper home office and use that to display bits in there, just not got round to it yet.
Is there a specific piece in your collection with the best backstory to it?
There's a few Spain and Italy kits in it and I would often get one or the other whenever a tournament came round that they were in. Reason being that during Italia 90 we were on holiday in Spain staying at a hotel owned by an Italian family so whenever England, Italy or Spain were playing everyone in the bar was supporting one of those. I'll always remember that and that's why I'd pick up their kits over the years as well.
Shoutout to all the collectors out there and the guys featured in this instalment of the 'Community Collectibles' series. This has been a nice one to see come together and highlights the beauty of the game and the nostalgia, memories, and emotions that comes along with it - win or lose.
Catch you at the next one
