How to spot a fake Manchester United football shirt
Whichever way you slice it, Manchester United are one of the biggest teams in the world. Results on the pitch come and go, but the Red Devils have been one of the loudest, proudest teams for at least my lifetime, with a global fanbase that is the envy of anyone else in the footballing world.
That popularity comes with a warning. From the Umbro classics of the 90s to the Cristiano Ronaldo era, United shirts are always hot property, and fakes are popping up all over the place.
Many people knowingly buy fakes in an effort to save money, and though I’d always caution doing so I won’t take this opportunity to try and persuade you to do otherwise. What I will do however is provide anyone with the tools they need to identify a fake Manchester United shirt, if that is something you’re concerned about.
Browse our range of Retro Man United Shirts here.
What you need to know about spotting a fake Manchester United shirt
- Start with the crest and compare it closely with a genuine crest from the same era. Check the shape and stance of the devil, the outline of the badge, how thick the "Manchester United" lettering is and, if it's embroidered, the quality of the stitching.
- Check the manufacturer logo, whether adidas, Umbro or Nike. There should be no trailing lines and nothing unusually thin or chunky. Messy overlapping lines on the adidas trefoil, an overly slender Swoosh or drooping Umbro diamonds are all red flags.
- Sponsors are easier to fake, especially plastic transfers, so check the crest and logo first. Then compare the sponsor with photos of genuine shirts.
- Search the product code, which is on a small label near the bottom of the shirt on the inside or just inside the collar. It should bring up the exact shirt. If you only see generic shirts from the brand, you're probably looking at a fake.
- Don't buy a modern United shirt without a product code. For older shirts, check whether one should be there at all.
- If you're looking for an authentic Manchester United shirt, browse our collection on the Football Shirt Collective here.
How to spot fake football shirts by brand
| adidas | Umbro | Nike | General |
Manchester United crests
The Manchester United crest is an iconic symbol, and although it has retained many of its key components over the years the exact look of the badge has been tweaked in a number of subtle ways.
Below is a selection of crests from genuine United shirts, showing some of the variations from the looks of the 90s to a more modern, tonal example taken from a recent Man U kit. When trying to identify if a shirt is real or not, check the crest you’re looking at as forensically as possible against pictures of crests from shirts you know to be genuine (retail websites are a good place to start, or shirts from fellow collectors).
Fake United crests can take many forms, but you want to focus on various elements from the integrity of shapes like the devil, to the overall shape of the badge and, if embroidered, the quality of the stitching.
Again it’s a case of trial and error, comparing as much as you can with genuine crests. If you take the second example in the collage above, the extra thickness of the “Manchester United” wording is the biggest giveaway. The wording of the 3rd crest above is another giveaway, as is the stance of the devil.
Authentic Manchester United
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1990/92 Manchester United adidas Away Shirt
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1998/00 Beckham #7 Manchester United Umbro CL Winners Shirt
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2007/09 Manchester United Nike Home Shirt
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Manufacturer logos on Manchester United shirts
From adidas to Umbro to Nike and back to adidas, the big names have taken it in turns to produce United kits. As with the crest conversation, the look of the various manufacturer logos has been diverse, forcing any collector to keep on their toes when trying to avoid fakes.
Here’s a crop of genuine brand marks, which all showcase the logo of the respective companies as you’d expect to see them. Whether sublimated, embroidered or heat pressed, you want to make sure there are no trailing lines or unusually thin or chunky design elements.
Let’s now compare the real stuff to some counterfeit logos. With the adidas trefoil for example, the lines in the lower portion of the logo shouldn’t be messily overlapping as with the example below.
Dodgy Nike swooshes are also quite easy to spot once you’ve familiarised yourself with the look of the logo. The fake below gives itself away by how slender it is. And with Umbro in the 90s, the way the top of the double diamonds droops in the picture below is a red flag.
This Kit Breakdown video from the brilliant fellas at Spark Academy breaks down the difference between a replica and authentic Manchester United shirt.
Manchester United sponsors
Sponsor logos are ‘easier’ to fake, broadly speaking, especially when the original sponsor was applied as a plastic transfer. At the risk of repeating myself too much, the best approach is to familiarise yourselves with the sponsors as they appear on genuine shirts (like the pictures below).
Fake sponsors, as with the brand logo discussion, will stand out if you’ve done your homework, but in general I like to focus on the crest or brand logo first before moving to things like sponsors.
Manchester United shirt product codes and internal labels
Any veteran collector will know that the product code represents the best way to identify a fake Manchester United shirt, at least for modern shirts. The vast majority of shirts from the past 10 years include a small label with a product code, and a quick search of this code provides all the information you need.
Here are some examples of various product codes from Manchester United shirts. The code label is usually either near the bottom of the shirt on the inside, or just inside the collar at the top.
Quite simply, if you search the code and you see pictures of the shirt the label is supposedly attached to, you’re good to go. If generic shirts from the brand come up, you’re probably looking at a fake Manchester United shirt. Note that sometimes brands do multiple batches of shirts, which means a code may not return results straight away. Still, most fake codes have been circulating long enough that you’ll quickly know if a code is wrong.
Counterfeiters reuse the same templates across clubs. In our Fake Shirt Checker we found the same Nike "Authentic" hem-tag serial, 015693189, on a fake Manchester United shirt and a fake Barcelona shirt. That serial should be unique to one shirt. See more real examples in our guide on how to spot a fake Barcelona shirt.
As a rule I would never buy a shirt without a product code unless there was no product code to begin with such as with some older shirts. Always ask to see one when verifying a shirt, and then if it’s a shirt that’s more than ~10 years old do some research online to see if there should be one.
You'll find no fakes in our Manchester United collection, which features namesets from Cantona, Veron and more. Browse in store and pick-up a classic here.
FAQs
How can I spot a fake Manchester United shirt?
Start by comparing the crest with a genuine one from the same era. Check the devil, the badge outline, the lettering and the stitching. Then check the manufacturer logo for trailing lines or odd proportions, and search the product code on the inside label. The sponsor is worth checking too, but it's easier to fake, so don't rely on it alone.
Where is the product code on a Manchester United shirt?
It's on a small label, usually near the bottom of the shirt on the inside or just inside the collar. Search the code online. If it brings up the exact United shirt, that's a good sign. If it only brings up generic shirts from the brand, it's likely a fake. Some older shirts were never given a product code.
What does a fake Manchester United crest look like?
Common giveaways are "Manchester United" lettering that's too thick, wording that's slightly wrong, a devil with the wrong shape or stance, a misshapen badge outline and messy embroidery. Compare it closely with photos of genuine crests from the same season.
Can you spot a fake Manchester United shirt from the sponsor?
Sometimes. Sponsors, especially plastic transfers, are easier for counterfeiters to copy than the crest or manufacturer logo. Check those first, then compare the sponsor's size, font and placement with photos of genuine shirts.
What's the difference between a replica and an authentic Manchester United shirt?
Both are genuine. An authentic (player-version) shirt is made to the specification the players wear, while a replica is the fan version sold in club shops. A fake is neither: it's an unofficial counterfeit. Spark Academy's video above breaks down the differences in detail.
Are Football Shirt Collective's Manchester United shirts authentic?
Yes. Every shirt is hand-checked before listing and photographed in detail (10+ photos per shirt), and we're rated Excellent on Trustpilot. There are no fakes and no exceptions. Browse authentic Manchester United shirts here.
Once you know it is real, see our guide to buying a vintage Manchester United shirt and our complete guide to Manchester United football shirts.
