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My First Football Shirt: 90s Inspired
We spoke to 90s Inspired as a part of our My First Football Shirt series. We spoke about random Raith Rovers kits, Italia 90 classics and David Healy winners.
What was your first football shirt?
First shirt was oddly a 1993/94 Raith Rovers home shirt.
Scott Y Thomson saving penalty in shootout for Raith Rovers to win the 1994 Scottish League Cup Final defeating Celtic at Ibrox.#raithrovers #celtic @RaithRovers_FC @robbiethomsongk #subbuteolegends #subbuteo #scottishleaguecup pic.twitter.com/gxjCgMtKOm
— ⎊𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨⎊ (@subbuteolegends) January 4, 2018
I didn't support Raith Rovers and have never watched them play. But I grew up next door to one of my best friends and his dad had been in Scotland for the week for work. When he returned home he had brought both of us back a shirt each. It was my first official club replica shirt and I still have it to this day.
Q: What is your favourite shirt? Why is it your favourite?
#UKRNIR Northern Ireland national football team photo pic.twitter.com/b7OB1j4U7b
— Euro Football (@intl_football15) June 16, 2016
My favourite shirt from a sentimental point of view is the Northern Ireland 2015 Home shirt. I won a competition to attend one of the training sessions towards the end of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign and got that shirt signed by the whole squad ahead of us qualifying. It's framed and up in the living room.
Style-wise, the England 1990 3rd shirt and USA 94 away shirt are right up there. They capture what everyone loved about 90s kits; They were so unique.
Q: What is your favourite football moment?
As a huge Northern Ireland fan there have been a few moments in recent years. There were years of mediocrity and a belief that qualifying for a major tournament was something we weren't going to see in our lifetimes. I was born in 1988 and our last major tournament had been Mexico 86.
The big home wins over England and Spain were special atmospheres, but the night we beat Greece at home to qualify for Euro 2016 was the big one. I had been to every home and away match of that campaign, except the Faroe Islands and you could tell midway through the campaign something special was happening. It all culminated in that night and the summer in France was an amazing experience that a lot of us never thought we'd have.
Q: What was the inspiration behind 90sInspired?
The inspiration really came about as a result of years of complaining. I wanted a more varied range of merchandise other than simply kit and training gear and always complained that nobody was really offering what I had in mind.
The popularity of retro kits is there for all to see and so the idea gradually came about that if nobody else was going to create it, I would. My partner already ran her own independent women's clothing brand, so I had a good understanding of the processes and decided to go for it.
Q: What shirts/designs are next in the pipeline?
We've had great feedback on our jumpers so far. The number of people who message us just to comment on the quality of the materials is amazing, so we're definitely going to branch out in that area a little.
We have samples ready to go of the USA 94 away, Germany 90 Home and despite it not being from the 90s, the England 1980 Away also. They're scheduled for next winter and we have a few special summer pieces coming up. The majority of our pieces will be 90s inspired, but some kits deserve to be reborn regardless of the decade.
Many thanks to Adrian from 90sInspired for taking the time to speak with us!
You can check out the full range of jackets, shirts and accessories that 90sInspired offer by visiting their website.
