My First Football Shirt: Eighteen86

If you grew up supporting Arsenal in the 90s you were lucky. You had a boss for a manager, Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp up front and a selection of quality kits.

This is a 2 part interview where Ed and Max from Arsenal fanzine Eighteen86 walk us through their favourite Arsenal shirts and memories. it is also part of our My First Football Shirt series.

What was your first football shirt?

My first shirt was the 94/95 Arsenal away kit, the first lightning one, I had the full kit top to toe and I remember buying it with my Mum after Arsenal Junior Gunners soccer school at the training pitch at Highbury.

I wore it to school the whole time, the full kit lol. I also got the matching lightning rucksack haha. Wish I could find that now. I must have been 5 years old.

What is your favourite football shirt

My favourite shirt is the 95/96 lightning away kit with the blue bolt down it and the gothic Arsenal script on the bottom back and the art deco logo faintly visible all over the shirt. I didn't get it at the time but have it now with Wright on the back. For me Dennis Bergkamp is the one I think of when I think of that kit.

It’s also that period where Arsenal really meant everything to me, my room was covered in every players posters and I was just totally obsessed.

Browse our collection of vintage Dennis Bergkamp shirts here.

What is your favourite football moment?

My most memorable football moment is strangely missing a famous moment. I was 9 years old and had gone to the toilets on the north bank when Tony Adams wrapped up the title at home with the ‘that sums it all up’ goal against Everton. I remember hearing it go in and running back out and watching the replay.

I was so angry at myself because I’d been holding on for so long and waited until the 89th minute, I also made my brother miss it haha. That was the first title I’d seen The Arsenal win and I’ll always remember that season as it was my first Wembley final as well, also the first time I’d seen the open top bus parade down Upper St in Islington at the end of my road. I don’t remember a huge amount from being a kid but that is all so clear to me.

If you haven't yet, check out Eighteen86 and their Arsenal fanzine Poison Lasagna. Its mint and has a class front cover by Daryl Rainbow.

Pick-up an Arsenal jersey of your own from our collection. View them all here.