The 2022 World Cup is just around the corner and we couldn’t help but get ourselves wrapped up in the history of tournaments gone by, so we decided to wander over to Classic Football Shirts.
Having transformed what use to be their dedicated room for Man United and City kits into a celebration of the greatest shirts throughout the last few decades of international football, we were swimming in nostalgia and, to quote Jose Mourinho, “football ‘eritage”.
Opening up in Manchester back in 2006, Classic Football Shirts (CFS) has gone from strength to strength, expanding from their original HQ on Edwin Road near the Etihad to stores along Deansgate and in London, as well as purchasing a massive warehouse space in Hyde just a couple of years ago.
Now, ahead of the admittedly controversial Qatar World Cup, these lot have instead decided to focus on only the very best memories from previous tournaments — Euros included, of course — and nothing evokes the memory of those special summers more than the kits that went with them.
Credit: The Manc Group
They have obviously set a good chunk of space aside for vintage shirts from the UK as well, celebrating years of both English and Welsh footy history as the only two British teams to have qualified for this year’s World Cup.
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This year’s England kits may have divided opinions — especially when it comes to the price — but as with most of the shirts in this place, we’d seriously consider taking out a loan to buy out the whole shop.
From spotlighting match-worn shirts by the likes of Beckham and Bale, to showing off some of the most legendary jerseys throughout the years, this room is a real blast from the past.
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Credit: The Manc Group
Another aspect we loved was CFS’ custom-made bomber jackets inspired by some of the most iconic footballing nations from around the world.
Each design features bespoke artwork and lettering embossed on the back, all made with high-quality materials and available in a variety of colours. You know it’s a good bit of fashion when you can feel the weight of it.
You’ll probably see the staff wearing them around the place. Lucky sods.
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Credit: The Manc Group
CFS is practically an institution at this point and has not only provided a home to more than 500,000 retro football shirts but has also helped rejuvenate the world of football fashion.
While sports fashion is still as commonplace as ever, the popularity of vintage shirts like the ones on show in CFS’ Manchester store has seen a real resurgence in the past few years.
Whether it’s popping up in the National Football Museum or teaming up with BT Sport for their ‘What I Wore‘ series, the company has rendered looking through old footy kits virtually the same as admiring a piece of art.
They even recently popped up in the brand new fan park at the Love Factory near Manchester Victoria and will be showcasing their World Cup exhibition throughout the tournament.
lf you’re looking to get yourself in the mood for this particularly unique winter tournament, we’d highly recommend heading on over for a look.
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Moreover, if you’re still trying to figure out where to watch the World Cup in Manchester this year, we’ve put together a list detailing some of the best venues screening the games in town.
You’re welcome.
England play on Monday. We can taste the pints already. Here's where to find both. ⚽️🍻🦁https://t.co/OltYFUudBJ
Featured Image — The Manc Group/Classic Football Shirts
Sport
Super League ‘Rivals Round’ fixtures confirmed, with two big North West clashes
Danny Jones
The Betfred Super League (BSL) ‘Rivals Round’ games for 2026 have been confirmed, with two big regional clashes coming in time for the spring.
Returning for 2026, the annual meeting of multiple teams coming up against their fiercest and most historic rivals will land on round seven of the calendar over the traditional Easter weekend.
Despite the competition having sadly lost Salford Red Devils following their forced relegation, local rugby fans will still be glad to see the borough of Wigan, as well as neighbouring Cheshire and nearby Merseyside clubs, coming up against each other in what is a highly anticipated fixture on the calendar.
Announcing the now fully confirmed matches this week, the total of seven matches are set to be played between Friday, 3 April and the following Sunday, 5 April.
In the Super League’s own words, there are few gameweeks more box office than the Rivals Round – “where the games mean more, hit harder and have the ability to divide towns and families.”
After the inaugural edition of the modern round in 2021, this year saw the division record a best-ever attendance of 86,080 across a six-match period, and with an extra game being played next season, we’re expecting more ground to be broken.
“The most intense and historic rivalries will go head-to-head with huge crowds anticipated, emotions running high and everyone expected to bring their A game”, say the BSL.
Huddersfield Giants v York Knights – Saturday, 4 April
Castleford Tigers v Wakefield Trinity – Sunday, 5 April
One of the most notable exclusions among the slate, of course, is that of Salford Red Devils, as various players and staff members continue to leave the club during this increasingly concerning and deep period of uncertainty.
Salford supporters have given a clear response following the decisive drop in IMG gradings:
Although they are now longer in rugby league’s premier domestic tier, Salford are still expected to take part in the Challenge Cup tournament, which begins in January.
Betfred and the RFL revealed the most recent ties on Monday, 24 November, with the Devils due to face either Royal Navy Rugby or Hammersmith Hills Hoists in the second round.
Meanwhile, with the new campaign kicking off in February, rugby fans will only have to wait a couple of months to witness the upcoming instalments in the various rivalries.
Safe to say it’s going to be a spicy Easter break.
Pep Guardiola admits heavily rotated squad was ‘too much’ after landmark home loss
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola has conceded that his heavily rotated side, which saw almost an entirely different team from the previous matchday squad, may have been “too many changes” as Manchester City suffered their first home loss in the Champions League group stages in more than seven years.
Man City suffered a 2-0 defeat whilst hosting Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium – a place that has been largely a fortress in European fixtures since the Catalan coach arrived – but the biggest headline on the night was the whopping 10 personnel changes Guardiola made to his starting XI.
It has been argued that Pep has become overly reliant on star striker Erling Haaland (who has already scored 19 goals in the Premier League and UCL combined this season), and the virtually ‘start-from-scratch’ outfit he fielded on Tuesday night definitely didn’t do him any favours.
Speaking to various media in post-match interviews and the press conference after the game, Pep admitted that his wholesale rotation gamble may have been “too much.”
"Maybe it was too much…"
Pep Guardiola reflected on Man City's home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen after making 10 changes 🔁 pic.twitter.com/WBZHwl3ZOb
Considering the only continuity between the batch that faced Leverkusen and the previous squad that narrowly lost to Newcastle United was the still relatively new CDM, Nico González, we think he might be on to something.
In fact, as if the conviction behind the decision wasn’t already questionable enough, Pep insisted before the game that he would have made more if he could, but with fellow central midfielder talisman Rodri still injured, the number 14 was the sole teammate who remained from the weekend.
There are always going to be lapses in sharpness and fluidity when a lineup is shuffled, but it’s fair to say that it’s almost guaranteed when you remove every individual bar one.
Perhaps this was a somewhat covert/loaded attempt to shine a light again on previously mentioned complaints regarding squad depth in relation to the increasingly congested fixture list, with both Guardiola and the aforementioned Euro 2020 winner having flagged their concerns about the calendar.
This is also the second time in just a matter of days that the 54-year-old has held his hands up and taken accountability for making “huge mistakes”.
Not only was it City’s first Champions League loss of the season, but as mentioned, the first and at home in the competition’s initial stages in more than half a decade.
It’s quite a record that Pep has clung onto, which should get plenty of recognition in its own right, but supporters will nevertheless be hoping to get back to winning ways soon and avoid stringing together any more consecutive losses.
Last November was the first time Guardiola had ever lost four matches in a row during his entire career, and with a trio of very winnable fixtures coming up in the league, we would bank on a big reaction in the next game against Leeds.
If you missed the game, you can watch the highlights from Man City vs Bayer Leverkusen down below.
Danny Jones -
19th November 2022 
