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
Bayern Munich reportedly set to target Phil Foden in the summer transfer window
Danny Jones
European giants Bayern Munich are said to be interested in homegrown Manchester City star, and are interested in signing him this coming transfer window.
And if you believe some of the reports circulating around the Stockport-born footballer, he could very well be looking to leave the Etihad in the summer.
Foden seems to have somewhat fallen out of favour at Man City of late, having been benched in four of the last five games, with his overall minutes having been on a gradual slump over recent months; as a result, some sources are suggesting it’s prompted a potential move away.
As per TEAMtalk, the Bundesliga side is hoping to target the City youth product and England international ahead of next season, with former teammate turned Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany very keen on acquiring his services.
Man City have stepped up efforts to secure Phil Foden's future with talks held during the international break and confidence is now growing that a new deal will be finalised before the end of the season, amid Bayern Munich interest, @TEAMtalk can reveal.https://t.co/ScBP5a3a08
Whether or not having a club and Premier League legend in charge would serve as a sweetener for the attacking midfielder or not, who knows?
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, while the gifted playmaker is said to be “frustrated” with the current situation at Man City, the club are believed to have “stepped up efforts to secure the long-term future of Phil Foden, with fresh talks held during the international break”
Having still managed to chip in with 15 goal contributions so far this campaign – two-thirds of those involvements being goals – the hope is that they can tie him down to a new deal long before the end of the season.
There’s no question about his natural talent and versatility across the forward line; it’s just whether or not he’s happy with his game time under Pep Guardiola, which admittedly has often fluctuated ever since he broke into the first team.
Pep has never made a secret of his love for Phil, either; he’s just not afraid to mix things up and try different things given the squad depth at his disposal and other teams in the division becoming increasingly competitive.
It’s also worth noting that many expect him to be in Thomas Tuchel’s starting lineups for the Three Lions at this year’s World Cup.
At present, Foden’s contract is set to expire at the end of the next term (2026/27), but it’s rumoured that he could soon commit to staying until 2030 on paper.
Now 25, the once up-and-coming youngster/’rising star’ is now a fully-fledged senior professional and serial winner.
With many years still ahead of him, you could argue that this is the perfect time to take on a new challenge, or equally, stay with his beloved Blues and extend their modern dynasty as one of the more experienced and decorated members of the dressing room.
As for whether Kompany can convince him to swap his familiar surroundings for a fresh chapter in Germany, or whether or not another big Champions League-level outfit monitoring the situation could come sniffing, only time will tell.
For now, let’s just hope he has an incredible few weeks over in North America this June and July.
A free snooker fan zone has popped up in Manchester for the 2026 Tour Championship
Danny Jones
We’re sure plenty of you are well aware that this year’s WST Sportsbet.io Tour Championship is happening in Manchester right now, but what many of you may not know is that a completely free snooker fan zone has opened up as part of it.
You don’t need a ticket for any of the actual matches to watch them on the big screen or even play one of your own.
However, it isn’t just the buzz inside the match room itself that the World Snooker Tour has brought on its return to the city centre – even the supporter hub outside is well worth a visit.
Based over at Manchester Central on the Exchange side of the building, while the games themselves are taking place in the main rooms, the foyer and surrounding areas have been turned into a fan park.
Perfect for anyone looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon or, indeed, a full day this week – not to mention an ideal activity for kids this coming Easter bank holiday weekend – if you’re a fan of the sport, you’d be a fool not to at least pop your head in.
Running until this Sunday, 5 April, when the tournament itself finishes, snooker lovers have access not only to a bar area with multiple big screens and food and drink, but also numerous free tables for them to play on.
In fact, you quickly turn a few frames into some proper practice if you’re so inclined, as there’s even on-site coaching to be made the most of.
As you can see, people of all ages have already turned up in their droves to soak up the atmosphere.
Once again, the competition is being broadcast live and free-to-air on Channel 5 if you’re happy to watch the games at home, but we don’t need to tell you what makes sitting in a room with a bunch of fellow fans and getting excited together so enjoyable.
If you visit the Manchester Central convention centre before the end of the week, you can even have a go at playing on a proper king-sized snooker table for the full pro-feel experience.
For anyone who wants to grab actual tickets for the matches as well, you can find them HERE.
Danny Jones -
19th November 2022 
