That thing that’s about to kick off over in South Africa isn’t the only big football event happening this Aussie winter. There’s also the small matter of England’s 8th best football team heading our way to play a couple of friendlies in July. Of course I already have my tickets for the Melbourne game (in the Everton end with this lot, natch) so when I saw that the Everton store were clearing out their remaining stock of last year’s home shirt at the frankly ridiculous price of just eight quid, I couldn’t resist putting in an order. I’m not about to start wearing it around town, but at that price even if I wear it just the once it’s not bad value at all.
So I was quite excited, on returning home last night, to find a small package from the UK waiting for me. I already knew that the shirt’s design was supposed to be a throwback to the 1984-85 shirt, and the names of the first 11 from that season appear in small type on the back at the top, which is a nice touch. But it was only when I tried it on that I suddenly realised that the last time I owned an Everton shirt, it was the original 1985 vintage…
Sheesh. Can that really have been 25 years ago?
Not sure if I can actually call myself a real fan if I only buy a new replica shirt once every quarter century (and I’m fairly sure that, even if I still had the old one, it wouldn’t quite fit me these days), but still, I look forward to my next purchase. Hope the 2034-2035 strip is a good ‘un…