Bradford City Women Victorious On Derby Day : Bradford City Women vs Leeds United Women Match Report

 

 You just can't seem to beat a Tuesday night game under the lights but what makes last nights game even better is the fact it was a Yorkshire derby between Bradford City Women and Leeds United women held at Valley Parade, the home of the Bradford City men's team. Bradford City Women usually play their games at Eccleshill United so the change of venue was a great chance for the team to showcase themselves in front of a much wider audience than they are used to with promotion from the male counterparts social media really working in attracting a bigger audience, one that the game was definitely worthy of the crowd. It was nice to be at Valley Parade watching the women playing and the build up still being the same as any of the men's game I have been to there already this season which just made the teams feel that bit more united. The atmosphere for the 90 minutes was also fantastic with fans chanting away which again made a nice change from just hearing the teams when we play at Eccleshill on a Sunday afternoon. 

 It was Leeds who got us underway and got a few of the first of the game. They had the first shot which went ended up being fired over the bar and they were also awarded the first free kick of the game which fortunately for Bradford didn't amount to anything. Bradford got themselves settled down after getting the ball back from the free kick and had a great chance of their own with a great ball through the Leeds defence which unfortunately couldn't quite reach Hawkins up front. 

In the first 10 minutes it was clear that City weren't going to be intimidated by the crowd and instead they played up to the occasion and didn't look nervous at all, in fact it is possible one of the best opening periods I have seen from them in a while as they were defending very well alongside creating some really good chances which they just couldn't quite get on the end of to convert. The movement from City on and off the ball was fantastic too with players making some great passes and runs into space to keep hold of the ball and get into some dangerous attacking positions. 

Leeds certainly didn't sit back during the game though and in the first half we saw them have some great strikes of their own which fortunately for City went wide or over the bar. Leeds definitely kept City 'keeper Richards on her toes throughout the first half where she made some great saves, a great corner was swung in from Leeds and she managed to clear the ball from danger and we saw the same not long after when she made a great save and we saw the follow up Leeds shot fired way over the bar. 

The first and only game came on the 37th minute with Hawkins stealing the ball higher up the field and making her way through the Leeds defence to calmly slot the ball home off the post. You could see just how much that goal meant to the team with them all celebrating together and their heads were definitely held high and I think that going into half time with the lead was just what was needed for the moral of the team overall. It didn't stop before the goal though with City having a brilliant free kick from Roberts go just wide for a goal kick. It was really nice seeing City going into the break with a lead and for us fans to have seen such a great first half performance from the team. It is definitely the best I have seen from them in the first half for a long time and similarly it is the best I have seen them against Leeds. 

Bradford got us underway for the second half but just like in the first half Leeds were the first to have a chance which again ended up fired way above the cross bar. In fact most of the second half was spent with Leeds looking for an equaliser but Bradford were giving it everything in defence and working on the counter attack each time looking to increase their own lead, they definitely didn't show any sign of just sitting back to defend their lead. It was pretty even up to the 56th and that is when the derby day feeling really started to come into play with both sides making some fantastic challenges and showing how much they wanted to win the game, up until then it had been relatively calm but it was like Leeds had just seen that time was ticking away and like City saw just how much longer they had to hold the lead for. 

City made the first sub of the game with Jakeman coming on to replace Lambert which just looked like a case of bringing on a fresh pair of legs to help them hold onto their lead and not long after City had yet another chance from Hawkins which instead made its way behind for a corner. The first booking of the game came just after the corner too with City's Woodcock picking up a yellow for a late challenge to stop the Leeds break. City made a second sub bringing Gill on to replace goal scorer Hawkins who looked like she picked up a knock. It didn't take long for Gill to get into the game either as she almost immediately got her name on the score sheet with a brilliant strike which ended up in the Kop rather than the back of the net. City's 3rd and final sub of the game saw Stube be brought off in place of Prothero, this definitely seemed to be a tactical change as her pace caused Leeds some issues late on in the game. 

A free kick right on the edge of the area was awarded to City which is definitely dangerous territory when you have Norde and Roberts on the pitch however, Roberts just couldn't get the ball to come down at the right time and it sailed just over the crossbar. It was by this stage you could see just how desperate Leeds were getting as they were making sure the collected the ball as soon as it left the pitch to try keep momentum going and to be honest it nearly worked as a fantastic strike from Bartup absolutely rattled the crossbar before eventually making its way out for a City goal kick. City got the second yellow card with Jakeman bringing down a Leeds defender in her own half which again I think was just a bit of frustration boiling over with both player desperately fighting for the ball. 

The final 10 minutes were definitely all Leeds though as they piled on the pressure but City stepped up to deny them with an off the line header clearance and yet more great defending to keep the score in City's favour. The last real chance of the game came from a Leeds free kick but once again 'keeper Richards was there to save the day and keep the ball out of the back of the net. 

The game ended 1-0 to Bradford and it sees the move up the table that bit more and deny Leeds the chance of reaching the top spot. City definitely saved their best performance for those 540 fans that made the trip to Valley Parade as it is one of the best 90 minutes I have seen from them and they could have easily grabbed a few more goals if the accuracy was just that little better. The Bradford defence had a fantastic 90 minutes too and they really put their bodies on the line especially for those last 10 minutes to hold onto the lead. City certainly looked a lot more threatening in front of the goal too which shows they are making improvements off the pitch week after week, in fact you can see them improving in a whole lot of areas which have been previously highlighted and I think the only one still to improve on is getting that second ball when it is up in the air. 

As soon as that whistle blew you could tell just how much the win meant to the team, coaching staff and all those involved in making the game at Valley Parade possible. Let's hope we get to see them back on the big stage in the near future as I think it is great for the fans and the club and goes to show just how well the takeover in the off season has worked and how the club are now on the right track to make some great progression.

If City played like this every week I think we could very easily see them make some great progression up that league table. I just hope that the fans who attended the game for the first time last night and just as impressed as us lot who already attend the matches at Eccleshill and want to come watch the team again as I think the atmosphere definitely played a big part in the teams performance. It would be great to see that it also inspired a lot of the young fans to get involved in the game or simply become fans too. 

So player of the match time and me it definitely has to be City's goalkeeper Hannah Richards, she commanded her box really well all game and kept City in the lead by making some fantastic saves, Richards confidence is improving a lot this season and week after week she is showing some great improvement especially in the commanding the area and distribution. 

Let's hope we get another good result on the road on Sunday against Liverpool Feds and keep this momentum going. 

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In Conversation With Zoe Roberts

 

Here we are back with another instalment of the 'In Conversation' series and this time we got to chat to Bradford City Women defender Zoe Roberts. Zoe is a fantastic player in the defensive line and is one of the players that stood out to me when I first went to see City and is a player who has continued to stand out to me. Zoe is lethal when it comes to free kicks and is a real threat when they are awarded in those dangerous positions and she is also a general attacking threat who can get back into position to help out in her defensive duties when the opposition is on the counter attack. So here is how our conversation with Zoe went... 

EOTA:  Whilst we haven’t seen much on the pitch due to Covid we have seen plenty of movement off the pitch with Ian & Keith joining the club and us becoming part of community foundation how do you think that’s going to benefit us?

Zoe : I think the movement off the pitch has been great to see and it’s really exciting to see how the club is progressing. Ian and Keith are both brilliant and have brought so many new ideas to the club which has had a massive impact. Becoming a part of the foundation is only going to make the club stronger and generate that pathway from juniors all the way to the seniors and a connection between the both is what every club wants so we can’t ask for much more really. 

EOTA: We have seen Brighouse promoted out of the league and 2 new additions being added in Alnwick and FC Manchester is it nice to see new teams added to the league after no relegation or promotion during the previous cancelled season?

Zoe : That’s a bit of a tough one because as much as it’s always nice to have new competition in the league but I think as a team we’re focused on ourselves and our own game and aiming to be fighting at the top this season. We know we have the talent so it’s about putting things right in training and making them pay off on game days.

EOTA: As a player how have you been staying match fit during the lockdowns as it must have been hard not knowing if the season was going to happen again?

Zoe: Lockdown has probably been hard in some respects for most athletes, it’s having the right mindset to go out for a run or do a home workout. Luckily as a team we managed to set fitness challenges and have team zoom calls for fitness sessions so it was nice to still see the girls even if it was via a laptop. Then it was just a few runs and workouts at home in between the team ones, I probably managed a couple extra a week.

EOTA:  How important do you believe social media is in raising awareness of the women’s game & helping promote teams in lower leagues like yourself 

Zoe : With how the world is now and that most things in life revolve around social media I do believe that it is a vital part in promoting women’s football however there is still a long way to go when most of the posts are just full of comments which are not necessary. I think we’re heading in the right direction in regards to more posts on social media but there's still room for improvement. 


EOTA:  We are seeing the club come closer to the men's team and after the merge with the foundation we are seeing a lot more promotion across social media, do you think that promotion is going to bring in more fans to games? 

Zoe : It would always be nice to get a solid fan base at the games and I’m sure it would bring a lot more energy to the team. Fans play a massive part in the game and are literally the 12th man. Having fans in the ground can win games for me, getting behind the team and urging them forward as they would with the men would lift the team’s spirit and I just think it would create an atmosphere that the team would buzz off. So we are hoping to get more fan’s down on Sunday’s and to have that final piece that is missing on a game day.



EOTA: What would you say to any young girls who have been inspired by the recent Euros and want to get into football but are unsure of taking the first step?

Zoe : My only advice would be to do it, find your local team and go down for a training session. You have nothing to lose and in most cases you become a part of something special, the friends and memories you make can last a lifetime and can play a massive part in developing characters. Football for me not only helps develop skills but can make a person into who they’re supposed to be, it gives confidence, you get a buzz training and playing, it’s 90 minutes of just football and no other problem in the world, so yeah my advice would be to take the chance and try it, it may become the best choice to ever make. 

EOTA: To anyone on the fence about coming and spending their Sunday afternoon watching you what would you say to get them into the stadium? 


Zoe : This may sound silly but to not listen to the comments online, and to come down and see 90 minutes of pure passion and desire. I’ll probably be the first to admit that the quality isn’t always there as it would be in the men’s game but the girls will always give 100% in any game they’re playing. You’ll see a squad work for each other until the very last minute, having each other's backs, the talent we have to offer. I think most people would have a different opinion after watching a game. 

EOTA: What is the team feeling like going into the season with the fact it has been a shorter off season? Are the players fully fit, ready and raring to go? 

Zoe : The team has had a very strong pre-season, it’s had its highs and lows but overall we’re raring to go. We have worked nonstop week in week out and our performances in friendlies have shown that. I don’t think I've ever seen a team more up for the first game than I have now. We’ve had tough games and we’ve made mistakes but we’ve had the correct attitude throughout to learn from them and I think the team’s mentality has improved massively which is having such a positive impact within the squad. We’ve set our aims and I have every bit of belief in this squad that we can achieve everything we’re working towards. 

EOTA: With seasons been stop and start has it been hard recently to gel as a team or have you still been able to do team bonding activities to an extent?

Zoe : I thought with the season being on and off it would have had an impact on the togetherness of the team but I genuinely can say that we’ve come out stronger as a team. It was always hard to do team bonding as we were restricted in what we could do but a few challenges outside of fitness over zoom worked a treat. We were still able to work as a team and got put into groups to do things like baking challenges, and drawing contests so it was a nice change, however I think I speak on behalf of the girls that the competitiveness of the challenges was not normal so we may have to rethink of some challenges if it was to happen again haha.


So there you have it that is our chat with Bradford City Women's Zoe Roberts, I am really looking forward to seeing how Roberts helps the squad progress this season as in that defensive line alongside Woodcock I think she could play a crucial role in how the season shapes up.

Who else would you like to see us chat to in the 'In Conversation' series? Anyone from your supported club? Let us know as we would love to get more people involved in this series.
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Favourite Overseas Third Shirts 2021/22 Season

It is safe to say that even the third shirts for the big leagues overseas have been stepped up a gear and there are certainly some stand out ones that just had to make the cut for this favourite third shirt post. Granted this year not many of the third shirts have caught my eye however, the five on this post have stood out to me since they were first released and all due to different reasons. It is funny though as it is only in the past few years I have begun to like the idea of clubs having a third shirt because previously I thought it was all just a bit of a money grabbing scheme. I am definitely coming around to the idea of having more than just the home & away shirts now though and I am actually tempted to add a few third shirts into my collection. So here are my favourite overseas big league third shirts for the 2021/22 season...


Atletico Madrid 

I honestly did't think I would like this shirt due to how simple it looked but honestly I think that might be the big selling point of the shirt for me as it is simple in the right way unlike some of the other shirt offerings we have seen this season (Puma we are looking at you). I also love light blue shirts for some strange reason and I think this blue works well with the red and white detailing to keep those classic Atletico colours incorporated in the shirt. Nike have shown us that sometimes the basics can work well and you don't have to go massively overboard with prints. 


Barcelona

Although I think that Barcelona should have used this as their home kit I am definitely impressed by it and would happily add it into my own collection. Nike have gone all out with the pattern on this shirt but with it blending in with those classic Barcelona colours it works really well. I can't wait to see the design in person either as it looks like it captures Barcelona really well with the images I have already seen. This is certainly an eye catching design and a nice alternative shirt although I don't know how often they will wear it. 


PSG

 PSG have kept it nice and simple with their third shirt and it is a shirt that looks basic but smart. I would happily wear this shirt on a daily basis and style it different ways and I think it just shows how they are acting a bit like a fashion brand these days rather than just a football club. I love the central positioning of the PSG club badge along with the red colour and the grey across the sponsor area as it just adds a bit more colour and highlights the sponsor that little bit more. The blocking style works really well on this shirt and it makes a nice change compared to some of their more recent shirts that stand out that bit too much due to their colours. 


RB Leipzig 

I have mentioned before about how much I like the RB Leipzig shirts and this season is no exception, I absolutely all three of their shirts once again this season as the overall pattern and design is great and definitely catches your eye. What I love the most though is how they have stuck with the same design on all three shirts this time around and simply just changed the colour of each of them. I love how the blue and purple work really well together and I think this will be the first RB Leipzig shirt I purchase this season. 


Ajax

As soon as I saw this Ajax shirt I added it to my shirt wish list for this season. I am a sucker for a black shirt ith red detailing but this 3 little birds shirt ticks all the boxes for me. This shirt takes inspiration from the clubs song and overall just looks absolutely brilliant. Everything about this shirt works really well and yes it might have had to have the 3 little birds removed thanks to UEFA rules but it still looks brilliant and will hopefully be added to my collection soon.  

As I said early I am definitely going to be looking at adding some of these shirts into my collection and I think it could be the Ajax or RB Leipzig one that is my first purchase as they are just brilliant in their own way. No doubt I will end up with a few off this list by the end of the season though. 

What is your favourite third shirt from the big leagues overseas? 
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Favourite Overseas Away Shirts 2021/22 Season

Here we go again with another favourite shirts post. This time we have our favourite away shirts from those big leagues overseas and it is safe to say this was a post that was hard to write as I struggled to narrow down my overall favourites due to there being some absolutely brilliant shirts released for this season. There are some teams who just missed the cut and those were Porto and Inter Milan as their away shirts this season are brilliant however, the ones in this post just stood out to me that bit more. So here are our favourite away shirts for the big leagues overseas this season... 


Bayern Munich

I will admit normally I aren't interested in Bayern Munich shirts however, this seasons away shirt looks brilliant. I don't know why but I have always loved the look of black and gold shirts and this one really isn't an exception as I love how well the gold detailing works on the shirts overall design. I also love how the front of the shirt is basically split into quarters with the pattern working well in sections rather than being an all over print. Even the sponsor works well on this shirt and fits the theme and colourway quite nicely. 



Borussia Dortmund 

I have always loved BVB's shirts and how the design always works around the badge and how the badge seems to always be the main focus of the shirt. I absolutely love this seasons black and grey colourway with the chevron design that covers the full front of the shirt as it looks pretty smart. The sponsor is a bit big on this shirt for me but it fits the colourway quite well so it isn't like it draws too much attention away from the shirt and the badge being in the classic BVB colours is also fantastic as it just adds that pop of colour to the shirt and stands out as usual. 


Barcelona

I will admit that I wasn't originally a fan of this shirt as at first I thought it looked like it was originally white and put in the wrong wash so had been dyed (trust me I have had it happen a few times) but I recently saw it in store and I was sold as it just looks so much better in person. I actually like the purple of the shirt and how simple it actually is. The effect of the badge also makes it a lot different to usual and makes it stand out a bit more to me. This is definitely a different colour to what we are used to seeing but I definitely think it is better than them just choosing a white colourway. 


RB Leipzig

In recent seasons I have just been impressed with every shirt RB Leipzig have released and this year is no different as they are just a change to the usual and the patterns stand out. I absolutely love this years away shirt as the colours all combine together so well and the pattern they have gone for just lets each colour pop on its own. I think this is definitely going to be a shirt I purchase in the very near future as it is possibly one of my favourite shirts overall this season. 


PSG

Like with RB Leipzig PSG seem to be another club where I am loving all their shirts and I even ended up picking up last seasons away shirt as I loved it that much. I honestly think that this seasons away shirt is also going to be purchased as again I absolutely love it and it looks really smart. I love the use of just the 3 colours throughout the shirt and the alternating pink stripe. I love how PSG seem to be opting for a classic smart approach with their away shirts lately. 

So there you have it those are our favourite away shirts from the big leagues overseas and it is safe to say us fans have been spoilt for choice this season with the variety of shirts we have seen released. I know a few of these shirts will be added to my collection very soon but now I just need to work out which I want the most and which is going to be bought first. 
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Bradford City Summer Transfers 2021/22

I think every Bradford City fan felt the same towards the end of last season... big changes were needed. On paper the team we had last season should have been absolutely fantastic and we had the prime opportunity to aim for promotion but once again we missed out and under performed which is becoming an all too familiar situation these days for us fans to watch. You look back to when we narrowly lost to Millwall in the play off final back in 2017 we were a team that played well and had a really good chance at playing in the Championship now here we are struggling to leave League 2 behind. It seems like times are changing at Bradford City though as this past summer transfer window has been a great one and we have brought in plenty of players who again have the potential for us to make a promotion push and we are already seeing the results changing on the pitch with these transfers playing a big part in that happening. 

Even before Adams was appointed manager the club had a clear out which was bound to free up some wages for new players and make space in the squad for anyone we brought in. It is funny looking at the list though as all the players who left did so due to their contract running out and us not offering them new ones or them declining them. There were a few surprises on the out transfer list for me as I thought one player might have wanted to stay to end his career at the club and a few of the outs have actually ended with retirement which shocked me as I thought those players might have actually had a few more years in them yet. So here is who left the club this summer... 

Out 
Anthony O'Connor 
Connor Wood
Clayton Donaldson
Connor Shanks 
Zeli Ismail 
Harry Pritchard
Billy Clarke
Will Huffer 
Lee Novak 

It is funny really how just as I was growing to like Anthony O'Connor he has left us, I think in his first few seasons at the club he was a bit of a left down and didn't really play as we expected and I know that a lot of fans wanted rid of him after those performances, I was one of them, but last season he was in my eyes on of our best players and we let him go which was a bit of a shock but when you see who we brought in you can really see why he left and actually ended up playing in a higher league. I was a bit surprised that Donaldson left too as I thought he would have wanted to see out his career at his hometown club but he has now ended up playing for York and seems to be doing quite well there. The two big shocks for me though are Lee Novak & Billy Clarke who have actually ended up retiring. I thought these two players would have had a few seasons left in them and I though Novak would have done another season at City, I am not sure if injuries have had a big part to play in these decisions or if it is just down to being unable to find new clubs but either way those two players have had pretty good careers. 

I am not sure if it was the change of manager or the promises we have made to players in regards to the future of the club and the direction it is heading in but I believe we have also brought in some great names that have a lot of potential and can provide that threat we have been lacking in previous seasons. Maybe it is the thought of playing in front of thousands of fans week in week out that has attracted them as throughout all the clubs struggles in recent years those fans have certainly stuck by them and I might be biased but are by far some of the best fans in the league both home and away. Whatever has happened we have finally had a positive transfer window and hopefully that is reflected in the results this season. So here are the players Bradford City signed this summer...

In 
Liam Ridehalgh 
Andy Cook 
Caolan Lavery 
Abo Eisa
Alex Gillead 
Oscar Threlkeld 
Fiarce Kelleher 
Yann Songo'o 
Theo Robinson 
Lee Angol 

Andy Cook was on loan with us last season and I said to Liam straight away I would love to sign him on a permanent and this summer we managed it. Cook is a goal scorer as we have seen and if we keep him fit and away from suspension I think he is going to lay a pivotal part in our promotion push this season. When Alex Gillead first came to City he was still young and pretty inexperienced so I am looking forward to seeing how he performs for us this time around as his pace could really help us in some dangerous attacks. As so the rest of the new signings I am really looking forward to seeing them play a little bit more before I make my mind up on them but so far it is good and we are look like a team that knows what they are doing once more. 

What was nice this summer is not seeing preseason team sheets filled with the word trialist, Adams had his squad and gave them that much needed playing time during preseason which was a nice change. We also don't currently have any loan players which is great as there is no chance of players being cup tied, blocked from playing or even worse recalled at the worst time. The players are ours for a change and are free to play which ever games Adams wants them too. 

We are now a few games into the season and I am already impressed with what I have seen, the new additions to the squad and the appointment of Adams seems to have really fired up the dressing room and the performance on the pitch is getting much better and we actually look like a team to be afraid of once more. The excitement of going and spending afternoons at Valley Parade is back once more and I am pretty hopefully for the season ahead. 

What do you think to Bradford City's summer transfer window? Do you think it was a good one? 
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My Thoughts On The Manchester United 2021/22 Third Shirt

 If you have read the blog recently you will know I have had high praise for quite a few of this seasons shirts produced by Adidas however, there is one that just isn't cutting it for me and believe it or not it is the Manchester United third shirt. There is just something about it that I aren't sure about maybe it is the fact it looks more suited to Leeds than Man Utd and I have said that since I first saw it. Even my mum asked when we was out shopping if it was another new Leeds shirt... I think there are plenty more colourways that could have worked better too. 

Don't get me wrong there are some aspects to the shirt that I do like such as the neck line and the pattern overall as it certainly stands out but it is just that colourway putting me off. Imagine if it was black with red detailing I think that would look absolutely fantastic and fit the club a lot better. I like how the TeamViewer sponsor looks on this shirt too and I think this sponsor will look great for as long as they have the deal as they can easily adapt the colour of this to suit the theme of the shirt without it looking out of place which I think they have struggled with in the past with some of the previous sponsors. I like how it isn't over run with branding either and it lets the design do the talking. This shirt definitely gives me the same kind of vibe as the away shirt with the pattern on it but honestly I think I quite like the pattern compared to previous ones the club has had. 

I think I will end up buying this shirt as I am intending to buy all 3 of the Manchester United shirts this seasons and I am just going to have to suck it up and deal with the colours. Who knows if I look at it a bit closer in person my thoughts might change but for now I am not 100% sold on it. If like me you are wanting to purchase this shirt it will set you back: 

Men's Authentic : £99.95
Men's : £64.95 
Women's Authentic : £99.95
Women's : £64.95
Kids : £49.95
Mini : £44.95

So there you go those are my quick thoughts on this seasons Manchester United third shirt. What do you think to it? Will you be picking one up? 
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A Bit Of A Closer Look At The Away Days Shirt


Does anyone else have those content creators where they watch every video they put out just because you can tell how passionate they are about what they produce. Well that is what I am like with Ellis Platten's Away Days channel, as soon as a new video goes live I am there watching it. Not only does he show us the match day experience at a variety of levels whilst making it entertaining to watch but he also posts a lot about football shirts... a topic where my interest has grown in recent years. So as soon as I saw the announcement that Ellis was creating his own shirt I new I had to buy it and now I have had it for a while it is safe to say I am definitely not disappointed with my purchase. 

The overall design is just fantastic with the colours working really well together and the fit is even better. Sometimes shirts can be a bit too tight fitting these days however, this one is absolutely spot on and fits comfortably and is great for wearing either training or just on a day to day basis which always makes a shirt better if it looks smart, fits nice and can be worn for more than one thing. I will admit I was a bit hesitant at first as I have never owned a shirt from Hope & Glory before but the quality is great and I can see it lasting a while, even after a lot of washes the shirt hasn't shrunk or lost its shape which I have found happens all too often with some of the big manufactures shirts these days due to them being mass produced sometimes quality isn't great but this isn't the case with the away days shirt. 


I remember as soon as I watched the announcement video I said to Liam, I aren't missing this shirt. The whole video was brilliant and the pyro aspect definitely made it stand out. I was interested to see what the shirt design was going to look like in person and it definitely didn't disappoint. I love how the effect does look like the pyro's and is worked across both the front and back of the shirt, it just makes it look different to other shirts. Then you have the fact the shirt is a darker colour and not too in your face with bold colours like other shirts, I definitely prefer this as I find it is easier to wear and looks quite smart. Even though it is darker colours it is noticeable on its own which just goes to show you don't need all bold colours to stand out sometimes simple is the way to go.  


Where as the shirt its self is nice and simple with the darker colours those extra details being in the bold pink/purple colour just helps them stand out that little bit more whilst not over powering the rest of the shirt. The fact that these colours stand out for those all important details such as the badge and neck & sleeve edging just gives them that bit of an eye catching edge which is fantastic and all the colours work really well together. The fact there is very little of the colour due to there not being branding all over the shirt also helps keep that smarter look and means that for me especially the thing I look at on the shirt most is that away days badge which looks amazing. 


I absolutely love this shirt and I am so glad I made the purchase. Fingers crossed there is another release of new Away Days shirts in the future because even if it is half as good as this one I know I will be buying it. I think that if this shirt is anything to go by I will be making sure I keep an eye out for some of my other favourite creators bringing out their own shirts as it is always nice to support them whilst also gaining another great football shirt for the collection. If big clubs could take note of how great this shirt looks with little branding and simple colours that would be fantastic. 

If you want to check out the content from Away Day's be sure to follow them on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. The content is fantastic and the direction it is heading in just shows the growth the channel has made these past few years, I can't wait for upload days. 

Did you pick up an Away Days shirt, if so what did you think to it? Or if you missed out on one what do you like most away this one? 

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Favourite Overseas Home Shirts 2021/22 Season

It isn't just the Premier League teams who are getting some great shirts this year... the teams in Europe and further a field have also got some fantastic shirts for this seasons campaign. So carrying on from the favourite Premier League shirts this time we are picking our favourites from other big leagues around the world, again it was hard to narrow down which shirts made the cut for this post but here are the ones that did make the cut and stand out the most... 

Rangers 

The Scottish champions new shirt is absolutely brilliant and is one that I am hoping to add to my shirt collection very, very soon. The main colour of the shirt is the usual rangers blue with just a few bits of white on the neck line and the edge of the sleeves which look great and perfectly in place as the blue and white complement each other really well. What I like the most though are the gold details of the badge, Castore logo and sponsor. It just works really well with the other colours and the subtle white pinstripes that go down the shirt. The crest is the 150th anniversary ones and the classic retro design of the shirt compliments that well. 

Inter Milan 

I am absolutely loving the front sponsor less Inter Milan home shirt for this season. The lack of front sponsor just looks fantastic and just gives the shirt a nice clean look. The sponsor of Lenovo on the back in gold just adds that sponsor to the shirt but it really doesn't look out of place at all and I think I prefer the sponsor on the back as it takes away less focus from the badge and shirt detail. The dark blue and light blue scale design really works well together and I think this could easily be a future purchase. 

Barcelona

I will be the first to admit that at first I wasn't too sure on this shirt however, the more I have seen it the more I like it. Sticking with the classic Barcelona colours that we have all grown used to I love how this shirt has the broken stripe design for the majority of the front of the shirt with the lines being broken by the sponsor. What I love the most though is the cross in the top right around the Nike logo as it just adds to the shirts overall design, I think he cross might have looks a bit better on the side with the Barcelona club badge though. 

Atletico Madrid

One of the teams whose kits I seem to really like every season lately is actually Atletico Madrid's. This year is certainly no different either as I absolutely love this years home shirt and the distressed kind of look it gives off. They way the shirt looks with the red blending into the white looks brilliant in my opinion and I think this could be very easily added into my shirt collection in the near future. The red and white stripes work very well and I am just grateful that Liam got me keeping a closer eye on Atletcio. 

RB Leipzig 

Ah RB Leipzig my FIFA 21 Ultimate team kit that I stuck with all season and actually ended up purchasing. I am so glad I started to keep a closer eye on RB Leipzig thanks to FIFA as I think they produce some fantastic kits and I can see a few more being added to my collection this season especially their home shirt. I think RB Leipzig are the only team where I like the sponsor being so big on the front as it just fits so well and this year the red pattern on the white shirt just looks fantastic. There is just something that I love about red and white shirts. 

Olympique Marseille 

As soon as the Marseille shirt was announced I knew I had to try add it to my collection so fingers crossed I do managed to get my hands on one. This is yet another retro inspired design that works really well as Puma have captured the retro look really well and the white with light blue accents looks fantastic. I particularly really like the light blue stripes on the sleeves and the navy blue Uber Eats even looks like a perfect fit for the shirt. Fingers crossed I can get my hands on one of these. 

So there you have it those are my favourite shirts from the big leagues outside of the Premier League for the 2021/22 season. It is safe to say that I am going to try my best to get my hands on these shirts from the list as they are the ones that stand out the most to me and simply look fantastic. Keep checking back on the blog as I will be doing plenty more football shirt posts over the coming weeks and into the future. 

What are some of your favourite big league shirts for this season outside of the Premier League? 

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Favourite Premier League Third Shirts 2021/22 Season

Here we go another football shirt post, this time it is all about the third kits that are on offer in the Premier League this time around. Today's post is all about my favourite third shirts for this season's Premier League campaign, it is safe to say in recent years I have actually preferred the third kits some manufactures have come out with rather than their away offering as I think they are often a bit more adventurous with what they bring out. Granted this season we have seen shocking third shirts revealed but alongside that we have also seen some pretty good ones too. So here are my favourite third shirts for the 21/22 Premier League campaign...


Crystal Palace

In recent years Crystal Palace have had some hit and miss shirts but this season I quite like a few of their offerings. The one shirt of theirs this season that stands out to me the most though is their third shirt. I just love the colours of light blue and white and how they work so well together. I also love the subtle design worked into the shirt that from images looks great. Puma have done well with this design compared to some of their others. 


Everton

I mentioned how I liked the Everton away shirt but honestly I think I may like the third shirt that little bit more. I don't know why fully but I think it might be due to the design running through the middle of the shirt, it is almost like someone has grabbed a Tyre an just rolled it across the shirt and hung the mark to dry. The colours on the shirt also work really well together and it looks like a nice clean design even with the design going down the middle.


Leicester City 

There is just something with Leicester where I end up loving at least one of their shirts each season and this year is no exception. I love the colour of this shirt as it is quite different to other offerings and I love the pink of the badge and Adidas logo as they really stand out from the shirt due to how bright they actually are. The only thing with this shirt is the sponsor being in white I would definitely love this shirt even more if it carried on the pink theme. 

Southampton 

Southampton are a team that normally slip under my radar in terms of shirts but this years third shirt from Hummel has certainly changed that and I am really loving what they have released. I love black shirts as I think they look really smart but I love how the main detailing is all in red for this shirt as it just stands out and fits the shirt really well. The main selling point for this shirt for me though is definitely the design on the shirt if you look really closely... the little football pitches that make up the overall shirt print is fantastic and honestly at first I didn't even notice them. 

There could easily have been a few others added to this post but these shirts are certainly the ones that have impressed me the most and ones I would happily purchase for my own shirt collection. It won't be long now until teams start announcing special edition shirts so no doubt there will be more Premier League shirt posts coming in the future, but next week we will start to take a look at shirts from leagues outside of England as they have some fantastic shirts on show this time around. 

What is your favourite Premier League third shirt for this season? 
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How Did The Summer Transfer Window End For Manchester United 2021/22



I don't know what has gone on at Manchester United but for once I can easily say I am very happy with how their summer transfer window has gone. I am not sure if last seasons fan protests and criticism has helped but for the first time in a while we have seen them get the players they were actually targeting and actually bringing them into the club which is great as they have managed to get some very big names at the club. 

It makes you wonder if their recent run of good results and moving up the table to actually challenge those top clubs again has really helped and as a fan it really does give me a bit of hope for the future and makes me a bit more hopefully of seeing Manchester United lift a trophy some time soon. Ole has definitely strengthened the squad but whilst doing so he hasn't lost much which is always a good sign that players are wanting to stay at the club rather than wanting to jump ship. There might not have been a lot of permanent departures but this time we have seen a lot of loans especially for the younger players to go out and get some experience which is always nice to see. So lets take a look at how Manchester United's summer transfer window ended. 

Out's

James 

Joel Pereira 

Jacob Carney

As I mentioned earlier there weren't actually many permenant departures which is great to see. Two of those departures (Pereira & Carney) are goal keepers so it is nice to see them move on to hopefully get playing time as for some reason Manchester United seem to have far too many backup goal keepers who never get a chance. They also lost Daniel James to Leeds but I think James is going to really benefit from this move as his game time would have been drastically reduced with the players brought in so at least now he might finally get to show us just what he is made of. 

Loans

Devine - St Johnstone 

Bishop - Mansfield Town 

Chong - Birmingham City 

Fish - Stockport

Bernard - Hull City 

Pellistri - Alaves

Tuanzebe - Aston Villa

Galbraith _ Doncaster Rovers 

Laird - Swansea City 

Levitt - Dundee 

Andreas Pereira - Flamengo 

Williams - Norwich City 

Garner - Nottingham Forest 

Mellor - Salford City

There has definitely been a lot of loans taking place this transfer window with a lot of youngsters getting the chance to go out and catch the attention of Ole at lower league clubs to start to make a name for themselves. At least by going out on loan they are getting the chance to get some game time under their belts and show people they are capable of playing in the first team. For me though I am just looking forward to seeing how well Williams & Tuanzebe do in the Premier League with other sides, especially Williams as I think soon enough he could be a first team regular for United as we have seen just what he is capable of and regular game time is only going to help him get better. 

In's 

Tom Heaton

Sancho 

Varane

Ronaldo

Now here is the best bit, the players Manchester United actually brought in. There are 3 fantastic signings and one a bit random but hey we will take it. I am not quite sure what the thoughts behind getting Tom Heaton was as I mentioned earlier the goal keeper position is one we seem to be over run in but in case of any big injuries it is nice to have more experience backed up. Then we finally managed to sign Sancho, after always missing out in previous transfer windows to finally secure his signature is great and I think we could see him have a pretty good successful future at United. I have always been a bit on the fence about who lines up next to Maguire in central defense so to see us sign Varane was fantastic as he is a brilliant defender who I think could link up really well with Maguire and help stop us conceding whilst also grabbing some goals himself. Now the main event, one of my favourite ever Manchester United players has returned and I couldn't be any more excited. Cristiano Ronaldo has finally returned and with him not showing any signs of aging and still being an absolutely fantastic player I can't wait to see how well he does back in United colours. Ronaldo is one of the first players I really noticed and looked up to as a player and he was the first name I got on the back of a United shirt so to see him back is just fantastic.  

It is going to be interesting to see how the squad will work together and if it lives up to its potential as on paper this is a squad that should be winning no matter what, the talent is huge and it is about time we saw United get back to winning plenty of trophies and really challenging for that Premier League top spot. With all they have brought in this summer I think it is safe to say January will be interesting as they might not even try build on the squad but then again they might have a few extra targets if some positions are falling short. I think by the end of the January transfer window though we could see a few more departures, mainly down to lack of game time. Overall I am very happy with the transfer window dealings this time around and fingers crossed it all works well.

What do you think to Manchester United's summer transfer window? 

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Favourite Premier League Away Shirts 2021/22 Season

Normally for me clubs away shirts are a bit of a let down and don't live up to the home or third shirts these days but this year things seem to be a little different and I am actually really enjoying some of the away shirts that are on offer this season. The kit manufacturers have really come out with some great designs that are actually pretty different to other templates in most cases and I will be honest it was actually pretty hard deciding which shirts made the cut for this post but here are my favourite Premier League away shirts for the 2021/22 season... 


First up of course we have the Manchester United away shirt, I love this one so much I have done a full post about it on its own. I just love the designs on this one as it looks retro and looks better than the past few away shirts they have had recently in my eyes. Adidas have definitely been hit and miss with the Man Utd shirts but this one is ticking all the boxes and I am hoping to purchase this one. 
 

Now I have never paid any attention to Everton shirts in the past as they just aren't a club I really bother with but this seasons away shirt is standing out to me for all the right reasons. I love black shirt and this one with the bold sash type design in a brighter colour just looks fantastic. I love how the badge is in the shirt colours too as it all just flows really well. A nice simple design compared to what other clubs are coming out with these days. 


Norwich have finally made it back into the Premier League and they now have a brilliant looking away shirt to mark the occasion. Joma are one of those manufacturers that seem to pass me by but this Norwich away shirt has definitely caught my eye with the light blue really standing out on the shirt and showing off those small details on the otherwise very basic shirt. 


I never thought I would be writing about a Leeds shirt being one of my favourites but there is just something that I really like about this Leeds away shirt for this season. The blue and white work really well together and the pattern on the actual shirt just adds a little bit extra to it. The only thing I aren't keen on with this shirt is how big the sponsor is, if this was a bit smaller it really would be the perfect shirt. 


Just like with Leeds, I never thought I would be saying that a Liverpool shirt was one of my favourites but here we are. Nike have had some fantastic shirts in recent years and this Liverpool away one is no exception. I love the collar on this shirt and the colours on it overall. Granted it does look like something a cricket team might wear but it looks great, nice and simple. 


Finally we have this brilliant Newcastle away shirt by Castore, to be honest I hadn't heard of Castore until this season but they have brought out some brilliant shirts for the upcoming campaign. There is just something about this Newcastle shirt I love, the gold colour, the white collar and the wavy kind of design just look great together. Again though that sponsor could be a little bit smaller. 

So those are my favourite Premier League away shirts for this season and it is safe to say there are some teams on that list that I never thought would be featured but some manufacturers have just absolutely knocked it out of the park with the design this time around. What is your favourite Premier League away shirt for this season?

Keep an eye on the blog over the next few weeks as there will be more shirt posts for leagues outside the UK and other UK leagues coming very soon as we have definitely been spoiled this time around. 

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