I can't seem to stop buying football shirts and in 2022 I bought a lot more shirts than I usual would, there were a few shirts purchased in support of the men's game however, my main priority for 2022 was definitely shirts in support of the women's game. I ended up with 16 new shirts throughout the year some purchased by myself but a few were actually gifts from Liam who seems to be totally on board with my love for football shirts these days. So here are the shirts I added to my collection in 2022...
I started the year with my first Manchester United shirt in a few years, I think my United shirt before this was back in 2018/19. I knew when Ronaldo came back to the club I wanted the shirt with his name on the back, although now I am a bit disappointed by my choice but that is something to talk about in another post. I actually really like how simple this shirt is and I am glad I actually made the purchase after delaying it into 2022.
During the Euro's I said if England won I would get the club shirt of the winning goal scorer's name on the back which got a lot of laughs as it could literally have been anyone and it could have been a shirt of a club I really don't like (Chelsea is the only one I really wouldn't have wanted). Luckily for me though it was one of my favourite Man City players who got the winner and Liam ended up getting me the Man City away shirt I wanted with her name on the back of it. This was my first Puma Man City shirt however, I am a bit annoyed as the stitching is starting to become undone and for the price that really shouldn't be happening.
Liam also got me a Man City home shirt for my birthday and this time he opted for my favourite current Man City player's name on the back... Lauren Hemp. Lauren Hemp really stood out to me in 2022 and she very quickly became a player I always kept an eye on and followed closely, to say she is so young she is such a good player and out of all the City players it had to be her name on the back of my shirt.
Any other time I would avoid goalkeeper shirts as I have never been a fan of them however, I had to get this Mary Earps one (now the nephew wants matching too as she is his favourite player). I mainly got this as we got a Man Utd season ticket and Earps was a stand out player from the Euros for me, I was never bothered about 'keepers in the past but she really has changed my mind about that plus this is a pretty good looking shirt.
As soon as it was announced I knew I wanted the Man Utd home shirt as it has a collar and we all know I love a good collar on a football shirt. One of my favourite female players has to be Lucy Staniforth, she is such an under rated player who can control a game really well. Once we started going to the United games I knew I needed a shirt with her name on so I made it into a reward for my weight loss journey, when I needed a smaller shirt I was allowed to buy a Staniforth one which as you can see worked well for me as I managed to get it in 2022.
When United were playing at Old Trafford I made sure we got to the stadium early enough to go buy a new shirt and get it printed as there was one specific one I had wanted for a while. Leah Galton is one of those players that for many slips under the radar however, I have been a big fan since her days in the NWSL and now with us going to the United games I though it was time to get one of the best under rated players in the league's name on the back of the shirt. Plus this seasons United away shirt looks so nice and simple so I wanted it in my collection.
I never thought I would own an Arsenal shirt but they are one of the teams I have followed closely this past season or so as two of my top 5 WSL players are a part of the team... Jordan Nobbs and Leah Williamson. Liam purchased this seasons Arsenal shirt for Christmas with Williamson on the back and I am really pleased with having a Williamson shirt in my collection at last. I can honestly say this isn't going to be the only Arsenal shirt in my collection.
Bradford City changed their shirt supplier this season and with us having season tickets still it was time to get a new shirt for the season. The second this home shirt was announced I knew it was going to be purchased as it has a collar and I love the BCAFC detail on the back of the shirt. My only issue with this one is that it is on the tight side due to the manufacturer sizing, it is my favourite home shirt in a while though.
Liam treated me to the away shirt for City too and although a lot of fans aren't keen on this shirt I actually love it. Granted it does look like a Newcastle shirt but it is different to what we are used to and I think that Macron has pulled off a great design with it. The fit is a bit more forgiving than the home shirt too. Now I just need to purchase the 3rd shirt in 2023.
For far too long now I have wanted an Orlando City shirt but haven't managed to find one however, that changed in July 2022. Before the Euro final we headed to the outlets at Wembley and I more or less sprinted to see if they had this in my size. Luckily they did and for £35 I finally had an Orlando City shirt, this is one of my favourites of theirs in recent years too so I am really glad I finally have it in my collection.
Liam started getting some mystery shirt boxes in 2022 and he got me one as a surprise. To be honest I think he was a bit jealous of the one I got though as his wasn't as rare as this one. I ended up with a Strongest FC shirt, a team I had never heard of but the shirt looks amazing and I am sure I will be wearing this a lot. I think in 2023 we will be getting a few more of these mystery boxes so keep an eye on our social media to see if we do buy a few more or not.
As some of you will be aware I do a bit of writing for Since 71 alongside writing for my own website. When they said they were bringing out this Southampton Women's shirt with Kit & Bone I knew I was going to purchase one to support all those involved. I love how simple this shirt is and it is a nice little addition to the collection and a shirt I probably would never have purchased in the past.
If you followed my content throughout the Euro's you will know I had a soft spot for Sweden, I had my nails in their colours and I saw them play 3 times overall. Going into the tournament I said I would be supporting them as long as they weren't playing England so when we went to our first Sweden game I decided to get the shirt. In the build up to the tournament I had this shirt in my basket on the Adidas site but never bought it so once we arrived at Bramall Lane I went straight over to purchase it. The shirt is so simple yet looks great.
We were lucky enough to have tickets to the France vs Netherlands game in the Euros and a few days before the game me and Liam said we would get the France shirt if they had it. This shirt was one we both wanted as the design is absolutely fantastic and a stand out without being too in your face. Looking back we actually got a lot of Euro shirts as Liam also got the Netherlands one, we should really have tried getting one for each team we watched live.
Finally two of my favourites of the year, I got laughed at before the Euros as I got both England shirts but they came in handy when Liam wanted to borrow one for the semi final and final as he didn't bother getting one of his own. The orange one is definitely my favourite as it is such a standout shirt but the white one looks amazing with the pattern worked into the shirt. With England winning the Euros I think owning both these shirts just makes it feel that bit more special and they will be staying in my collection forever as they hold so many memories.
So there you go 2022 involved adding 16 new football shirts into the collection and they are all shirts I had my eye on for a while or some great surprises like that Strongest FC one from the Mystery box. If I managed to get 16 new shirts in what I thought was a slow year in terms of football purchases I wonder how many I will pick up in 2023? There are already a few shirts I am looking at picking up then add in the upcoming Women's World Cup, I wonder if we will top those 16 shirts?
What was your favourite football shirt purchase in 2022?
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