Bradford City Women Triumphant In The West Riding FA Cup


On Sunday Bradford City Women were at home in yet another cup game, this time against Harrogate Railway in the West Riding FA Cup. With the way City have been playing lately it was bound to be a good game and it certainly didn't disappoint as we saw City net a fair few goals to reach the next round of the West Riding FA Cup comfortably. 

City started the game strong and had a fair few chance on goal however, they were just unable to get the ball in the back of the net. The chances kept on coming for City though and they eventually took the lead in the 8th minute when Hawkins put the Railway defender under some great pressure to win the ball back and get it across to Stuart who slotted the ball into the back of the net. 

It looked like City were going to get their second not long after with the chances still coming thick and fast for the side however, the 'keeper kept Railway in it and a few other shots found the wrong side of the post. The second goal of the game went in City's favour in the 27th minute with Jakeman burying a strike in the roof of the net, she found herself in a great position and there really was no way of stopping the shot. 

The game really was going all in City's favour however, Railway grabbed a goal back in the 33rd minute when a great ball from the midfield split the City defence and the Railway attacked slotted it home after a slight 1 on 1 situation with City's 'keeper. It didn't take long for City to extend their lead once again though as Stuart doubled her goal tally in the 37th minute with another great goal. In the 45th minute just before half time was called City managed to add another goal with Stuart getting her hat-trick after stealing the ball from the Railway defender before calmly slotting the ball home. 

At half time City went into the dressing room 4-1 up and honestly showing no signs of slowing down. Hames made his only two substitutions of the game with Stuart and Hawkins coming off to be replaced by Norde & Thomas. City started the second half just as they ended the first with plenty of chances but again they were just unable to find the back of the net, the game could have had a bigger scoreline if it wasn't for the Railway 'keeper who saved quite a few City shots before eventually getting beaten again in the 61st minute when Jakeman got her second goal of the game after a 1 on 1 situation with the goalkeeper, the ball from Roberts to set Jakeman free was fantastic and perfectly placed to lead to the goal. 

Just 3 minutes after the 5th goal City got their 6th goal of the game when a fantastically placed free kick from Roberts found the head of Woodcock who found the back of the net with the resulting header. The goal was just another sign of how well Roberts can take set pieces and find the perfect pass. In the 70th minute Jakeman finally got her hat-trick when the original shot from Norde was saved and landed at Jakeman's feet who calmly slotted the ball home. 

The game ended 7-1 and it is safe to say City really dominated the game although on a few occasions they did let Railway slip past them however, other than the goal they scored they didn't seem too threatening. I really do believe the game could have gone into double figures though if it wasn't for the Railway goalkeeper who really did pull off some fantastic saves to stop some brilliant strikes from City. 

Throughout the game City did really well with passes being linked up really well and space being created to get into some really dangerous positions. Once again though it was the right hand side that looked the strongest when Roberts and Hawkins were linking up really well together, they seem to be able to read each other really well and it helps create some great opportunities for the team. 

When it comes to a player of the match pick it could have been a number of players as they stood out a lot making some great decisions throughout the game and really contributing towards City's win however, for both me and Liam our player of the match is Jakeman who worked hard throughout the full 90 minutes, grabbed herself a hat-trick and never looked like slowing down. She certainly covered a lot of ground throughout the game and had one of the best performances we have seen from her this season.

City are very comfortably into the next round of the cup and I am looking forward to seeing who we draw. Every week we are seeing some great improvements from City and I think today just summed it up with how they played and kept on pushing even when they were a few goals ahead. 

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A Closer Look At The England Away Shirt


The Euros during the summer might have been great for England with them reaching the final but they really let me down in one area... the lack of the blue shirt. Yes I know they opt for the white every chance they get but honestly I think the blue shirt just looks so much better and I would love to see them wearing it much more often. 

I don't really buy England shirts and I actually can't remember the last time I bought one before this but as soon as it was released I told Liam I had to get it. The blue and red just works so well together and it just looks really smart to me. Luckily I got this not long after its release at a discounted price due to me having a voucher for money off from purchasing FIFA 21 so it was an even bigger bargain that I just couldn't resist. For me this shirt stood out as it looked smarter than your average football shirt and more like a top you could wear for a variety of occasions rather than just for watching the game, I had a fair few shirts to pick from for the Euros but every game day I found myself reaching for this one over others. 


Some shirts these days just look far too in your face with the pattern however, what I love about this one is that it stands out the right amount without ruining the overall design of the shirt. Thanks to the pattern being in different shades of blue the print is noticeable but doesn't stand out far too much like it would have if they had used any other colour. The design just seems to blend in really well and it was really nice to wear throughout the summer. 


What sold this shirt to me though was the use of the collar. If you have read the blog for a while now you will know I am a sucker for a shirt with a collar and I think this just makes the shirt look even smarter. I love how the shirt and buttons are kept in the same blue of the shirt so they don't break away from the shirts design and just blend in really well. I think if they had used red or any other colour they would have ruined it so for them to keep it blue is just perfect. 

The fact that only the badge and Nike logo are in a different colour on the front really makes them standout and your eyes definitely get drawn to them due to the vibrant red colour and the fact it is the only other colour on the front of the shirt. I really think that more shirts should be like this where the badge stands out more than other details as I think in recent years a lot of kit manufacturers have moved away from this and focus on standout prints when sometimes subtle works best. 


Nike have definitely kept it simple with this shirt with only the blue and red being used and I love how the red side panel just seems to break the all blue shirt up that little bit and just adds a bit of detail between the back and front of the shirt. The way that Nike are using these side panels lately look great and fit the shirts they are designing really well. 

 This shirt has been great for the time I have owned it so far and even after countless washes and beer being spilled on it the shirt is still in really good condition and the fit is still perfect, the colour hasn't run or faded so it is safe to say this shirt is going to last me a while. You wont see me working out in it or playing football in it though as it seems to good for that. 

What are your thoughts on this England shirt? 
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Favourite Away Shirts From Other League In The UK & Around The World

So we have covered our favourite home shirts from clubs in leagues that are the Premier League or League 2 or the big clubs in Europe and today we are finishing off this little series with our favourite away shirts from those different leagues. It is safe to say this post has a mixture of clubs from different levels in the UK and even one from Australia again, which seems to be filled with hidden gems so I might have to take a closer look at the Australian teams soon. But here who is made the cut for this post... 


Lincoln City 

I came across this shirt thanks to us going to watch Bradford City vs Lincoln in a Papa Johns Trophy game. To be honest I have always liked Lincoln's home shirts but this away shirt in my eyes just looks great. I love how the blues work really well together and the pattern on the shirt is definitely an eye catcher. 


Hull City 

I love a good black out kit and this seasons Hull away shirt ticks all the boxes for a brilliant blackout shirt. I really do think Umbro is an underrated shirt manufacturer as each year they seem to bring out some absolutely fantastic shirts. I actually like this away shirt that much I think it is one I would love to add to my own collection. 


Hashtag United 

I am really liking the Hashtag kits for this season and I think Hummel have done a fantastic job with the shirts they have come up with for their first year with the club. Hummel are a great kit manufacturer and I think we are in for a treat for the duration of their partnership with the club in regards to the kits we are seeing released. I love the black and white on this shirt with the small zig zags over to one side of the shirt. 


Bradford Park Avenue 

A local club to me that I really should go see more often is Bradford Park Avenue, it is probably the closest football ground to where we live and they often play at home at different times to Bradford City so we really should go watch them more often. I really like their home shirts but to be honest I much prefer their away shirt as it is one of my favourite colour ways, black & red. Plus it has a collar which is definitely an added bonus for me. I think this could be another shirt possibly added into the personal collection. 


Adelaide United 

I think I really need to start paying a lot more attention to the A League over in Australia as I think this upcoming season could be a good one, especially when it comes to the shirts the clubs are going to be wearing. I am loving this Adelaide United away shirt for this season with the blue and red working really together and the pattern that is built into the shirts design. 

So there you go those are our favourite away shirts from different leagues around the UK and even one from Australia, who knows some of these might find their way into my personal collection one day but for now I will just stick to enjoying them through social media. Again though if anyone knows where I can get that Adelaide shirt from at a reasonable price in the UK please do let me know. 

What is you favourite shirt from this post? 

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2020/21 RB Leipzig Away Shirt Closer Look

 

If you know me you will know just how much I love playing video games in my free time, as rare as that is these days and my favourite game to just sit and relax with is FIFA. In the past few years I have really got into playing FIFA Ultimate Team and during each cycle of the game I tend to stick with just 2 shirts for the club I create and for FIFA 21 one of those shirts just so happened to be the RB Leipzig away shirt for the season and due to how often I actually saw this shirt I fell in love with it and surprise, surprise I even ended up purchasing it when it came to the end of the season sale. 


Obviously I had only actually seen this game on the TV screen whilst I was playing Ultimate Team or when I went on the Nike site to actually purchase it so I wasn't quite sure what to expect colour wise but it is safe to say when it turned up and I saw it in person for the first time it really didn't disappoint. The blue of the shirt is really vibrant and is a bit bolder when compared to some of the other blue shirts I currently own which honestly I don't mind as I think it is nicer than some of the other blue shirts in my collection. The blue works really well with the vibrant orange and yellow on the shirt too and thanks to it being nice and simple it gives the opportunity for the sponsor and club badge to take center stage. 

If you have read any of my shirt posts before you will know that I aren't really a fan of sponsors being a big focus on the shirt but for some reason with this RB Leipzig shirt I really don't mind that Red Bull logo in the middle of the shirt and with the club being 'RB' Leipzig I don't think it looks out of place at all. Plus that yellow really really well on the blue. The orange neck just breaks the shirt up a bit too and adds another colour to this shirt without spoiling it in my opinion as it fits with the side panel detail. 


The yellow of the clubs badge on this shirt is definitely more vibrant than the sponsor which to me just makes it stand out that bit more to my eyes which is great as it means the badge might be smaller than the sponsor but it definitely still catches your eye and gets the attention it should be doing. I think a lot of clubs are starting to drowned out the club badge with some shirt designs but this one is perfect. 


Just like with the PSG shirt the sleeves on the RB Leipzig are also made from a recycled material and the textured detail on the sleeves seems to be the way that Nike were highlighting that. The sleeves on this one did feel a bit tight but I don't think that was anything to do with the texturing I think it was more to me sizing down from my normal size but thanks to the quality of the material the shirt still fit perfectly and even after numerous washes the colour is still intact and the fit is still as it was on the first wear. 


Just like with the PSG away shirt it also took me a while to spot the hidden detail on the side panels. The orange side panel is in a zig zag pattern with other patterns in the design with a bit of a hidden RBL inside it. I love how these panels match the collar in the colour and the fact that these aren't yellow like the badge & sponsor doesn't actually matter as it all seems to flow nicely and doesn't spoil the design overall. The orange just adds to making this shirt more vibrant than it already is which is great. 

I am really glad that I fell in love with this shirt whilst playing FIFA 21 as it is a very welcomed addition to my shirt collection, who knows it might lead me to purchase more RB Leipzig shirts in the future and it could also be a new tradition of buying the shirts I use on FIFA if I love them enough, if that is the case it is safe to say I am in for a treat with the kits I am wearing in FIFA 22. 

What do you think to last seasons RB Leipzig away shirt? Were you a fan? 
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2020/21 PSG Away Shirt Closer Look


PSG are one of those teams I have always looked at and honestly it hasn't always been for the football they play, these days it is actually for the shirts they are wearing each season. I honestly believe lately they are becoming a bit more of a fashion focused brand alongside being a football team as the shirts they are releasing each season are brilliant. Their collaborations with Jordan have been brilliant lately and I really want to build up my PSG shirt collection. At the end of the 2020/21 season I finally bit the bullet and added my first PSG shirt to my collection as there was now way I was missing out on the seasons away shirt, it was one I had my eye on for a while so I waited for the end of season sale and finally made the purchase. 


I absolutely loved this shirt from the minute I saw it and honestly there was no way I wasn't picking it up. One thing I love about PSG is how the red, white and blue colours we always associate with the club work so well together and keep with the French clubs colours. I love how with this away shit the white is the main colour with the red running all the way down the center of the shirt only being broken up by the sponsor in the center. The blue to the side of the red block stripe also just keeps in with the clubs colours and flows nicely with the collar detail on the shirt too. 

I also really like how the Nike logo and club badge are also towards the center of the shirt rather than being towards either side of the chest. With them being slightly off center and following the light blue stripes alongside the bold red stripe, with them being just under the collar too I think it actually looks quite smart. 


What really sold me on this shirt was the blue collar and few red buttons on the chest. I absolutely love a shirt with a collar and this one ticks all the boxes. I think this shirt is a bit more fashionable than some of the other shirts from other clubs we have seen in recent years. It is shirts like this from PSG than make them seem like a fashion brand than a football club to me as the shirt just looks fantastic and really smart. The collar is a nice smart fit too when buttoned up and hasn't flicked up yet like some collars I have had on past shirts or even polo shirts. I love how the blue of the collar works well with the bold red too as it is a nice and bold blue and not just some random colour thrown in for the sake of it. 


This shirt is made out of recycled material too which is an added bonus and I love how Nike seem to be moving into this area a bit more with their clothing and shoes. The recycled material is highlighted in the sleeves with this shirt with them being a bit of a textured effect. This is quite a subtle effect on the shirt and to be honest I am glad as it is noticeable however, it doesn't stand out too much, meaning the main focus is still on the bold colours on the front of the shirt. The sponsor on the sleeve doesn't bother me as much as it usually would either as the colour is in keeping with the rest of the shirt and the shirt as a whole isn't absolutely over run with branding, it is quite subtle and doesn't ruin the look of the shirt. 


 There is a bit more subtle detailing on the shirt that I didn't notice until I actually had the shirt in my hands. Most shirts just have some plain side paneling either in a different colour to the shirt or as a mesh however, this one flows with the colour of the rest of shirt and has the clubs full name throughout the panel which I think is a really nice touch. Again this is very subtle so doesn't distract from the rest of the shirt but when you do notice it you can appreciate its addition. 

I am really glad I actually convinced myself to get this shirt as I think it was the perfect one to kick off my PSG shirt collection especially with it having one of my favourite things... a collar. I have worn this a lot of times now and the quality is great, the colour is still perfect and it fits really nicely. I tend to wear this for general day to day wear rather than training as it just seems too nice to run around a field or gym in. I wonder what my next PSG shirt will be? I can honestly say I already have my eyes on a few previous ones and a few of this seasons. 
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