A Manchester company that buys and sells vintage, rare and current football shirts online and in shops in Manchester and London, started in a student house in 2006.
Classic Football Shirts is a retailer of classic, rare and current football shirts and related clothing. It buys shirts from collectors, clubs and stockists, sorts and checks them, and sells them online around the world and in its own shops. One report says it has sold over six million shirts in 18 years and works with the major clubs in Europe. It has also made books and run exhibitions, and has made shirts for clubs, including Burnley and Parma, according to its Wikipedia entry. It is a good example of a sports business that grew from a hobby into a brand.
The company was started in 2006 by two university friends, Matt Dale and Doug Bierton, when they could not find a classic 1990 West Germany shirt, which suggested there was a market. They launched their website in August 2006 from a student house, and their first sale was reportedly a 1989 Liverpool shirt to a customer in Norway. Their stated aim is to be a place where fans can buy rare shirts and learn about their favourite clubs and players, and to stock at least one shirt for every recognised team. Doug Bierton is now chief executive.
The company is rooted in Manchester. It opened a city-centre office in 2008, moved to a warehouse next to the Etihad Stadium in 2011, opened a first permanent shop in the Barton Arcade in 2018 and moved to a 75,000 square foot headquarters and warehouse in 2020. Its Manchester shop moved to a larger space in the Northern Quarter in October 2023. It also has a London shop and has opened shops in New York and Los Angeles. Its registered office is in Hyde, Greater Manchester. Wikipedia gave about 123 employees in late 2024 or early 2025, a figure that is now dated.
On culture, the pages we read are short on detail. The founders credit their workforce for the company's growth and describe a business built on shared love of football and kit design, with staff handling stock that fans care deeply about. One interview describes the early years as scrappy, with a student loan and overdrafts funding the start-up. These are the founders' own accounts. We found no staff survey or first-party culture statement.
Many different jobs exist in a business like this. Buyers and sourcers find stock, authenticators and stock handlers check and photograph shirts, shop staff sell face to face, designers and creative staff make products and exhibitions, social-media and content teams share the stories behind shirts, and warehouse, logistics, customer service and finance staff keep orders moving. If you are interested in football culture, design, collecting or online retail, this is a company where those interests become jobs.
Website: www.classicfootballshirts.co.uk
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