I wanna buy football shirts for my niece & nephew

eryn_kathleen

I'm visiting the USA for my brother's wedding, and my niece and nephew (12 and 9 respectively) both play soccer. When asked, their parents suggested that football shirts would make nice gifts. I thought 'Great - sounds easy!' and then I had a look online. Wow, what a money-spinner! Not knowing a lot about football, I'm a little lost.

I was originally hoping to spend around a tenner each, but maybe that's not realistic so I could stretch to fifteen (I have lots of other pressies to buy so I need to keep costs low).

What I'm looking for:
It doesn't matter what team the shirts are for. I'd like something a little colorful or unusual, like the Newcastle shirts, a nice red Liverpool, or an Aston Villa. As long as the team isn't too obscure, anything goes.

The parents suggested a kids' size large (so they can sleep in them and grow into them). Both kids are pretty tall for their ages.

I'd prefer that the team not be sponsored by an alcoholic beverage. No problem with adults drinking beer, but I personally don't think it's appropriate for kids their age to be walking alcohol adverts.

I'd be happy with either specific suggestions or general advice on where to find cheap kits. Ebay hasn't been too helpful - the shirts seem to mostly be either used or £2 with £15 postage, but if anyone can prove me wrong I'll be thrilled.

Thanks!!

Little_John

Sports soccer and sports world are usually the cheapest place to buy football shirts I'm not sure if you will get a kids shirt in there for £15 though. I have staff discount at my team and its still cheaper to buy from SS or SW.

Choosing a football shirt isnt just buying a tshirt, I am sure even in the US it isnt good to be walking round wearing the shirt of Sunderland or Man City. even worse to be seen walking round in somthing a few years old so buying to grow in to isnt really a good idea either. Buying abarcode shirt just becasue its different isnt a good reason to buy it. You can ger the junior current balackburn home shirt for just over a tenner but I wouldnt be seen dead wearing that thing.

So take a few tips to choosing the shirt, they will be fans of some team and will have a clue to the Teams if they play themselves. either their local team so where did they come from? or they will support the team their dad supports.
Don't just supprise them with any shirt they could be really upset if you gave them a Liverpool shirt and the like Everton, same with man united and man city, Bolton/Blackburn, Arsenal/Chelsea/Totenham and no one supports Aston Villa.

Ok so you dont want a beer sponsor
Arsenal
Chelsea
Aston Villa (online gambling)
Everton
Blackburn (online gambling)
Bolton
Man City
Man united
totenahm
and sunderland are all non booze related, I wish I had typed the ther way as only liverpool now have Calsberg.

It is a good time to buy a football shirt at the moment as most teams have just released their new shirts for the next season. Sleeping in a polyster shirt isnt a good idea either.

eryn_kathleen

Thanks for that - very helpful! Maybe I'll have to stretch my budget a bit further.

Their dad doesn't watch football at all (except the kids' games) and he told me that the kids don't really watch British football - they're not allowed to watch much telly full stop - or know much about it. The whole family's American (as am I) and I think they watch a lot of local football but were thinking more about novelty value and having a 'British' gift.

I suppose you're right that other kids might know more about British teams and who the cool ones are - they all seem to be playing soccer over there! I'll see if I can wring a little bit more information out of the dad.

damo6_2

Little_John wrote: »

Don't just supprise them with any shirt they could be really upset if you gave them a Liverpool shirt and the like Everton, same with man united and man city, Bolton/Blackburn, Arsenal/Chelsea/Totenham and no one supports Aston Villa.

Ok so you dont want a beer sponsor
Arsenal
Chelsea
Aston Villa (online gambling)
Everton
Blackburn (online gambling)
Bolton
Man City
Man united
totenahm
and sunderland are all non booze related, I wish I had typed the ther way as only liverpool now have Calsberg.

It is a good time to buy a football shirt at the moment as most teams have just released their new shirts for the next season. Sleeping in a polyster shirt isnt a good idea either.

easy tiger there are some of us that do :T

i agree sportsworld and sportssoccer (sportsdirect.com) will be your best bet if you want to keep the cost down-they will also be selling off shirts from the season just gone at low prices if you don't want to go for the new ones just coming out (don't think many of them are out yet to be honest)

also everton are sponsored by chang beer plus middlesborough,tottenham and sunderland are sponsored by online gambling firms as well.

obviously kids are going to probabaly want one of the 'big successful teams' so to speak as unless you've been born and bred on a paticular club there the ones that they gravitate to.

so for that currently read chelsea,man utd and arsenal but as little john said try to get an inkiling of a favourite player/team etc as if you get the wrong one football fans are a fickle bunch and it won't be worn :rolleyes:


hope it helps

eryn_kathleen

Very helpful! I do know a (very) little bit about football, but my DH comes from Cornwall (not much to support there, according to him) and although he'll watch anything as long as it's footie he's never supported a particular team really strongly. He supports Manchester City and Leicester because we've lived both places, and Liverpool because his sister likes Everton, but I wouldn't call him a passionate fan of any of the three. I'm not really sure what he does when they play each other!

And nice tip about players - I have a feeling they may have heard of individual players even if they don't know much about teams, so that should help. Off to call my brother!

Elljay_2

If the gift is purely a "British" thought then why not get an England/Scotland/Wales/NI kit? don't want to offend anyone!! But if you livingin England then why not get them an England kit.....A "Gift from aunt/uncle who live in England????" That may be a compromise?

Fatal_Swan

England Away kits (the red one) are £9.99 from Kitbag.com at the moment (all sizes available):

http://www.kitbag.com/stores/kitbag_4_5/products/kit_selector.aspx?pid=23676

There are usually decent voucher codes around for kitbag too if you search these forums and/or HUKD. The kit is last season's one though I think.

As mentioned earlier, these kits are usually cheap at Sports Soccer shops too so worth a look on your local high street or outlet. I think instore you can get ones with numbers and player's names printed on the shirts. On their website they're £10.49, I think their instore prices are usually the same as the website:

Go to http://www.sportsdirect.com/Index.pasp, then England kit link, then the England kit link in the bottom right, and it's on the 3rd page.