JamesB
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Post by JamesB on Mar 6, 2013 22:37:57 GMT
How long have Torquay had a club shop? I'm thinking they're a 70s/80s "invention", at least in terms of somewhere to buy replica shirts/kit
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Mar 6, 2013 23:23:56 GMT
How long have Torquay had a club shop? I'm thinking they're a 70s/80s "invention", at least in terms of somewhere to buy replica shirts/kit There was definitely a "Gulls Shop" behind the old Grandstand c.1976. I'm sure it was managed by Merse assisted by Dave Hepworth - who still sells programmes outside the family stand entrance. Merse would know whether he set it up from scratch or took it over from someone else. Trade in replica kits was non-existent back then. I'm pretty sure it was was mostly programmes and a few bits and bobs like ties and mugs. |
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Post by teignmouth54 on Mar 6, 2013 23:50:49 GMT
I remember visiting the Gull's Shop at the rear of the old grandstand during the 1967/68 season to purchase Torquay United programmes, a badge and a club photograph. The shop was advertised in the programmes and I attach a copy of the programme for the FA Cup tie with Colchester in December 1967, as created by Timbo on the TFF programmes room. torquayfansforum.com/thread/9123/colchester-united-fa-cup-round1 |
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JamesB
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Post by JamesB on Mar 7, 2013 0:02:58 GMT
Interesting, cheers both. When did replica kits start to come in?
I'm currently working on a theory essay based on theories of spatiality in relation to football stadiums, using Old Trafford as my example of how stadiums have changed and what each development represents with the history of the development of football clubs. One of the most noticeable features of Old Trafford is its enormous (Nike-run) club shop, which perfectly represents the transition of football clubs from sports teams to global brands. I'm just trying to nail down a period where they first started became widespread as some historical context. I've not been able to find any articles on the history of club shops, surprisingly
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Mar 7, 2013 23:07:00 GMT
Merse tells me that the Gulls Shop was set up by John Hudson (the Barton Squash Club man and a future director) during the Frank O'Farrell era. So it must have still been fairly new when teignmouth54 first visited.
I've been thinking back to our first two Wembley visits. There was a shed load of merchandise for the 1989 Bolton game. I remember t-shirts (especially the "Not now Wilma" one), sweatshirts, hats, flags, inflatables - but I don't remember many people having a replica shirt. Two years later I seem to recall lots of people wearing replica shirts for the Blackpool game. Does anybody else remember it like that?
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Mar 8, 2013 15:52:20 GMT
Yes Jon tea shirts and flags seemed to be the main items fans bought when we first got to Wembley in 1989, I do not think fans were able to buy replica shirts back then, but I might be wrong. Back then did the clubs have to buy their own kits? I only ask as maybe the shirt manufactures saw the opportunity to sell shirts to the fans and started doing deals with clubs to provide them with free kit etc. There were also plenty of tea shirts for sale when we went to Wembley in 1998, the best one being the Rodney Jack one as far as I’m concerned. What a player, what great times we had back then.  |
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JamesB
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Post by JamesB on Mar 9, 2013 0:24:17 GMT
I'm guessing the proliferation of shirt sponsors probably had something to do with the arrival of replica shirts. I can't think of ever seeing many without sponsorship bar those recent shirts where sponsors have been foregone in favour of a particular design, e.g. Southampton' centenary shirt
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Post by gullone on Mar 9, 2013 11:22:52 GMT
I've been thinking back to our first two Wembley visits. There was a shed load of merchandise for the 1989 Bolton game. I remember t-shirts (especially the "Not now Wilma" one), sweatshirts, hats, flags, inflatables - but I don't remember many people having a replica shirt. Two years later I seem to recall lots of people wearing replica shirts for the Blackpool game. Does anybody else remember it like that? They certainly did a Sherpa Van Replica at the time but i seem to remember the club didnt get them in until very near the game itself. We wore the yellow and white stripes for the first time at Wembley for the Blackpool game then wore it for the next two seasons as our home kit. We then wore almost an identical kit at home for the 99/00 00/01 seasons. Now it looks like we will be wearing a version of it again next season. |
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Post by crooky on Mar 10, 2013 22:23:15 GMT
There were replica shirts around in 89. I seem to remember owning a replica kit that season. It was the year we played in all white with a big yellow v neck. You had to buy the full strip for some odd reason at the time. We brought out the all all yellow affair for the final itself.
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