Replica football shirts - how many do you have?

I was recently thinking about replica football shirts (I lead a sad, sad life!), and about my collection of shirts - actually it's not a collection per say, as I don't keep my replicas untouched and pristine. I actually wear them you know!  Anyway, what I was pondering was, as a Spurs fan of Jamaican background, it probably is not a surprise when I tell you I have many Spurs and Jamaica (yes, they play football - remember the Reggae Boyz?) replica shirts, and I would assume that the same could be said for many football fans, in that they would own replica shirts relevant to their favoured club and country.  Am I right?  Anyway, I was thinking more about the shirts I own which are not Spurs or Jamaica related, and got me wondering why I own those shirts.

We've recently heard that Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby wears a Tottenham shirt indoors, given to him by French compatriot and Spurs defender, Younes (I call him Unit) Kaboul.  Now I'm not trying to say that I roll around my flat in the red and white of Arsenal - bloody hell, you'd be lucky if you see me wear any sort of red - but in addition to my Spurs and Jamaica shirts why on earth do I own: 1 Brazil home, 1 Brazil away, 1 Barcelona home, 1 Barcelona away, 1 Inter Milan away, and 1 Rangers home and 1 Italy home replicas? There must be a story to it?
Well the best I can come up with is that I fully respect Brazil as a footballing nation - the Barcelona ones I got as presents, I liked the design of the Inter Milan one (white with the diagonal blue and black stripe), I bought the Italy one while on a break in Rome, and the Rangers one - well that was the chosen kit for a 5-a-side team I was playing for due to its cheap price.

Another reason I own some is an apparent misguided thought that some of those shirts (the Brazil and Italy ones) may be acceptable to wear out and about in the daytime as a sports-casual thing.  You know the deal - popping to the shops, going to the bookies - just generally going about your business? I say apparent misguided, because I asked my mate Cory at work how many replica shirts he owns, and he went on a rant about how he considered it "chavvy" to wear football shirts out and about, and that they should only be worn when playing sports, or chilling inside your abode where no-one can see you.  Now, I'm no fashion expert and Cory sure as hell isn't, so I don't know what the score is here.  I'm not a chav, I'm sure of it - I know what the appropriate occasion is to wear my Burberry cap (only joking!!!!) so what do you reckon?

So, with this in mind, I've got a couple of questions for you all?

1) HOW MANY REPLICA FOOTBALL SHIRTS DO YOU OWN?
2) WHICH ONES ARE NOT EITHER YOUR FAVOURED CLUB OR COUNTRY?
3) IS WEARING FOOTBALL KITS AS CASUAL WEAR IN PUBLIC ACCEPTABLE OR NOT?

Let me know your thoughts, and send in your photos containing all your football shirts (like mine) to 4menonabench@gmail.com or hit us up @4menonabench on twitter, and the best comments and photo may win a prize.

hello from M..J..

ok people, allow me to give you the low down on my fellow 'bench-mates'.....

GWA - die hard spud, i mean spurs fan, and annoyingly good at expressing his opinion, however misguided and deluded it may be.
Pos: Exceptional knowledge of football...... test him at your will!
Neg: Annoying! Simples!
PEC - The elder of the bench -mates......Is so west ham through and through, is a bit like Alfie from Eastenders, wears his Hammers shirt to bed! Can destroy you with his text! Beware!
Pos: Lyrically dangerous!
Neg: Again, Annoying!
JF: aka Jammo... The pup of the Bench-mates....and does it show! A deep rooted Arsenal fan. Prepare yourself for his 'alternative' view on all thing football!
Pos: able to do things with a football, most could never imagine!
Neg: N/A

Simple question?

Will the guys from White Hart Lane, ever finish above their rivals Arsenal?

Enough about Cesc......

The most important issue surrounding Arsenal, is the philosophy behind the club. The 'young,small, tidy' player style was not far away from bringing much needed success to the club......but was a project which did not bring the much needed fruit to the dried mouths of Arsenal fans, who have had to drink from the fountain of dread, instead....and which has led many of them to seek Rooney's hair doc.

Transfer Window Blues...

If you didn't know, I am a ever faithful fan of Tottenham Hotspur and I'm honestly pleased with the gradual progression my team have shown in the last 5 years or so, from the days of Martin Jol taking over from Jacques Santini (who remembers him?!).  While mentioning him, I am very pleased to see Mr Jol back in the Premier League and wish him good luck with Fulham (not against Spurs though!) this coming season.

Simultaneous with Spurs’ gradual improvement, I am almost ecstatic on Arsenal’s ongoing fall from grace, and find it very amusing that after six empty-handed seasons, gooners seem to have just realised that something is very very wrong at the Emirates.

My thoughts on Arsenal will come in due course.  My colleagues PEC (an unfortunate West Ham supporter) and JF and MJ (both gooners), will testify that I have been proclaiming their downfall for 5 years, and everything I have said has come to pass.

Anyway, enough of the gloating because things in football can change almost overnight, what I wanted to write about was the state of the transfer window.   Take my team Spurs for example; in 2009/10 they reached the promised land of 4^th place, beating Arsenal and Chelsea in consecutive weeks in the run-in, before beating City at home in penultimate match of the season. In 2010/11 Spurs enjoyed an impressive Champions League run, and ended up 5^th in the league, after faltering in the final third of the season, dropping points against the likes of West Ham, Wolves, Blackpool, West Brom and so on.

Now, it isn’t rocket science to work out that in order to compete at the highest level and achieve what the club says it wants to achieve, the squad needs to be strengthened, and strengthened appropriately.  There are a million and one opinions across north London as to what is required – in short, a central defender, a midfielder, possibly a winger and a striker.  What is baffling is WHAT IS TAKING SO LONG to get the cheque book out and a get a new player at White Hart Lane, holding a Spurs shirt above his head, with a smile on his face and a couple of soundbites for the media and fans.  

What is the club waiting for?  The right deal?  To save maybe half a mill on the transfer fee?  Can’t they see that Sir Alex isn’t resting on his laurels by signing players early (Phil Jones a couple of weeks back, and Ashley Young today!) and building his new squad to they can integrate as soon as all the players get back from holiday?

Mr Levy, Mr Redknapp – I respect you both, but PLEASE hurry up!!! Get those players in.  Please do not wait till lastminute.com.

I would guess that this concern applies to supporters of other teams as well. Arsenal have not been active yet, despite the well publicised need for players in certain positions.  Even City and Chelsea have not been that active, although Liverpool and Utd have.  Maybe I’m a bit twitchy – a bit too anxious perhaps?  Maybe I should be patience and stop scouring the net, where I read a thousand rumours a day...Maybe I should have faith that Levy and Redknapp know what they are doing, and will address what needs to be addressed well before the season starts.  Have faith GWA, have faith...

Are you nervous about this transfer window?  Who should your club buy to help them achieve their aim? Let me know by commenting below.

GWA

Thought of the Day

I was thinking about the fact that there's no footy tournament this summer and I got talking to a mate about the confederations cup. I couldn't help but think it's a pretty pointless competition, it doesn't offer anything unique. Maybe they could change it to a Continental Confederations Cup. So South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, North and Central America and Oceania could compete in a mini-league and then the top two from the league play in a final.

How amazing would it be to see Brazil, Argentina, and Chile combine the squads. Or Spain, Germany, France, Holland, England and Itialy. Or Ivory Coast, Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa.

Each FA for each Continent can vote for a current international coach to represent them, who then selects his 23 man squad from squads submitted by each FA. That really would be a tournament of world class players, a real show piece event.

What would be your European, African, South American, etc XI?

Rory McIlroy – a legend in the making?

Around 24 hours after his impressive – no – immaculate US Open victory, it is fitting that we, the general public give Rory McIlroy all the plaudits he deserves.  Rory, with memories of a calamitous final round in the Masters this April where he shot an 80 after starting the final day 4 shots clear of the field , showed that he learnt those tough lessons well, and quickly to destroy the field and the tough Congressional course set up to USGA standards.

Sure, the course was playing easier than the USGA suits wanted, due to heavy rain the night before the first days play, and throughout the championship, ensuring that the greens were receptive rather than hard and fast like we are used to seeing at a US Open, but nothing takes away from the fact that Rory’s performance was as, if not more, domineering as Tiger Woods’ US Open victory in 2000 at Pebble Beach, when he carded 12 under for the championship, a full 15 shots less than his nearest rivals.

And what of Tiger?  In hindsight, the former world’s number 1 must have been thankful that he had to pull out of this year’s US Open due to injury, for even at the top of his game (which would be unlikely, as he has not hit those heights for years) he would have found it hard to keep up with McIlroy’s ‘fairways and greens’ play.

I believe that McIlroy’s mature performance in the US Open indicates that there are plenty more Majors for him on the horizon, and I would also put it out there that we should be talking about potentially McIlroy breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 career Majors, rather than Tiger, who has stagnated on 14 since his last Major Win at the US Open in 2008 at Torrey Pines.

What do you think of Rory McIlroy?  Do you believe he can become a big player in the sport, and be as successful as Tiger Woods?  Certainly from an on-course perspective, I do.

GWA