My first jersey was a Newcastle jersey and it was gifted to me by a friend when we were wrapping up from Secondary School. It was 1996 Newcastle jersey with the Bishop Collar and Brown Ale were the sponsors. Though gifted to me in the year 2000, I loved that jersey and still think its the best Newcastle United jersey ever. I like last season’s green though, the texture was really nice.
After the Newcastle jersey I had to wait 3 years to get another club jersey. <span;>However, this second jersey was more precious because one it was my favourite team’s kit. You already know it is a Manchester United jersey. Secondly, it was gifted to me by my all time favourite woman, my late mum.
I can remember clearly how her call to me from the UK went that Saturday evening she was about to buy it. Very funny woman, she just buzzed and said what do you want me to write on it. I was lost, she asked the same way again and I just sensed she was asking what I would love written on a Manchester United Jersey she was about to purchase for me.
She was at the store, so I begged her to give me a minute or 2 to think about it. She said okay and asked I gave the phone to my cousin, she asked the same question and he looked at me and said Dipo what should I say. I said 14 Henry (Thierry Henry) and he hissed that he wasn’t a fan of the French man. The foolish boy hardly watches football so his ignorance was not shocking. He eventually settled for number 11 and Kehinde as the name to be written above it.
I settled for number 7 with Ronaldo written above it. Before ending the call a thought popped up in my head. I thought if I wrote that it could be seen as fake or some sort of mass production so I changed my mind. I eventually asked her to tell them to inscribe FAN 4 LIFE behind.
My jersey arrived weeks later, and I was so excited. It landed the Sunday Manchester United played Arsenal at Old Trafford. The tie ended 0:0. It was the part of Arsenal’s 49 games unbeaten journey.
I so much cherished that jersey and it suffered because I wore the living daylight out of it. A lot of Manchester United jerseys have been acquired afterwards with mum accounting for about 6 of them, a few I still have just for the fun of it.
CHEERS!!!
