Holy Grail No.2 - Argentina 86 Home Shirt

The first ever article that appeared on the Attic was billed as “Holy Grail No.1”. The numbering would clearly suggest that this was perhaps the first in a series and to that, I would say that yes, it was…I just never quite got round to writing about no.2. Until now! So sit back and wallow in what will turn out to be yet another tale of obsession and ultimate futility! It’s 1986 (really? What a surprise!) and the 11 year old me is standing in...

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Focus On... Giles Metcalfe

A familiar face to football nostalgia fans on Twitter, Giles Metcalfe becomes the latest person to step into the spotlight as The Football Attic finds out just what makes football fans tick...Full Name:Giles MetcalfeCurrent blog/podcast(s):No StandingBirthplace:Northallerton, North YorkshireBirthdate:17 FebruaryHeight:6 ft 3 inGiles MetcalfeMarried:Engaged to AilsaChildren:Step-children James and AbbeyCar:2004 Ford KaFavourite blogs/podcasts:Football...

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Football and Comedy: The Fast Show (1994)

People often say 'Art imitates life', but it's just as true to say that comedy imitates football. A perfect example can be found among the three series of The Fast Show, a BBC TV series that contained more than its fair share of football references. Here we see a short sequence from one episode that features Chanel 9 Neus, a pseudo-Latin American TV programme that doesn't allow paltry production values to get in the way of some truly awful broadcasting. On...

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Panini 2002 World Cup Album

We at the Attic don't just write about our own experiences of football nostalgia, we also like to be a conduit for others...here Victor M Rey shares his memories of his first ever Sticker Album... The 2002 World Cup is the first football championship I remember, but if there is something that I remember better than the World Cup itself it is the Panini Sticker Album. I was 7 and I was living in Venezuela. Despite Venezuela has never played...

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1994: Football of the Future

The year is 1984. Charlie Nicholas is the poster boy of British football, Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins share the British transfer record and players everywhere are earning more money than they've ever done. Where would it all end, or more specifically, what would football be like ten years hence in 1994? That was the question Shoot! magazine asked 29 years ago, and to find the answer, it assessed the state of the British game at ten-year intervals...

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We Are 2!

Two years ago today, the Football Attic cranked open its dust ridden hatch and let down the ladder of nostalgia for you all to climb up and sample our aged goodness... this analogy really isn't working is it? Never mind that, it's our birthday!!! To celebrate, let's get all meta and be nostalgic about nostalgia! So come with us as we take a journey through our short lifespan... 14th Nov 2011 - We are born and the world instantly becomes a better...

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Wrong numbers?

Football is a game of numbers. Scorelines feature numbers, league tables feature numbers, Gareth Bale's bank balance features numbers (quite a few, actually). Perhaps the most important numbers, however, are those featured on the backs of the shirts worn by the players. Shirt numbers have been around since 1928 and though they've been somewhat crowded out by sponsor names, player names and all manner of other paraphernalia, they remain an important...

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Videoblog 4: Club Colours (1998)

If you heard our recent Football Attic podcast, you'll know we're borderline nerdists when it comes to football kit design. To prove that point beyond any reasonable doubt, we bring you our fourth Videoblog which takes as its subject a book all about football kit design. Club Colours is its title and Bob Bickerton is the author and illustrator. If you want to know what's between the covers, watch the video and perhaps leave us a comment afterwards...

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