1970/80 · Home

The optician paid for the shirts, and thank goodness: the aviator glasses drawn across the hoops, with GALLUCCI beneath them, make for one of the most charming prints amateur football ever produced. Everything else about this piece is anonymity and era: the thick acrylic knit that dressed working class football in the 70s and 80s, the ribbed white collar and cuffs, the red 3 sewn on the back with the bravery of someone who played at the back when that meant something different. The sponsor's surname suggests Italy, the rest was lost among dirt pitches and leagues nobody archived. We do not know who wore it or against whom; we know it was worn for real. If you recognise it, Hoopster wants to hear. Until then, it hangs here on display: a perfect set of hoops waiting for its name.

Here at Hoopster, it sits on display as the elder of the mystery drawer: a perfect set of hoops waiting for their name. If you recognise it, you know where to find us.