{"product_id":"1996-97-birmingham-city-shirt","title":"Birmingham City 1996-97 Pony Home shirt vintage Auto Windscreens","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eBirmingham City 1996-97: The Pony Shirt of the Blues' Reconstruction, sponsored by Auto Windscreens\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn \u003cstrong\u003e1996-97\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eBirmingham City\u003c\/strong\u003e was in the First Division — the antechamber to the Premier League — fighting to return to English football's elite under Trevor Francis. This \u003cstrong\u003evintage Pony home shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e, sponsored by \u003cstrong\u003eAuto Windscreens\u003c\/strong\u003e, perfectly embodies this pivotal period for the Blues: ambitious, hungry, and building the foundations of a club that would soon shake up the Premier League.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eShirt Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:2;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeason:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1996-97\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClub:\u003c\/strong\u003e Birmingham City FC\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Home\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKit Manufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pony\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSponsor:\u003c\/strong\u003e AUTO WINDSCREENS\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e USED PRINTINGS, LITTLE PULLS — authentic wear of a worn vintage shirt, guaranteed match traces and passion\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eWhat This Shirt Represents\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003e1996-97 Birmingham City season\u003c\/strong\u003e took place in the \u003cstrong\u003eEnglish First Division\u003c\/strong\u003e, the second national tier, as the club sought to stabilize after unstable years oscillating between the top flight and lower divisions. Trevor Francis, a living legend of the Blues as a player — he had made club history in the 70s before becoming English football's first million-pound transfer in 1979 — was now in the dugout. The atmosphere at \u003cstrong\u003eSt Andrew's\u003c\/strong\u003e was that of a club finding its feet but deeply believing in its future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThe squad from this period included solid players like \u003cstrong\u003ePaul Furlong\u003c\/strong\u003e, a robust striker capable of making a difference, and \u003cstrong\u003eSteve Bruce\u003c\/strong\u003e, who would join the club shortly after to strengthen the defense with all his Premier League experience. The midfield revolved around hard-working and competitive players, typical of English football at the time: physical, intense, uncompromising. \u003cstrong\u003eSt Andrew's\u003c\/strong\u003e rumbled, and this Pony shirt is a direct witness to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eMoments Etched in This Shirt\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe 1996-97 First Division Campaign\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBirmingham City fought match after match to maintain pressure on the promotion spots, in an extremely competitive First Division. Every game at St Andrew's was a statement of intent from a club refusing to stay out of the limelight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Auto Windscreens Sponsorship Era\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuto Windscreens\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the most recognizable sponsors in Birmingham City's recent history, and its name on the Pony shirt from this season has become a true period marker for collectors. This commercial partnership perfectly reflects the club's roots in its West Midlands region, far from major international sponsors but authentically local.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePony, the Kit Manufacturer for Challengers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003ePony\u003c\/strong\u003e brand at that time supplied several English and international clubs looking for a credible alternative to giants like Nike and Adidas. Wearing a \u003cstrong\u003evintage Pony shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e is a reminder of a time when the kit manufacturer market was more diverse and each club had a more unique visual identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eAuthentic vs. Replica\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003evintage authentic shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e is not a mass-produced item for sale in souvenir shops. It's the version worn or intended to be worn, with finishes, fabrics, and construction similar to what was found on the pitch. The details — stitching, flocking, badges — are of superior quality to mass-market replicas, and that's what makes them sought-after collector's items.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis one shows a condition of \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e with worn prints and a few small pulls in the fabric — \u003cstrong\u003eUSED PRINTINGS, LITTLE PULLS\u003c\/strong\u003e — which immediately betrays its real history. This isn't a shirt taken out of its plastic sleeve after 28 years in a closet: it's a shirt that has existed, that has been worn, and that authenticity cannot be simulated by any modern reproduction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eVintage Size Guide\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage shirt sizes from the 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e do not correspond to modern sizes — far from it. A \u003cstrong\u003evintage Pony Medium from 1996\u003c\/strong\u003e often fits like a modern Small, or even smaller. Cuts were more fitted, shorter, and shoulders narrower than today. Never order your usual size without checking the actual measurements of the shirt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThe most reliable method: take a shirt you currently wear and measure it flat — shoulder width, chest circumference, total length. Compare these figures with the actual measurements of the shirt offered. A few centimeters difference can make all the difference between a perfect fit and a shirt you never wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eWhy Have It in Your Collection\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage Birmingham City shirts from the 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e are significantly less represented in the collecting market than those of Premier League clubs from the same era. A \u003cstrong\u003e1996-97 Pony shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e with the Auto Windscreens sponsor is a precise combination found only in that exact season — a dated, localized, irreplaceable item for anyone interested in English second-division clubs from the great 90s era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThere aren't many in this condition on the market. An \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e condition on a worn shirt nearly thirty years old is honest and respectable — it has clearly lived, but it is still there, solid, recognizable, complete. For a serious collector, this type of piece with real but controlled wear is often more interesting than an overly perfect shirt whose authenticity of experience is doubted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eTo Learn More\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"line-height:2.2;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Birmingham_City_F.C.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eBirmingham City FC — Wikipedia\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.footballkitarchive.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eFootball Kit Archive — Kit History\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.uefa.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eUEFA — European Football\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-style:italic;line-height:1.8;\"\u003eThis 1996-97 Birmingham City Pony shirt is a slice of raw, unfiltered English football, before everything became business. If the Blues are part of your history or your football culture, you know what you have to do.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New in","offers":[{"title":"M","offer_id":54028815663379,"sku":"372648","price":149.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_1996-97-BIRMINGHAM-CITY-SHIRT-M-372648_1.jpg?v=1775687330","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/1996-97-birmingham-city-shirt","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}