{"product_id":"1996-97-sunderland-shirt","title":"Sunderland Home Shirt 1996-97 With Vaux Samson Vintage","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eSunderland 1996-97 Shirt — Avec \u0026amp; Vaux Samson, a Season of Reclamation at Roker Park\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn 1996-97, \u003cstrong\u003eSunderland AFC\u003c\/strong\u003e experienced one of the most electrifying seasons in its recent history, fueled by a popular fervor that shook the stands of \u003cstrong\u003eRoker Park\u003c\/strong\u003e for the very last time. This \u003cstrong\u003evintage Avec home shirt sponsored by Vaux Samson\u003c\/strong\u003e is a direct witness to this pivotal era, that of a club reclaiming its place in the English top flight.\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 Sunderland AFC\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Home\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKit Manufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Avec\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSponsor:\u003c\/strong\u003e VAUX SAMSON\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e LITTLE PULLS, TINY HOLE — authentic wear of a vintage worn shirt, evidence of real life on the pitches or in the stands of the era\u003cbr\u003e\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\u003c\/strong\u003e season was a fundamental year in the history of the \u003cstrong\u003eBlack Cats\u003c\/strong\u003e. Sunderland played in the First Division — the equivalent of today's Championship — and methodically built its way back to the \u003cstrong\u003ePremier League\u003c\/strong\u003e. The club was led by Peter Reid, a tough manager whose direct and intense playing philosophy perfectly matched the DNA of the North East of England. It was also the \u003cstrong\u003elast full season at Roker Park\u003c\/strong\u003e, the legendary stadium inaugurated in 1898, before the move to the Stadium of Light in 1997.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eOn the pitch, fans could count on warriors like \u003cstrong\u003eKevin Ball\u003c\/strong\u003e, captain and heart of the midfield, and \u003cstrong\u003eMichael Bridges\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eCraig Russell\u003c\/strong\u003e in attack. \u003cstrong\u003eNiall Quinn\u003c\/strong\u003e, who arrived in 1996, began to show why he would become an absolute club legend with his aerial presence and sense of collective play. The atmosphere at Roker Park on those evenings is something those who experienced it will never forget.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eMoments Etched into This Shirt\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFarewell to Roker Park — 1996-97\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis season was the last where Sunderland played at home in their historic Roker Park stronghold, opened in 1898. Each home match that season was a form of collective farewell to a stadium that had seen generations of supporters pass through.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeter Reid and the building of a squad\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReid, who took over as manager in 1995, forged a solid and hard-to-beat collective in the First Division. Under his leadership, Sunderland developed a strong identity, based on physical intensity and efficiency — a philosophy that perfectly matched the club's image in the English North East.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVaux Samson, a sponsor rooted in local culture\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe brewer \u003cstrong\u003eVaux Samson\u003c\/strong\u003e, based in Sunderland itself, sponsored the club for many years and its logo on this shirt is more than just a commercial placement. It is the symbol of a local economic and social fabric intimately linked to the club, a relationship between a working-class city and its football team.\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;\"\u003eAn \u003cstrong\u003eauthentic vintage shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e from this era is a piece designed to be actually worn on a pitch or in the stands — not a copy intended for the general public. The finishes, the materials, the sewing details: everything is different from a replica. \u003cstrong\u003eAvec\u003c\/strong\u003e, a kit manufacturer then active in the English market, produced shirts with robust construction, designed to withstand the demands of the game.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis shirt shows a few small imperfections — \u003cstrong\u003elight pulls and a tiny hole\u003c\/strong\u003e — which attest to a real life. This is not a prohibitive flaw; it is proof that it has not been sleeping in a drawer since 1997. The rating of \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e clearly places it in the category of good-condition vintage pieces, perfectly wearable daily or displayable in a serious collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eVintage Sizing Guide\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage shirts from the 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e are sized according to the standards of the time, and the difference is often significant. A \u003cstrong\u003evintage M from 1996\u003c\/strong\u003e corresponds more to a modern S\/M today, depending on body type. The cuts were more fitted, shorter, with different armholes than what we know now. Don't rely on the label, rely on the measurements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eBefore confirming your order, measure your shoulder width and chest circumference, then compare with our flat measurements available on the product sheet. One minute of verification saves weeks of regret — and a complicated return on a rare item.\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\u003eAvec\u003c\/strong\u003e is not an omnipresent kit manufacturer in vintage collections — far from it. Shirts produced under this brand for English clubs in the 90s are relatively rare to find, and even rarer in good condition. This \u003cstrong\u003eSunderland 1996-97 shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e combines several rarity factors: an uncommon kit manufacturer, an emblematic local sponsor, and a pivotal season in the club's history with the last matches at Roker Park.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThere aren't many in this condition still circulating on the market. The \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e condition with minor imperfections is honest and, above all, representative of what a true vintage shirt is — not an item fresh out of its plastic packaging, but a piece that has endured almost thirty years with its dignity intact. For a collector of \u003cstrong\u003eretro English football\u003c\/strong\u003e or a \u003cstrong\u003eBlack Cats\u003c\/strong\u003e supporter looking to own a tangible piece of history, this is exactly the type of item you regret not getting when it's no longer available.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eTo Go Further\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\/Sunderland_A.F.C.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eSunderland AFC — 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 — History of Kits\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 shirt is Roker Park, it's Vaux Samson, it's a football city that never gives up — if you understand what that means, you already know it belongs with you.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sunderland","offers":[{"title":"M","offer_id":54010071908627,"sku":"333888","price":119.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"S","offer_id":54010071941395,"sku":"333886","price":119.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"L","offer_id":54010071974163,"sku":"329170","price":129.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_1996-97-SUNDERLAND-SHIRT-M-333888_1.jpg?v=1775420746","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/1996-97-sunderland-shirt","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}