{"product_id":"1996-97-west-bromwich-albion-goalkeeper-longsleeve","title":"West Bromwich Albion Goalkeeper Shirt 1996-97 Patrick Vintage","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eWest Bromwich Albion 1996-97 Goalkeeper Shirt — Patrick Long Sleeves, Guests Sponsor\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn 1996-97, \u003cstrong\u003eWest Bromwich Albion\u003c\/strong\u003e played in the First Division — the antechamber to the Premier League — and their goalkeepers took to the pitch at The Hawthorns wearing this \u003cstrong\u003elong-sleeved goalkeeper shirt by Patrick\u003c\/strong\u003e, emblazoned with local sponsor \u003cstrong\u003eGuests West Bromwich\u003c\/strong\u003e. A direct item, rooted in English provincial football of the nineties, with all the brutality, commitment, and authenticity that implies.\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 West Bromwich Albion\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Goalkeeper — Long Sleeves\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKit Manufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Patrick\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSponsor:\u003c\/strong\u003e GUESTS WEST BROMWICH\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e LITTLE PULLS, SLIGHTLY USED PRINTINGS — authentic wear of a worn vintage shirt, normal traces of a life on the pitch\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;\"\u003eIn 1996-97, \u003cstrong\u003eWest Bromwich Albion\u003c\/strong\u003e played in the \u003cstrong\u003eFirst Division\u003c\/strong\u003e, the second tier of English football, at a time when the Premier League was already siphoning all the money and attention towards the big clubs. The Baggies, meanwhile, fought in the shadow of Birmingham, in the rough and popular Midlands football that smelled of engine grease and the covered stands of The Hawthorns. It is a deeply working-class club, with a strong identity and an absolutely unconditional fan base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.8em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThat season, the club was managed by \u003cstrong\u003eRay Harford\u003c\/strong\u003e, who took over after Alan Buckley's departure. The Baggies finished the season with promotion ambitions that did not materialize, in an ultra-competitive league where every point was hard-won. Players like \u003cstrong\u003eAndy Hunt\u003c\/strong\u003e, a solid striker of the era, or \u003cstrong\u003ePaul Peschisolido\u003c\/strong\u003e, were the faces of this team that scraped, ran, and never gave up. A football of conquest, not spectacle.\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\u003eThe Hawthorns — Midlands Fortress\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nIn 1996-97, the Baggies' stadium remained one of the toughest grounds to visit in the First Division. West Brom's goalkeepers played matches there where every save weighed heavily in the race for promotion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Fight for Promotion — A Season of Fighters\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nWest Brom finished that season outside the direct promotion and play-off spots, but in a First Division where the gaps were minimal, every match was a battle. This long-sleeved goalkeeper shirt witnessed tense confrontations against clubs like Wolves, Birmingham City, or Sunderland — the Midlands and Northern derbies that shook the stands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePatrick — A Discreet But Solid Kit Manufacturer in the 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePatrick\u003c\/strong\u003e is not Nike, not Adidas — and that's precisely what makes this shirt precious for true collectors. The French brand dressed several English second-division clubs in the 90s, producing goalkeeper shirts with typical cuts of the era, with materials that have aged well and honest textile construction. Finding a \u003cstrong\u003evintage Patrick shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e in good condition today is already a big deal.\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 souvenir store item. It is the model worn — or intended to be worn — by the players, with the finishes, materials, and labels of the era. On a \u003cstrong\u003elong-sleeved goalkeeper shirt from the 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e, you find specific characteristics: reinforced seams at the elbows, a high collar, thick fabric designed for English weather conditions. It is a functional piece before being a collector's item.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis one shows an \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e condition with some small fabric pulls and slightly used printings — exactly what you expect from a shirt that has lived. This is not a shirt out of a vacuum-sealed bag, it's a shirt with a story. And in the world of \u003cstrong\u003evintage football collector shirts\u003c\/strong\u003e, this light patina is value, not a defect.\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;\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003esizes of vintage 90s shirts\u003c\/strong\u003e do not correspond to current standards. A \u003cstrong\u003evintage Patrick Small\u003c\/strong\u003e from 1996 will often be equivalent to a modern XS or S — the cuts were more fitted, shorter, and the fabric does not stretch like today's technical materials. If you usually wear M or L, this vintage size S shirt will likely be too short or too tight to wear comfortably.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eBefore buying, measure your chest width (from armpit to armpit) and compare with the actual measurements of the shirt if available. For casual wear or collecting — framed, hung — size matters little. For daily wear, be precise with your measurements. A vintage shirt that's too small to wear is a guaranteed frustration.\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 long-sleeved goalkeeper shirts\u003c\/strong\u003e are among the most sought-after pieces by serious collectors — and paradoxically among the hardest to find. There is one goalkeeper per team, and the production runs of specific GK shirts are much more limited than outfield shirts. A \u003cstrong\u003eWest Bromwich Albion 1996-97 goalkeeper shirt by Patrick\u003c\/strong\u003e, with the Guests sponsor — a local sponsor that further anchors the shirt in its era and geography — is an absolute rarity in the vintage football market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThere aren't many in this condition on the market. An 8\/10 on a shirt almost thirty years old is solid. The few small pulls and slightly worn prints do not betray the piece — on the contrary, they confirm its authenticity. A shirt that's too perfect for a piece of this age raises questions. This one has lived just enough to be credible, without being damaged. It's exactly the sweet spot for a \u003cstrong\u003ewell-preserved vintage collector's shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e.\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\/West_Bromwich_Albion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eWest Bromwich Albion — 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 — Shirt 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 Patrick West Brom 1996-97 goalkeeper shirt is thirty years of English provincial football history condensed into a textile — if you're a Baggies fan or a connoisseur of truly rare nineties pieces, there's no question about it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"West Bromwich Albion","offers":[{"title":"S","offer_id":54010314752275,"sku":"316476","price":149.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_1996-97-WEST-BROMWICH-ALBION-GOALKEEPER-LONGSLEEVE-S-316476_1.jpg?v=1775445384","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/1996-97-west-bromwich-albion-goalkeeper-longsleeve","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}