{"product_id":"1997-98-macclesfield-shirt","title":"Macclesfield Town 1997-98 Home Super League vintage jersey","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eMacclesfield Town 1997-98 — The shirt of their historic promotion to the Football League\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn 1997, \u003cstrong\u003eMacclesfield Town\u003c\/strong\u003e achieved what many thought impossible: the club left the \u003cstrong\u003eConference National\u003c\/strong\u003e to join the \u003cstrong\u003eFootball League\u003c\/strong\u003e for the first time in its history. This \u003cstrong\u003e1997-98 season home shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e, manufactured by \u003cstrong\u003eSuper League\u003c\/strong\u003e and sponsored by chemical giant \u003cstrong\u003eZeneca\u003c\/strong\u003e, is a direct witness to this unique ascent in lower league English football.\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 1997-98\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClub:\u003c\/strong\u003e Macclesfield Town FC\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Home\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKit Manufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Super League\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSponsor:\u003c\/strong\u003e ZENECA\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e THE WASH TAG — authentic wear of a worn vintage shirt, wash tag present, irrefutable proof of authenticity\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 1997-98 season was not just any season in the history of the \u003cstrong\u003eSilkmen\u003c\/strong\u003e — it was literally their first in \u003cstrong\u003eFootball League Division Three\u003c\/strong\u003e, having finished as Conference champions the previous season under the management of \u003cstrong\u003eSammy McIlroy\u003c\/strong\u003e. For a club founded in 1874 and long confined to non-league divisions, this was a historic turning point. \u003cstrong\u003eMoss Rose\u003c\/strong\u003e, their legendary stadium in Macclesfield, Cheshire, experienced unprecedented atmospheres that year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThe squad at that time included \u003cstrong\u003eSteve Wood\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eEfan Ekoku\u003c\/strong\u003e before his departure, and especially Conference warriors converted into Football League players who gave their all on the pitch. \u003cstrong\u003eSammy McIlroy\u003c\/strong\u003e, former Manchester United midfielder and Northern Irish legend, was the architect of this project. This shirt belongs to those players who wrote a new page in the club's history with every whistle.\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 club's first-ever Football League match\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nIn August 1997, Macclesfield Town stepped onto a pitch for the first time as a Football League club. A moment that \u003cstrong\u003eSilkmen\u003c\/strong\u003e fans will never forget, and this shirt is its direct symbol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA heroic season of survival in Division Three\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nAs newly promoted, the Macclesfield players gave their all against seasoned professional teams. Staying in Division Three during that first season was in itself a remarkable collective performance that deserves respect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe sponsor Zeneca, a bygone era\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eZeneca\u003c\/strong\u003e, a pharmaceutical and chemical giant based in the north of England, displayed its name on this shirt at a time when local partnerships enriched grassroots football. In 1999, Zeneca merged with Astra to become AstraZeneca — this logo on the shirt is therefore a piece of industrial as well as football history.\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 is a shirt that genuinely existed in its time — not a modern reproduction, not a tribute made afterwards. It's the cut of the era, the materials of the era, the finishes of the era. Kit manufacturer \u003cstrong\u003eSuper League\u003c\/strong\u003e, a player in the English lower league market in the 90s, produced solid, functional shirts, without the flashiness of major brands — and that's precisely what makes them interesting today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis one shows an \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10 condition\u003c\/strong\u003e with the special mention \"THE WASH TAG\" — meaning the wash tag is present and legible. In the world of \u003cstrong\u003evintage collector's shirts\u003c\/strong\u003e, the presence of the wash tag is a non-negotiable quality criterion. It confirms that the shirt has not been tampered with, cut, or modified. It is there, intact, in its original state.\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 sizes from the 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e do not correspond to modern standards — this is a reality every collector must accept. A \u003cstrong\u003evintage Large\u003c\/strong\u003e from 1997 generally fits like a contemporary Medium, sometimes even a Small depending on the cut. Shirts from that era were designed to be worn close to the body, not oversized as seen today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eBefore ordering, grab a tape measure and measure your chest circumference and torso length. Compare with the exact measurements indicated in the product description. This two-minute effort will save you disappointment — and this shirt deserves to go to someone it will truly fit well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eWhy you should have it in your collection\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnglish lower league shirts from the 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e are among the most sought-after by serious collectors — precisely because they were produced in small quantities, worn by few people, and most have disappeared into clothing bins or garage sales. A \u003cstrong\u003eMacclesfield Town 1997-98 season shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e, the club's first season in the Football League, is an absolute rarity that documents a pivotal moment in English grassroots football. Kit manufacturers like \u003cstrong\u003eSuper League\u003c\/strong\u003e didn't produce for the masses — they produced for a club, a season, a handful of supporters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10 condition with wash tag present\u003c\/strong\u003e, this shirt is in exceptional condition for its age. Not many in this condition are circulating — most have suffered the ravages of time, lost their tags, or undergone repeated machine washes that damage prints. This one has survived. That's reason enough to find it a good home.\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\/Macclesfield_Town_F.C.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eMacclesfield Town 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 — 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;\"\u003eA shirt from the first season in the Football League, a defunct sponsor, a forgotten kit manufacturer, a club that no longer exists in its original form — if you're into vintage English lower leagues, you already know you won't see this again anytime soon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lower Leagues","offers":[{"title":"L","offer_id":54012075868435,"sku":"346107","price":179.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_1997-98-MACCLESFIELD-SHIRT-L-346107_1.jpg?v=1775502550","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/1997-98-macclesfield-shirt","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}