{"product_id":"2004-05-manchester-city-longslevee-shirt","title":"Manchester City Away Shirt 2004-05 Reebok Thomas Cook XXL","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eManchester City Away Shirt 2004-05 — Reebok Long Sleeve, the Thomas Cook era before the revolution\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e2004-05 season, \u003cstrong\u003eManchester City\u003c\/strong\u003e still wore the eponymous \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Cook\u003c\/strong\u003e sponsor on their chest — light years away from the Sheikh Mansour era, but City was already a gritty, disruptive team. This \u003cstrong\u003eReebok long sleeve away shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e, size XXL, is a piece of Citizens' history in its most authentic form: raw, worn, real.\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 2004-2005\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClub:\u003c\/strong\u003e Manchester City\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Away\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKit Manufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reebok\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSponsor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Thomas Cook\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e DAMAGED PRINTING — authentic wear of a worn vintage jersey, slightly altered flocking, intact soul\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;\"\u003eIn 2004-05, \u003cstrong\u003eManchester City\u003c\/strong\u003e played in the \u003cstrong\u003ePremier League\u003c\/strong\u003e under Kevin Keegan, then Stuart Pearce, who took over mid-season. The club was in that honest mid-table zone — not yet the behemoth it would become, but not a struggling team either. City was looking for its identity, building something, and \u003cstrong\u003eMaine Road\u003c\/strong\u003e had already been replaced by the \u003cstrong\u003eEastlands Stadium\u003c\/strong\u003e since the previous season, a sign of nascent ambition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn the locker room, there were some big names. \u003cstrong\u003eRobbie Fowler\u003c\/strong\u003e, a Liverpool legend reinvented with the Citizens, brought his experience and goal-scoring prowess. \u003cstrong\u003eShaun Wright-Phillips\u003c\/strong\u003e thrilled on the wing with his devastating dribbles, even catching Chelsea's eye by the summer of 2005. \u003cstrong\u003eSylvain Distin\u003c\/strong\u003e held down the fort in defense. It was a team of hard workers, of character, and this away shirt is a direct witness to that.\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\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe transition to Eastlands — a new era begins\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nCity played its second full season at the \u003cstrong\u003eCity of Manchester Stadium\u003c\/strong\u003e, inaugurated for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. This 2004-05 season was still one of adaptation to this new setting, and the away shirt accompanied away games in the major Premier League stadiums with the new energy that a brand new stadium provides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShaun Wright-Phillips, the free spirit who made headlines\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThroughout the season, \u003cstrong\u003eShaun Wright-Phillips\u003c\/strong\u003e was the player who got people on their feet in the stands. His activity on the wing, his speed, his goals — he put together a season that would be his swan song at City before heading to Chelsea. Seeing this away shirt brings to mind him tearing through defenses on the road.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStuart Pearce takes the helm — the \"Psycho\" in charge\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe appointment of \u003cstrong\u003eStuart Pearce\u003c\/strong\u003e to replace Keegan in March 2005 marked a turning point. The former defender with the legendary image instilled a culture of rigor and solidity. This end of season under Pearce already set the tone: City would slowly but surely structure itself to aim higher.\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 jersey\u003c\/strong\u003e is not the same as a retail replica. The authentic ones from that era were cut, sewn, and manufactured to standards close to those worn on the field — different fabrics, specific cuts, finer finishes. At \u003cstrong\u003eReebok\u003c\/strong\u003e in the mid-2000s, the distinction was clear: authentic jerseys had a fabric density, seam treatment, and graphic details that immediately betrayed their superior status.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis one is in \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10 condition with damaged printing\u003c\/strong\u003e — the flocking or printing shows signs of wear, which is the undeniable mark of a jersey that has lived, been worn, and has a history. It's not a jersey taken out of its plastic packaging twenty years later: it's a \u003cstrong\u003evintage collector's jersey\u003c\/strong\u003e in every sense of the term, with the marks of time as the ultimate certificate of authenticity.\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 jerseys from the 2000s\u003c\/strong\u003e generally run smaller than current standards. A 2004 XXL from Reebok often corresponds to a modern L or XL depending on contemporary brands. The cut of the era was also straighter, less fitted than today's athletic cuts — which can play out either way depending on your build.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eBefore you buy, grab your tape measure: measure your chest circumference and compare it to the actual dimensions of the jersey if available. For \u003cstrong\u003eReebok jerseys of this generation\u003c\/strong\u003e, generally expect a few centimeters difference from what you're used to. It's better to take ten seconds to measure than to receive a jersey that doesn't fit your shoulders.\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\u003eManchester City's\u003c\/strong\u003e 2004-05 season represents exactly what collectors are looking for: the before. The before the billions, the before the dominance, the before the cups and the stars. This \u003cstrong\u003eReebok Thomas Cook away shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e captures the human City, the one that fought in an ultra-competitive league without a financial safety net. That's the collector's value of a jersey from this era — it tells a truth that modern jerseys can never tell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003edamaged printing\u003c\/strong\u003e specifically makes it a collector's item rather than a display jersey. There aren't many in this condition — worn just enough to have character, without being so damaged as to lose interest. The \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e, in the world of vintage football, is an honest rating that says: this jersey has lived, but it's here, solid, ready to join a serious collection or to be worn by someone who embraces their love of old-school football.\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\/Manchester_City_F.C.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eManchester City — 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.premierleague.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003ePremier League — Official website\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 jersey won't be easy to find elsewhere in this condition — if City before the revolution speaks to you, you know what you have to do.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Manchester City","offers":[{"title":"XXL","offer_id":53941079441683,"sku":"242601","price":59.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_2004-05-MANCHESTER-CITY-LONGSLEVEE-SHIRT-XXL-242601_1.jpg?v=1774761493","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/2004-05-manchester-city-longslevee-shirt","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}