{"product_id":"2005-06-manchester-city-shirt","title":"Manchester City Away Shirt 2005-06 Reebok Thomas Cook XL","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eManchester City Away Kit 2005-06 — The Reebok Era Before the Revolution\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn 2005-2006, \u003cstrong\u003eManchester City\u003c\/strong\u003e was not yet the financial behemoth we know today. It was three years before the arrival of petrodollars, and this \u003cstrong\u003eReebok away kit sponsored by Thomas Cook\u003c\/strong\u003e bears witness to a pivotal era — that of an ambitious club still rooted in the reality of a Premier League dominated by others. A rare relic of this transitional period, in XL size.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eKit Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:2;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeason:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2005-2006\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 7\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e PULLS, DIRTY, USED PRINTINGS — authentic wear of a worn vintage jersey, one that lived on a pitch or in the stands of Eastlands\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 Kit Represents\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003e2005-2006 Manchester City season\u003c\/strong\u003e was managed by Stuart Pearce, an iconic figure in English football, who attempted to instill a strong identity in a Citizens side still rebuilding. The club had only been playing at the \u003cstrong\u003eCity of Manchester Stadium\u003c\/strong\u003e — Eastlands as it was known — since 2003, and was looking to consolidate its place in the mid-table of the \u003cstrong\u003ePremier League\u003c\/strong\u003e. That season, City finished 15th in the league, a modest position that perfectly sums up the club's status at the time: not fighting for the title, but with a true supporter identity, one that never gives up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThe squad was built around solid and endearing players. \u003cstrong\u003eDavid James\u003c\/strong\u003e held the goal with his characteristic authority. Up front, \u003cstrong\u003eAndrew Cole\u003c\/strong\u003e — a veteran of English penalty boxes — was still part of the team that season. \u003cstrong\u003eDarius Vassell\u003c\/strong\u003e, recruited from Villa Park, brought pace on the wings. And then there was \u003cstrong\u003eJoey Barton\u003c\/strong\u003e, a born provocateur, who alone embodied the contradictions of a club that wanted to bite but didn't yet have the teeth to do so at the highest level.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eMoments Etched in This Kit\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStuart Pearce and the Reconstruction of a Squad\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nPearce took charge in March 2005 and tried to make City a tough-to-beat, organized, and combative team. This away kit was for difficult trips to Anfield, Old Trafford, or Stamford Bridge — matches that were unwinnable on paper, yet still played with heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThomas Cook on the Chest — a Sponsor Rooted in Its Time\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe travel agency \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Cook\u003c\/strong\u003e had sponsored City since 2003, and its logo on the kit is now a true temporal signature. Ironically, Thomas Cook would disappear in 2019 in a resounding bankruptcy — seeing this logo today on a \u003cstrong\u003evintage collector's kit\u003c\/strong\u003e means holding two stories that no longer exist in your hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReebok and the Citizens — a Partnership from the Pre-Sheikh Era\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReebok had been kitting out Manchester City\u003c\/strong\u003e since 1999, and this partnership symbolizes the \"before\" era — before Nike, before monstrous budgets, before six Premier League stars. Reebok kits from this period have a characteristic cut, texture, and logo that make them valuable to specialized collectors today.\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\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eAn \u003cstrong\u003eauthentic vintage kit\u003c\/strong\u003e is not a souvenir from a shop. It's the version worn on the pitch or sold to the most demanding fans at the time — slim fit, technical fabric, sewn or screen-printed flocking with original finishes. Not the same item as a mass-market replica stamped to please a child at Christmas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis one honestly displays its history: \u003cstrong\u003epulls, dirty, used printings\u003c\/strong\u003e. It's not a kit that came out of an unopened plastic bag — it's a kit that existed, that was worn, that tells a story. The \u003cstrong\u003e7\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e rating is serious: it's still a presentable item, with character, not a rag. This is exactly what real collectors are looking for.\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\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage kits from the 2000s\u003c\/strong\u003e fit differently than modern kits. An XL from 2005 often corresponds to a modern L, sometimes even an M depending on body types. The cuts were more fitted to the body, less oversized than what we wear today. Don't rely on your usual 2024 size to buy a 2005 kit — that would be the classic beginner collector's mistake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eBefore confirming your order, take a measuring tape and measure your chest circumference and torso length. Compare with the flat measurements of the kit if available, or contact us directly. Two minutes of checking can prevent disappointment — and a \u003cstrong\u003evintage Manchester City kit\u003c\/strong\u003e in the wrong drawer because it doesn't fit is a crime against football heritage.\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\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eManchester City away kits from the Reebok era\u003c\/strong\u003e are increasingly sought after in the \u003cstrong\u003evintage football\u003c\/strong\u003e market. The 2003-2007 period corresponds to the last great chapter of the \"popular\" City — before the billions, before the serial trophies, before the club became a global brand. For purists, it is precisely this period that makes sense: that of fans who came to Eastlands because they loved their club, not because it had become the most bankable team on the planet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThere aren't many in this condition on the market — a \u003cstrong\u003e2005-06 away kit in XL size with Thomas Cook sponsor\u003c\/strong\u003e doesn't grow on trees. The visible wear makes it an authentically lived-in piece, not a sanitized display item. If you are building a collection around the \u003cstrong\u003ePremier League of the 2000s\u003c\/strong\u003e or the history of Manchester City before its metamorphosis, this kit clearly has its place in the bin.\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\/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 - History of Kits\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.premierleague.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003ePremier League - Official Site\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;\"\u003eIf you're a fan of the real history of English football — not the recent trophies, but that of clubs that struggled before shining — this kit speaks to you. Go for it before another faster fan snatches it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Manchester City","offers":[{"title":"XL","offer_id":53941079474451,"sku":"307751","price":49.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_2005-06-MANCHESTER-CITY-SHIRT-XL-307751_1.jpg?v=1774761495","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/2005-06-manchester-city-shirt","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}