{"product_id":"2017-18-doncaster-rovers-shirt","title":"Doncaster Rovers Home FBT 2017-18 Virgin Trains Shirt","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eDoncaster Rovers 2017-18 Shirt — FBT, Virgin Trains, League One\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn 2017-18, \u003cstrong\u003eDoncaster Rovers\u003c\/strong\u003e played their first season back in \u003cstrong\u003eLeague One\u003c\/strong\u003e after winning the League Two title the previous season. This \u003cstrong\u003eFBT home shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e featuring \u003cstrong\u003eVirgin Trains\u003c\/strong\u003e captures that exact moment: the return to the English third tier for a club that sorely needed it, with an independent kit manufacturer and an old-school stadium atmosphere.\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 2017-18\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClub:\u003c\/strong\u003e Doncaster Rovers\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Home\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKit Manufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e FBT\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSponsor:\u003c\/strong\u003e VIRGIN TRAINS\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e LITTLE DIRTY — slight authentic wear of a \u003cstrong\u003eworn vintage shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e, traces of the pitch and time, exactly as it should be\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\u003e2017-18 Doncaster Rovers season\u003c\/strong\u003e was a season of rebirth. The club had just won the \u003cstrong\u003eFootball League Two title in 2016-17\u003c\/strong\u003e under Darren Ferguson, Sir Alex's son, before Grant McCann took the reins to manage their return to League One. It was a pivotal period, a club seeking to re-establish itself in the landscape of professional English football after years of turmoil and successive relegations. Kestar Copse Park, the Belle Vue supporters, and a group of players determined to show that the title was no accident.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThe squad that season included reliable and recognizable players for Rovers fans. \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Marquis\u003c\/strong\u003e, the club's prolific striker at the time, was one of the faces of that generation of Doncaster. \u003cstrong\u003eMatty Blair\u003c\/strong\u003e, a fast winger capable of causing damage on the flanks, was also a key figure that season. In midfield, \u003cstrong\u003eLiam Mandeville\u003c\/strong\u003e brought dynamism to the engine room. These were the players, these League One profiles, who graced the Keepmoat Stadium pitch wearing this FBT shirt.\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\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReturn to League One after the L2 title\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 2017-18 season was Doncaster's first in the English third tier since their relegation in 2016. Returning to this division was already a moral victory for a club that had experienced difficult years financially and sporting-wise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrant McCann at the helm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGrant McCann's arrival as manager in 2016 marked a turning point in the club's rebuilding. His work in League One in 2017-18 laid the foundation for renewed stability, before he led Doncaster to further successes in subsequent seasons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFBT, a cult kit manufacturer in English lower league football\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFBT (Football Boot Technology)\u003c\/strong\u003e is a British brand well-known to lower league football fans. Choosing FBT is an authentic club choice, rooted in grassroots football culture, far from the giants like Adidas or Nike that saturate shop windows.\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 not the same as a replica out of the box. It's a piece that existed in real football, bought in a shop or worn in the stands, sometimes touched by professional players, never designed to sit in a drawer. The difference can be felt in the touch, seen in the finishes, and read in the small imperfections that give it all its charm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis one is advertised in \u003cstrong\u003econdition 8\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e with a \"Little Dirty\" state — meaning: slight dirt, traces of actual use, the kind of detail that proves this \u003cstrong\u003eDoncaster Rovers shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e had a real life before it got to you. It's not a defect, it's its calling card. A shirt that's too perfect in this category should almost make you suspicious.\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;\"\u003eThis shirt is sized \u003cstrong\u003evintage XS\u003c\/strong\u003e, which is important to take seriously. Cuts from the late 2010s in the English lower leagues, especially from manufacturers like FBT, don't always follow the modern standards we're used to. A vintage XS can easily correspond to a modern S in terms of chest circumference or body length. \u003cstrong\u003eDon't rely solely on the label\u003c\/strong\u003e; the numbers don't tell the whole story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eBefore confirming your order, grab a tape measure and measure your chest circumference and torso length. Then compare it to a shirt you already own that fits you well. This is the most reliable method to avoid unpleasant surprises. A \u003cstrong\u003ecollector's vintage shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e in XS won't wait – and returns due to sizing issues are a hassle for everyone.\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\u003eShirts from League One and League Two clubs\u003c\/strong\u003e with independent kit manufacturers like FBT are a category that is seriously gaining traction in the world of \u003cstrong\u003ecollector's vintage football shirts\u003c\/strong\u003e. Everyone has big club shirts with Nike or Adidas. But a Doncaster Rovers 2017-18 with FBT and the Virgin Trains sponsor? That's specific, it's rare, it's the kind of piece you don't come across every day in a flea market or on a resale site. And rarity in this hobby has real value.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eWhat's more, the 8\/10 condition for a shirt of this era is honest and solid. It has a history – the \"Little Dirty\" proves it – but it remains presentable, displayable, wearable. There aren't many in this condition still out there that haven't been ruined by improper washing. If you're aiming for completeness in your \u003cstrong\u003eEnglish lower league football collection\u003c\/strong\u003e, this Doncaster 2017-18 ticks boxes that few other shirts can.\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\/Doncaster_Rovers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eDoncaster Rovers — 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;\"\u003eIf you collect English football in its most authentic form — grassroots clubs, independent kit manufacturers, local sponsors — this \u003cstrong\u003eDoncaster Rovers 2017-18 FBT shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e is for you. It's up to you to decide if you'll let it slip away.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Doncaster Rovers","offers":[{"title":"XS","offer_id":54011621179667,"sku":"312973","price":29.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_2017-18-DONCASTER-ROVERS-SHIRT-XS-312973_1.jpg?v=1775491809","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/2017-18-doncaster-rovers-shirt","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}