Every football fan’s dream shop opens in Manchester just in time for Christmas

Some good news for you if you’re a football fan or there are any football fans on your Christmas presents list.

Matthew Dale and Doug Bierton, founders and owners of online business Classic Football Shirts, have opened a shop in the Barton Arcade which stocks a selection of the 2,500 shirts they sell online.

And what a selection it is. If the shirt exists, they’ve probably got it.

This is no Sports Direct. They buy old stock from some of the biggest clubs across Europe – think of a club and they’ve probably got it. You can pick one up from around a tenner.

And they don’t just sell big club shirts. They’ve got some of the rarest, most unusual and downright bizarre shirts from all over the world such as the infamous broccoli shirt worn by defunct Spanish club Palencia (yes, Palencia) and the jumpsuit-style shirt and shorts combo which the Cameroon national side were fined for wearing.

Prefer national team shirts? No problem. What about Bangladesh, Pakistan, or St Kitts and Nevis?

Upstairs in the gallery there’s a selection of some of their finest merchandise, including all your favourite replica shirts and some match worn shirts.

Prices for new shirts start at a fiver for a kid’s shirt, a tenner for an adult’s. A match worn Nicky Butt will set you back a cool grand.

Matthew and Doug started their online shop twelve years ago whilst still students and have turned it into a huge global business. This is the first physical shop they’ve had in Manchester.

It’s going to be open at least until Christmas and maybe beyond and it’s a one-stop shop for Christmas presents for the football fans in your life.