Well, I woke up this mornin'….an' I got me some breakfast….and then I set about tackling the chores for the day. It's Monday morning, which means for me at least, the grand washing of the football kits, following the weekend training sessions and matches, and if I don't get everything washed, dried and ready for Tuesday's training session, I'm in big trouble, so away we go.
This year's must-haves for my two Manchester United obsessed sons (they can't help it, it's a genetic defect inherited from their father), are the new away shirts, which some bright spark (emphasis on the word bright, here), decided to design in a dazzling shade of royal blue, adding, in a moment of sheer naffness, red trimmings to the shoulders, sleeves and sides. What possessed him or her to combine these two colours, I can't imagine - the traditional Manchester United red is obvious, although I can only guess that as the blue is not dissimilar to that of United's great rivals, Chelsea, perhaps it was meant to inspire them to victory - however, from what I read in the Sunday newspapers, this ploy doesn't seem to be working awfully well.
Manufactured for Nike in Morocco, the shirts are made from 100% polyester and they're actually very well made (they ought to be, for the price, which I'll come to later), with all the seams finished off neatly and with no loose threads hanging. The shirts have a rich, plush and almost silky feel to them, almost giving the impression that they're lined, which of course they aren't. There's a stripe, about half an inch wide, which is woven into the fabric, giving it quite a smart look, and the side panels are slightly mesh-like in appearance, as are the red trimmings around the neck. The club's badge is sewn firmly onto the front of the shirt, just below the v-neckline, and above the rather large '0' symbol of their sponsors, Vodaphone, whose logo is emblazoned across the shirt's middle. The logos are made of some kind of iron-on plastic-type substance, and I'm surprised to read on the washing instructions that the shirts can be tumble dried - I would have expected the logo to melt, but as I don't have a tumble drier, I haven't been able to put this to the test, nor would I dare to.
The shirts should be washed at a temperature of 40 degrees, and in fact they wash up very well at this temperature, with the colours staying fast. Unfortunately though, the fabric does have a tendency to catch quite easily, and I tend to turn the shirts inside out, to prevent them being snagged in the machine. On the plus side, this is a fabric which dries extremely quickly, whether outside on the washing line, or hung up in the airing cupboard, so even if I do forget to put them in the laundry, I can usually get away with a last minute wash and dry session.
Now you'd be forgiven for thinking that with their smooth, silk-like appearance, these shirts would give my poor, overworked iron a rest, but in fact you'd be wrong. If I'm very lucky and don't wash them with any other garments, removing them the second the wash cycle finishes, I can just about get away without ironing them, but if they're left for more than a few minutes, I'm afraid the creases form with a vengeance. The awkward part about having to iron them is that if the temperature is too high, the iron will stick to the fabric and burn it - too low, and the creases won't come out properly, so I tend to find myself watching the washing machine like a hawk, waiting to spring open the door immediately the 'end' light comes on. A fairly obvious thing to add, if you do have to iron the shirt, is to turn it inside out, otherwise the Vodaphone logo will become well and truly disconnected from the shirt and end up stuck to the plate of your iron.
And now to the part where you might need to have a quick word with your bank manager - the price. In common with most, if not all the big clubs, these shirts aren't cheap, but then I expect you've already guessed that. We bought the short sleeved boys versions at Sportsworld (formerly Donnay) for £29.99 each, and they're also available at JJB Sports, priced at £29. Naturally, you can buy them direct from the club's Megastore, either in person, by mail order or online, but for that privilege, you can add another £5 per shirt, plus postage and packing if applicable. There's also a long sleeved version, which costs £39.99 from Manchester United, and although we didn't see any of these in the shops when we bought ours, I'd guess that they too are around £5 less than the club's prices. The adult sizes cost £39.99 and £44.99 from the Megastore for short and long sleeves respectfully, but again we didn't look for these when we shopped for the children.
So, would I recommend them? Well, that's a difficult one - if your child desperately wants his or her favourite team's shirt, then you have little choice but to pay the prices asked, unless you don't mind being the wickedest and meanest parent in the school. As to whether they're worth the money - for the adults who'll wear them for perhaps a few years, possibly they are - but for children who have an annoying tendency to grow, and for those who just have to keep up with their sporting heroes, it's my view that the prices are far too high. Bear in mind that they'll doubtless want the matching shorts and socks too, multiply that by the number of children you have, and that's quite a hefty layout, for something that probably won't fit them by the end of the football season. In defence of the club, however, they don't plan to change the design of this particular shirt for another two years, so as long as you make sure you don't give the little darlings too much to eat during that period, your wallet should feel relatively safe from attack. And your children will tell their friends that you're the most generous parents they've ever had.
Well, folks, that's about the end of the ole washday blues, and I'm a gonna get myself a nice cup o' coffee, and go sit and watch the world go by …Oh, yeah…..
More details
Price
£29 - £44.99
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
helpful
helpful
helpful
helpful
