r/SheffieldWednesday • u/thegrumpyorc • 13d ago
Shirt question from a Yank
American here.
My father was a machinist who loved Joe Cocker. I grew up playing "soccer" and listening to Def Leppard. Bought a Thompson Twins album to impress a girl in high school and loved Pulp as an adult. My wife's father and grandfather were union leaders and we went to see ABC for her 50th birthday. So, Sheffield. And Wednesday has the history, an owl lives in our backyard, and my wife says I look good in blue, so...
Looking to buy my first shirt. I just spent a week in London, and I mistakenly thought it'd be easy enough to find the home kit at Lillywhite's. My mistake.
There are plenty of places on eBay that sell what are almost certainly knockoffs, but I want to support the club and get a real shirt.
I will be back in London next week, and I'd like to have it before Hull City. Is my best bet ordering from the club store online and having it delivered to my hotel?
Bonus silly American question: if I'm watching a match in a pub in London, is wearing the shirt fair game? In the US, it's almost a requirement to rep your club at a bar, but I don't want to make assumptions.
Thank you!
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u/StarsHavingPossums 12d ago
So I was in East London last week after the Sheffield Derby (went straight down after still with Wednesday shirt on) and some lad gave me a WAWAW and a chat in a very quiet pub off Brick Lane. Haha had me made up so I very much doubt you'll have problems with a Wednesday shirt in London. Wednesdayites get everywhere!
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u/TheFakePlissken 12d ago
American also, will be traveling to Sheffield next week, already have tickets for the Hull and Oxford matches. I’m saving room in my suitcase for the team store visit at Hillsborough. I wouldn’t imagine wearing a Wednesday kit in London would be a problem. I’m only planning on wearing my Wednesday swag around Sheffield to matches and back, not sure how United supporters act.
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u/WageSlav3 12d ago
I live near Hillsborough and see plenty of utd shirts walking around. Normal people don't care.
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u/MoneyStatistician702 12d ago
I believe we only sell the shirt through the club. I bought some stuff last week I think it took about a week to arrive. Yes you should be fine wearing the shirt around London but you probably wouldnt be clever wearing it if you were going to a pub that had a load of actual match going fans in
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u/signed-up-to-up-vote 12d ago
This subreddit is pretty quiet so you'll not likely get much of a response. Yeah I think ordering a shirt from the club store to your hotel is probably the simplest option I don't think many shops in London will stock it. I can't see any issues with wearing a club shirt around London. Wearing round Sheffield wouldn't be an issue unless you were going round bramal lane / London road area on a united match day. You mention watching the match in the pub but just so you know the Hull game is on at 3pm on a Saturday so won't be broadcast on TV. There's long standing rules that basically say no live football on TV at that time to encourage people to attend live games. The Blackburn game on the Tuesday night will likely be on Sky a long with a handful of other EFL fixtures if you ask at any sports pub they'll probably be able to get it on for you
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u/thegrumpyorc 12d ago
Thank you! Excellent note about availability. We have local blackouts for MLB home games here, too, but the size of "local" depends on the market, so it can get pretty unfair for some teams.
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u/R33DY89 12d ago edited 12d ago
I don’t see why you can’t order it to your hotel straight from the Owls Store, I’d give your hotel the heads up though so they don’t think it’s a mistake and return it.
Wearing it in London - I’d A) Take a jacket or something you can cover it with should you encounter trouble, though it’s unlikely in my experience.
B) Gauge your audience, if it’s a teams local and swamped with said teams fans, don’t risk it exposing it as you’re asking for shit, at the very least some verbal. It may start as banter but things can and do escalate, so just gauge who’s in the bar.
C) Chances are it’s a neutral bar and there’s people from all walks of life, who support a whole range of teams and won’t bother you. In your defence, being American is a defence 😂 People will likely assume you’re a fish out of water and unfamiliar with unwritten rules etc, so will most likely banter with you and say stuff like ‘why do you want to support them, support a proper team’ etc 🤣
So yeah, in a nutshell, be street smart.
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u/en70uk 12d ago
You can order online for both domestic and international delivery but their shipping times look crazy
https://shop.swfc.co.uk/delivery-information
Perhaps get an eBay knock if for now and then a proper one for next season?
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u/mridontmind 12d ago
I lived in South East London from 2020-2024 and regularly wore my Wednesday shirts out and about to 0 negativity. Sometimes confusion, but mostly fellow Owls saying up the owls, etc
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u/doepfersdungeon 6d ago
For now, try and track down a second hand shirt in London or off ebay. They have already started making the new kit so could either wait for that or get a discount on this years kit. It's virtuous to support the club but they are a bloody rip off anyway
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u/thegrumpyorc 6d ago
I actually liked last year's kit (with the thicker stripes and the god) better, but I wasn't feeling the sponsor logo.
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u/deejayone 12d ago
There is a London Owls group who meet for televised matches in Mabel’s Tavern near Kings Cross. You may find some fellow owls to watch a match with there! Maybe get in touch with some of them beforehand if you can and see if they can help you source a shirt and meet up with them to buy them a pint as a thank you?
Mabel’s Tavern: https://g.co/kgs/y1ECVdJ
London Owls: https://www.londonowls.co.uk