Football Shirt Friday.

Football Shirt Friday 2023: Lincolnshire FA Kit Up For Campaign

The campaign tackles bowel cancer – all in memory of Bobby Moore OBE

Today marks Football Shirt Friday 2023, the annual campaign that raises awareness and donations to tackle bowel cancer – all in memory of Bobby Moore OBE, the legendary World-Cup winning England football captain, who died of the disease 30 years ago. 

To help beat it, the football community have come together, putting their allegiances to one side to encourage fans to get involved.

Whatever you do and wherever you are, wear your shirt with pride today and donate £5 to the Bobby Moore Fund.  To get involved please visit www.footballshirtfriday.org 

The fund, set up in 1993 by Bobby’s widow Stephanie Moore OBE, funds pioneering bowel cancer research to find better ways to prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat bowel cancer. Over the last 30 years, it has raised more than £29m and seen mortality rates for bowel cancer fall by more than 30%. 

So, what shirts have our team picked out to wear today? 

Michael Brader – Referee Development Manager

Michael has donned the 1972 FA Cup Final edition shirt of his beloved Leeds United. It was the centenary final (although only the 91st final due to the world wars) and the 44th to be played at Wembley. 

The final was between Leeds United and Arsenal, who had won the Football League and the FA Cup the previous season – beating Leeds to the league title in the former season. However, it was in fact Leeds who won the 1972 final 1-0 following an Allan Clarke header.

The 1971–72 season was Leeds United's eighth consecutive season in the Football League First Division, the top tier of English football, where they finished 2nd, one point behind winners Derby County. The Yorkshire team were then managed by Don Revie and saw Peter Lorimer score 29 goals in all competitions – making him the club’s top scorer that season.

Their biggest victory that season came in a 7-0 thumping against Southampton at Elland Road.

Chris Funnell – Head of Football Operations

Chris has sported a 1998 England away shirt that was worn in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The England side, then managed by Glenn Hoddle, finished 2nd in Group G to Romania and went on to face Argentina in the Round of 16.

Despite David Beckham being sent off just two minutes after half-time for kicking out at Argentina captain Diego Simeone, the game ended 2-2 after extra time, meaning that penalties were required to determined which team would progress to the quarter-finals of the competition. 

England’s penalty nightmare affliction continued in Saint-Etienne, and Carlos Roa was the hero for Passarella's side as he stopped Paul Ince and ultimately David Batty, ending English World Cup hopes.

Charlotte Akester – Football Development Assistant

Charlotte has worn this season’s away kit of her beloved Chelsea FC. While the men’s team find themselves having a somewhat difficult season, Chelsea Women continue to have a very strong campaign. Currently lying 2nd in the Women’s Super League, Emma Hayes’ side are just 1 point adrift of Manchester United and with a game in hand over the Red Devils.

They also recently secured their place in this season’s FA Cup Final after a 1-0 win over Aston Villa following a 59th minute Sam Kerr winner. They will face Manchester United in the final at Wembley. 

Chelsea Women also recently secured their place in the Champions League semi-final, where they face Barcelona in tomorrow’s first leg at Stamford Bridge, after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Lyon.

Alistair Hayes – Business Support Officer

Alistair has sported this season’s stunning Orlando City home shirt – a club who compete in the MLS. The 2023 season will be the club's 13th season of existence in Orlando and ninth season as a Major League Soccer franchise, the top-flight league in the United States soccer league system.

In 2013, Orlando City SC was announced as the league's twenty-first franchise. The team signed their first player to an MLS contract, former Brazil international Kaká. 

Kaká, after his release from A.C. Milan, was immediately loaned to São Paulo until the start of the MLS season.

In 2022, Orlando City won their first trophy as an MLS team, beating USL Championship side Sacramento Republic 3–0 in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final.

Mark Johnson – Designated Safeguarding Officer

Mark has opted for the Super League Greece 1 side, Olympiacos, home shirt from the 2019/20 season. In the season the shirt was worn, Olympiacos were crowned Super League Greece 1 Champions – then managed by former Portuguese player, Pedro Martins. They also won that season’s Greek Cup. 

Olympiacos’ top scorer in the 2019/20 season was Youssef El-Arabi, tallying up 27 goals in all competitions including 20 in the league. Included in their squad were now Wolverhampton Wanderers players, José Sá and Daniel Podence. 

The biggest victory for the Greek side that season came against Volos with a 5-0 victory at home, as well as another 5-0 on the road to Asteras Tripolis. Their biggest defeat came in the UEFA Champions League group stages with a 4-2 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, who came back to win the game after being 2-0 down to the Greek side inside 20 minutes in North London. The game also marked the first home game of the José Mourinho era.

Cissy Radford – Football Development Officer (Women & Girls)

Cissy has gone for the 2021/22 home shirt of her beloved Notts County. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1862, it is the oldest professional association football club in the world and predates the Football Association itself. The club became one of the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888.

They are nicknamed the "Magpies" due to the black and white colour of their home strip, which inspired Italian club Juventus to adopt the colours for their kit in 1903. 
The club currently play in the National League and find themselves in a relegation battle with Wrexham (owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney) with both teams exceeding 100 points, but Wrexham just one win away from automatic promotion – leaving Notts County to fight for promotion back into the Football League in the play-offs.

Notts County was relegated from the English Football League for the first time in their 157-year history in 2019 after a 3-1 defeat to Swindon Town. That summer, the club was sold to Danish businessmen Alexander and Christoffer Reedtz.

In the season this shirt was worn, they finished fifth in the National League and reached the playoffs but were knocked out by Grimsby Town in the quarter final. 

Steph Powell – Head of Football Development and Facilities & Investment Lead

Steph has opted for her much-loved Manchester City away shirt from the 2021/22 season. The 2021/22 season was the 120th season in the existence of Manchester City Football Club and their 20th consecutive season in the top flight of English football. 

Despite losing out on the Community Shield to the previous season’s FA Cup winners, Leicester City, Manchester City went on to win the Premier League that season – managed by undoubtedly one of the best managers in world football at present, Pep Guardiola. 

They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, being knocked out by Chelsea in a close contest at Wembley Stadium. They dramatically were knocked out of the 4th Round of the EFL Cup that season, after a 5-3 loss to West Ham on penalties. They also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League but were stopped in their tracks by Real Madrid – who went on to win the competition by beating Liverpool in the final. 

The season was the club's first since 2010–11 not to feature City's all-time record goal scorer Sergio Agüero, who had left the club for Barcelona on a free transfer at the end of the previous season.

Zack Leader – Media & Marketing Intern

Zack has sported the away shirt of his beloved Tottenham Hotspur from the 2018/19 season. The side was then managed by Mauricio Pochettino in what turned out to be his final full season at the North London club. It was also the season that the Lilywhites moved into their state-of-the-art stadium after a short residence at Wembley Stadium.

The season the shirt was worn, Spurs finished 4th in the Premier League which secured another successful season competing in the UEFA Champions League. They were however eliminated by Crystal Palace in the 4th Round of the FA Cup, and knocked out of the semi-finals of the EFL Cup by Chelsea when a 2-2 draw culminated in a 4-2 loss for Pochettino’s side on penalties. 

Tottenham did however reach the final of the UEFA Champions League that season, for the first time in the club’s history. Their magical run included a 4-4 aggregate draw against Manchester City in the quarter-final, where Spurs progressed on away goals following VAR drama that saw Raheem Sterling’s late goal ruled out for an offside of Sergio Agüero. Tottenham then came from 3-0 down to Dutch side, Ajax, to reach the final of the competition after a heroic second-half hat trick from Brazilian winger, Lucas Moura, which included a 96th minute leveller to secure their spot against Liverpool on away goals. Tottenham subsequently lost the final 2-0 to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool side – continuing their 11-year trophy drought.

Stuart Houlton – Business Support Officer

Stuart has donned this season’s home shirt of his beloved Lincoln City, where he is a season ticket holder. The 2022–23 season is the 139th season in the existence of Lincoln City F.C. and the club's fourth consecutive season in League One. 

The Lincolnshire side, managed by Mark Kennedy, currently sit 11th in League One and look all-but-confirmed to have secured safety in the league for another season in the third tier of the English Football League system. 

Nicknamed the "Imps" after the legend of the Lincoln Imp, they secured promotion to League One in 2018/19 after winning League Two under Nicky and Danny Cowley. 
In other competitions this season, they reached the quarter-finals of the EFL Trophy before being eliminated by Accrington Stanley. They also reached the 4th Round of the EFL Cup but were subsequently knocked out by Premier League side Southampton in a 2-1 loss at St Mary’s. 

The Imps’ top goal scorer, Ben House, has hit home 13 goals this season in all competitions. 

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