I'm planning to spend some time in England after the MLS season ends and I will be attending 5-6 matches while I'm there (London area) and wondered if anyone knows of a shop or two in London that I just can't miss since I love to buy football jerseys, cards (old stuff too) and almost any collectibles I can find? Will the club stores at the stadiums suffice? Thanks..
if i remember from the two times i've been, theres a place called 'soccer scene' (i think, it's in 'bend it like beckham, too) on carnaby street.....(again thats most likely wrong, last time i went was almost 2 years ago and it's late) but i know it was a great store.
Thanks! That name led me to it on the net. http://www.brainstemdowry.com/work/carnaby/carnaby/Shops/soccerscene/soccerscene.html 56/57 Carnaby Street, W1V 1PF, Telephone: 020 7439 0778, Website: www.soccerscene.com, Tube: Piccadilly Circus/Oxford Circus, Show Map A favoured haunt for overseas visitors after the latest Man Utd. or Arsenal shirts, Soccer Scene is a real treasure trove for national and international club kits (also stocking a wide-range of boots, footballs and retro shirts). Although prices are high (a Juve home shirt costs £48, while Ajax is £45) there aren't too many shops in London, or the world for that matter, selling Costa Rican or Slava Prague shirts!! The site is dead but I'll check to see if there still there.
Find a Soccer Sports shop, or a JJB. There's a lot of 'em and the shirts a a lot cheaper, around £32. Buying stuff in Central London is a nightmare because of the price. And don't buy from a market stall. The shirts will be fake. And crap quality.
the problem with the london stores is that the majority of them have a wall of united and a wall of arsenal/liverpool. but you can't any london teams gear(aside from chelsea/arsenal) they don't have west ham, crystal palace, fulham etc. i mean it's in london, and you can't get the stuff. on a brighter note you can usually find the new man united mousepad and calendar set.
Thanks all. It's the unusual and hard to get in the states stuff I want so that's good advice as well as looking for the smaller shops. I imagine some of the fans at the matches might know some of the smaller and less expensive places also. I think the Soccer Scene place might be okay for some things other than jerseys that might be unusual or unique. I guess I'll see.
SoccerScene was running last year and is a good place to get a number of different jerseys. But there are a lot of stores in London that sell kits. One can just go up and down Oxford St. as an example to find good gear. All except the Niketown, which charges its premium prices in the UK.
Found it thanks! Lillywhites This is a large sports store in central London; Piccadilly Circus. As well as football, Lillywhites caters for all kinds of outdoor activities including skiing, tennis and orienteering. Often a little more expensive than other similar stores but Lillywhites' does have a vast range and relaxed atmosphere. Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus Telephone: 020 7930 3181 Address: 24-36 Regent Street, SW1Y 4QF
It's in my notes now. BTW: I hear it's not always a good idea to wear jerseys to matches even if the side you're wearing is not involved. Is this really a concern other than at Millwall?
its a hassle, don't bother wearing the jerseys. some central london pubs won't let you in if you're wearing one to avoid any potential trouble
Thanks. I did read on another thread that MLS gear is safe there and even in pubs. But I also was told it's not a good idea to let on you're a yank at the matches. Perhaps nothing footy related is the best way to go while there.
I'd figure that depends on where you are. When I was on a train back from Old Trafford to London a couple years ago, there were a bunch of guys from Stoke harrassing folks on the train. Not really hooligans, just a bunch of drunk idiots who were "having fun." They started in with us and quickly found out we were American (we were wearing jerseys to boot). They went nuts, thinking it was the greatest thing ever. Called all their friends over, bought us a round of beers and gave us copies of an underground fanzine because "we'd never be able to get it in America and they could get copies anytime they wanted)." We had great time until they got off at their stop.
I'm beginning to get the picture. Free beer!! Well, perhaps wearing an American/MLS jersey is just fine outside the grounds but wearing nothing football related at the matches would be the best idea, and at Millwall, for sure. An MLS jersey might be a good way to get a lot of football talk going with the natives which I'm looking forward to. Perhaps a jersey with body armor underneath.
Lordy, it's not as bad as you're thinking. You'll be fine wearing US colours (either club or country), much the same as someone wearing a Kashima Antlers kit, would be fine - at the very least you'll be treated as eccentric, and we like our eccentrics here. Remember it is London, a fairly cosmopolitan city that's seen it's fair share of American tourists over the years.
Thanks, I've received a wide variety of advice and some that has come from other than these boards was very "dramatic" when it comes to footy but surely outdated. I'm very aware the days of the weekly Millwall footage on BBC, etc., are over and it's nothing like it was 15 years ago. I'll just go be an American Wolf in London and not worry.
I've been to several matches over the years and never had a problem with being American. In fact, I've always experienced alot of hospitality when people find out I'm a visitor. Most folks, even the knuckleheads, are very proud of their football clubs and want to show them in the best light.
You can also head up to Camden Town to buy jerseys. There's this cat(geezer) with a booth right across from Tower Records and Office Shoes. It's about 100ft north of the Camden Town train station. He's got decent prices and you can get jerseys that are 1-2 season old as well. I couldn't find a Wimbledon jersey but that's beside the point.
i went to west ham twice this year, and the fans were psyched that i was an american who travelled all this way, just to see west ham. its like anything else, if you don't act like an ass and you are genuine the people will respond the same.