The Shirt Hunter – One man’s ceaseless pursuit of classic football kits, by Peris Hatton with Derek Hatton and Gary Silke, published by Conker Editions Ltd, Price: £16
TAKE just a fleeting glimpse at the front cover of The Shirt Hunter and you get a good idea of what this book is all about.
There are 11 shirts on the cover, including classics from the likes of Blackburn, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
Peris Hatton is one of the UK’s bestknown football shirt collectors and traders, and The Shirt Hunter shares the best of his incredible collection spanning the past five decades.
Working in collaboration with Derek Hatton, Gary Silke and Conker Editions, you knew this would be a brilliantly designed and visually impressive book. It’s one you can dip in and out of at your leisure and there is a lot more to it than first meets the eye.
The words tells the story, but the pictures dotted extensively throughout the book really bring it to life.
From his days as a kid in the mid-70s nagging his mum to buy him a Liverpool shirt for the princely sum of £4, Hatton has been infatuated by football jerseys.
He says: “Football has been my number one hobby and obsession for nearly 50 years now. It may not, technically, be the sole main focus of my life – hello, lovely family unit! – but it has always been there as a provider of personal pleasures and more profound thrills.
“Girls came and went, as did certain friends, hairstyles, fashions and favourite bands, but football – especially collecting and dealing in football memorabilia – has remained a constant, a preoccupation throughout.”
For those wanting to be reminded of their youth, this book will bring back plenty of memories. Younger readers will also enjoy seeing the evolution of football shirts and the amazing array of jerseys and brands down the years.
Rating out of 10: 7
