In the summer of 2010 the largest event in sport kicks off in South Africa, the World Cup Football Finals. All of the fantastic international teams will gather to fight for the right to take home the World Cup trophy and be crowned champions of the football world for the next four years. Among the favourites to win are Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Germany and England. There will also be strong competition from the African nations, particularly the Ivory Coast and possibly the hosts, South Africa. The huge name players are all caught up, Christiano Ronaldo, Loinel Messi, Fernando Torrez, Wayne Rooney and Michael Ballack will all be desperate to win for their countries.
For those without tickets to see the games in South Africa there are plenty of ways to get caught up and lots of superb memorabilia to collect. In England the most well loved item is the flag of Saint George. Every time there is a huge sporting occasion which England are caught up in the total country goes St. George crazy. Flags adorn houses, shops and offices and can be see in the windows of cars and trucks. The simple red thwart on a white background is the proud emblem of a nation getting behind the team they like.
The English Football Association (The FA) have launched a very simple new football kit for the 2010 World Cup. Gone are the loud designs of the past, replaced with a simple white shirt with a small collar. The players number is positioned on the front of the shirt in red, right in the centre, with the well-known three lions crest on the breast. The players name and number also appear in red on the reverse of the shirt. The effect is a timeless garment which any England fan would be proud to wear. The England ‘away’ kit is not unlike the well-known red shirts that the 1966 World Cup winning squad wore on their victorious day.
There are other collectible items such as scarves, hats and T shirts. If you are not interested in garments there are many books and CD’s for sale, with profiles of the players and footage of the goals and highlights that got England to the finals. There are some brilliant novelty items too like the England World Cup rubber duck or the superb dancing, singing fan toy that sings England chants and looks like a right England fan in a replica shirt and jeans.
For many, export World Cup memorabilia is just a fantastic way to support the team, others start collections which become valuable over the years. There is a huge market for rare, collectible items, such as the World Cup Willie toys from the 1966 finals.
If you know someone who can’t wait for the kick off to the World Cup Finals and likes football gifts, there is a link below with some fantastic thoughts.
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