When buying a football shirt, one of the most important questions is simple:

Is it genuine?

At Football Shirt Revival, authenticity is taken seriously. Rather than relying on assumptions, shirts are assessed using available evidence and classified accordingly. The aim is to provide transparency, allowing collectors and supporters to make informed decisions before they buy.

Authenticity Classifications

Not every shirt should be assessed in the same way. Football Shirt Revival uses a classification system to ensure shirts are described honestly and accurately.

Genuine

A shirt produced by the original manufacturer for retail, teamwear or official use.

These shirts are assessed using available authenticity indicators and receive an authenticity evidence rating.

Custom

A genuine shirt that has been customised after manufacture.

Examples may include sponsor additions, namesets, patches or match details. The base garment is assessed for authenticity, while any customisation work is clearly disclosed.

Template

An authentic manufacturer-produced template garment that has been customised to resemble a club shirt.

The garment itself may be authentic, but it was not originally produced by the manufacturer in that exact club specification.

Official Remake

An officially licensed remake of a historic football shirt.

These are not original period-produced garments and do not receive an authenticity evidence rating.

Unofficial Remake

A modern reproduction that is not officially licensed by the original rights holder.

These are classified separately and do not receive an authenticity evidence rating.

Unofficial Design

A fan-designed or independently produced football shirt design. These may be inspired by historic shirts, manufacturer ranges or entirely original concepts.

These are classified separately and do not receive an authenticity evidence rating.

Unknown

The origin of the garment cannot currently be verified.

These shirts do not receive an authenticity evidence rating.

Authenticity Evidence Ratings

For shirts that are assessed, Football Shirt Revival uses a structured evidence system.

Importantly, these ratings do not represent condition, quality or customer reviews.

They represent the strength of the authenticity evidence available for that particular shirt.

★★★★★ Verified

Reserved for shirts that have received independent verification, such as KitLegit verification, or where exceptional supporting evidence is available.

★★★★☆ Strong

A high level of expected authenticity evidence is present.

Examples may include verified style codes, wash labels, neck labels and authentic manufacturer tags.

This is a strong result and indicates a shirt that can generally be purchased with confidence.

★★★☆☆ Good

Good supporting evidence is available, although not all expected indicators are present.

★★☆☆☆ Some

Some supporting evidence is available, but further verification may be desirable.

★☆☆☆☆ Limited

Only limited supporting evidence is available.

This does not automatically indicate that a shirt is not genuine. Older shirts, training garments and certain manufacturer ranges may naturally contain fewer authenticity indicators.

Evidence Is Assessed Relative To The Shirt

Not every shirt is expected to contain the same identifiers.

For example, many Nike and Adidas shirts contain style code labels that can be verified against manufacturer records.

However, some Castore garments and certain training, travel and template garments may never have included these identifiers.

Football Shirt Revival therefore assesses authenticity based on the evidence that would reasonably be expected for that specific garment.

A shirt is not penalised simply because an identifier was never intended to exist.

Transparency First

Football Shirt Revival aims to provide clear and honest information.

Where restoration work has been carried out, it is disclosed.

Where customisation has taken place, it is disclosed.

Where authenticity evidence is available, it is presented.

The objective is not to claim certainty where certainty is not possible, but to provide collectors with the information needed to make an informed decision.

For more information about sponsor replacements, namesets, patches and restoration work, please see the Restoration Guide.