Match issue - co to znaczy?
Match issue is the name given to shirts that were prepared for a player and could have been used in a match or supplied as spares.
How do you recognise a match shirt? A comparison with the replica version.
Unfortunately, with smaller clubs it is increasingly difficult these days to show the differences between the replica and the match version, because smaller clubs, including Polish ones, play in exactly the same shirts that can be bought in the fan shop. These shops can personalise shirts not only with a name/number but also with league and cup patches, so without concrete proof, such as a photo of the shirt being received from the player, it is hard to prove that a shirt was a match shirt.
With bigger, richer clubs, however, before the season the kit manufacturer supplies the club not only with shirts for fans, usually in two versions (stadium or authentic), but also with non-commercial shirts intended only for the players. This makes it much easier to tell whether a shirt was a match shirt or not.
Examples of match shirts
Below are a few photos that show the difference between a commercial and a non-commercial shirt.
Adidas match shirts - the differences
The photos show the difference between a match shirt and a replica, using an Adidas product as an example.
- numeric size 6/7/8 / standard size M/L/XL
- heat-applied crest and manufacturer logo / embroidered crest and logo
- the match shirt is much lighter, and the fabric is very delicate and thinner
In the past, one of the indicators of match shirts was also the technology used to make them. Adidas made player shirts in Formotion, Techfit, Adizero, HEATRDY. However, the technology alone did not prove it. The technology indicates a higher-spec shirt, the so-called player issue.
Nike match shirts - the differences
These two photos show the difference between the match and the replica version, using Nike shirts as an example.
- heat-applied inner labels / paper labels
- heat-applied crest and manufacturer logo / embroidered crest and manufacturer logo
- a different cut (more slim-fit) in the match version, and a different fabric composition.
With Nike, the first thing to check whether a shirt could be match worn was the technology it was made with. The names used were Vapor, Vaporknit, Dri-Fit ADV
Match issue vs match worn - the differences
As far as the shirt itself is concerned, it is actually the same shirt. The difference is whether or not it was worn by a player in a match. If it was, we call it match worn (game worn); if it was not worn - by either the players on the pitch or the substitutes - it is match issue. Today players have several shirts prepared for each match, so without confirmation in the form of a photo, a video or marks from the pitch, we cannot say for certain that it was match worn.
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