Sheffield United fan shares photos of huge Blades shirt collection from late 1970s to present day

For one fan heading to the stadium to watch the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City, the choice of which shirt to wear for the big occasion will be harder than for most. David Beeden, who will be in the stands with his wife and son, has amassed a huge collection of Sheffield United shirts during his four decades cheering on the Blades.

He has shared these photos of him posing with just a selection of more than 100 Sheffield United shirts he owns, which must be one of the biggest collections belonging to any fan.

David, who has been supporting United since the mid 1980s and is a season ticket holder, said: “I have always been interested in collecting football shirts, particularly older ones. Of course, I had a lot of Blades shirts when I was younger but these got thrown out as I outgrew them. It was only later in life that I started collecting them again.

Retro United shirts selling for £500 or more

“As time has gone on, I have tried to get every shirt from each season from the year I was born. I have now got nearly every Blades shirt from the late 70s to the current day. Albeit some of the older ones are reproductions from some fantastic independent companies, and I still have a few I’d like to acquire.”

David says the boom in retro football shirts mean some of the prices are way out of his budget, like the original yellow away shirts from the 80s, which he says often sell for £500 or more. It’s not just United shirts he collects. His other favourites include the orange Holland away shirt from 1988, the Germany design from 1990 and the Napoli shirt when Maradona played there. He says his wife groans when another parcel comes through and he admits he has spent way too much on his ‘hobby’.

“It’s odd as I don’t wear them very often, particularly the United ones,” he said. “Most are in storage but whenever we have a big game, I tend to bring one out and wear and also lend some to others who do the same.”

Luminous late 80s Sheffield United top is ‘greatest football shirt ever made’

Asked about his favourites from his vast United collection, he said: “I still love the 89-91 luminous shirt which evokes memories of promotion and the fantastic Deane and Agana strike partnership. I’d go as far as to say it’s the greatest football shirt ever made!

“I also like the yellow and brown away shirt from the early 80s. As for home, I just like anything that is classical. I’m always drawn to some of the 70s shirts with the broad red and white stripes. Recently the home one with Teletext holidays had the right mix between retro and modern in its design.”

As for what he will pick for Wembley, he said he was still deciding. “One problem is some are now a little tight now,” he explained. Also, it is normally sunny at Wembley so I have to ensure I pick one where the material will not leave me sweating by full time!”