A list compiled by FOOTY.COM has named both Hackney Wick’s home and away shirts amongst the best in the world. The ranking was put together by a selection of football shirt experts and collectors, who came together to rank the top 100 shirts of 2019.

Instead of simply focusing on the big teams, this extensive ranking includes teams from all tiers of professional football. This means The Wickers were up against some of the biggest clubs on the planet, as well as shirts worn in the Copa America, African Cup of Nations and Women’s World Cup.

After counting down over the past few weeks, Hackney Wick’s distinctive away shirt finished as high as 31st, while the home shirt wasn’t much further behind in 33rd.

Just to illustrate the scope of teams included in the ranking, the shirts fell either side of a dazzling kit from Ghanian club Hearts of Oak.

More impressively, Hackney Wick beat shirts from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City, while plenty of other European giants failed to make the list at all.

Both Wickers’ kits also finished ahead of Arsenal’s hugely-popular away shirt, which came in at a lowly #48.

This is a staggering achievement for a club currently playing in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division One South, while Hallmark Security League Premier Division side 1874 Northwich were the only other non-League side to make their way into the list. Their fantastic away shirt finished in #62, a few places higher than Real Madrid. ​

For Hackney Wick, this really is a testimony to the fantastic work being done at the football club. The success is even more special when you consider how much of a hand the local youngsters had in their home shirt, providing unique sketches to be included in the design.

The London club is dedicated to tackling gang culture in the capital, with various charity and community initiatives designed to keep kids off the streets. Now these shirts have truly put them on the map, endearing them to football fans all over the country, as well as those in the local area.

It was AS Roma who were eventually crowned winners, however, with their lightning-themed away shirt beating designs from Barcelona, Arsenal and Cambridge United to claim the title. It’s been an incredibly good year for football shirts, and for Hackney Wick to feature alongside such huge names is nothing short of outstanding.

http://www.footy.com

Ben Hyde