"40 SHADES OF GREEN, VOLUME 2, 1921-2021

2021 marks not only the Centenary of the FAI but now because of Covid-19 we will also have for the first time in our history European Championship Finals games played in Dublin at the Aviva Stadium.

In 2002 i had always looked at 2021 as the end date for my Irish football museum project.It seemed like such a long time away back then but now it is only a year away.

I sadly dont think my dream of an Irish football museum will succeed before the Centenary but the project has been worth every bit of effort that has gone into it. The "James Nolan Collection" will hopefully be as complete as possible by next summer and the collection will remain in tact and hopefully one day in the future it can form the basis of an Irish soccer museum.

Items from the collection have featured in the Croke Park Museum, the Aviva Stadium and the National Football Exhibition 2020. I know that the Nolan family are delighted that their sons name is still associated with the team he loved to support so for that alone this project has been a success.

To finish off the project with a flourish i have decided to write my 2nd & final book:

                 "40 Shades of Green, Volume 2, 1921-2021"

I will look to tell the story of the Irish senior international team via the actual shirts they wore for the 1st hundred years of our history. The Free State shirt and also the iconic O Neills shirts from the 1970s/80s will feature.

I had hoped to attract sponsorship to help with the costs of the book but sadly given the current environment this is not now viable i believe. As such i am going to fund the project myself. This, like the first book and the museum project is a not for profit publication so the books sales will just cover the costs involved in production.

There will only be 300 exclusive copies printed and it will only ever be a first edition print run with no second editions being made.

Work is underway now as i have learned that a project like this takes at least a year to bring together. I am looking to release the book in and around the Euros next year.

If anyone out there or their family have an Irish shirt from 1921 to 1960 that they would like to feature in the book please get in contact with me to:

                          irelandsoccershirts@gmail.com

Thanks to everyone on YBIG and to the Irish fans and sponsors, the FAI and former and current players who have helped this project over the years. I hope you will support the project one last time when the book is released.

YBIG

Eddie









Edited by irelandshirts - 22 Jun 2020 at 3:50pm

Fair play Eddie as i always love your passion for shirts