A Perfect Match
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, Andy Greeves takes a look at the best gifts you can treat your football-loving partner to this February 14th.
Build a Home Together
There is nowhere football supporters are happier than at the home ground of their beloved club, so why not make a special place for their 'special place' in your house.
Paul Lamond Games has launched a range of official 'Nanostad' 3D jigsaw models of the stadiums of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United. Coming in kits of around 150 pieces, your partner will be 'at home’ constructing a small, but beautiful version of The Emirates, Stamford Bridge, Anfield, The Etihad or Old Trafford.
You could even go the extra mile and include tickets for a tour of the ‘real’ stadium inside the box for the perfect date! The puzzles retail from £19.95 and are available from John Lewis Online, Club Stores, Play.com and independent retailers. For more details visit www.paul-lamond.com.
Put a Ring on Her (or his!) Finger
What girl, or guy, for that matter doesn't like to receive jewellery for Valentine's Day? And what could provide football supporters with greater happiness than their own piece of silverware (or gold ware!) baring the crest of their team.
F.Hinds has a vast array of football club jewellery in both sterling silver and 9ct gold, with teams represented including Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Glasgow Rangers, Glasgow Celtic, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
My wife's personal favourites were a dainty pair of Spurs sterling silver crest earrings while Arsenal fans can wear their heart on their sleeves with a pair of Gunners cuff links.
Official football club jewellery is available from £17.50 and items can be viewed by searching for your partner's team at www.fhinds.co.uk.
Display Your Love… For The Beautiful Game
Paine Proffitt is an artist who will be familiar with supporters of Aberdeen, Aston Villa, Derby County, Grimsby Town, Port Vale, West Bromwich Albion and others having produced distinctive illustrations for their match day programmes.
Tugging on the heart strings, with a real feel of British football's yesteryear, Paine's works are available via the Barewall Gallery (www.barewall.co.uk), with originals - paintings and sometimes collages on canvas - priced between £250-£500 depending on the size. Prints of a few of the artworks meanwhile are £95 framed, signed and mounted (£65 unframed) and usually only limited to a series of 25.
For supporters, one of these prints will be the ultimate thing of beauty on their wall this Valentine's Day. For more information visit www.paineproffitt.com.
An Accompaniment for the Perfect Night on the Sofa
Sky have launched a series of limited addition Sky+HD remotes bearing the crests of Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.
To purchase one of these remotes, priced at £29.99 plus £2 for delivery, visit sky.com/footballremotes.
Make Your Partner Warm and Snuggly
Share a warmth of feeling on Valentine's Day with a luxurious scarf, beautifully knitted in the colours of your partner’s favourite team.
Savile Rogue and Appleberry are two different British companies that have moved away from the old fashioned, ill-fitting, nylon football scarves that frankly are fit for the relegation zone to offer a products that will occupy the Champions League positions instead.
Savile Row scarves are made from 100% cashmere wool, with prices starting from £58.95 for a scarf that is 159cm long and 18cm wide – plenty big enough to wrap around you. For a further step up in quality, there are deluxe (158cm x 20cm – also £58.95) and king sized scarves (180cm x 20cm - £74.95), the latter which is ideal for tying a 'European loop'. All scarves are gift boxed and there is even a youth range, ideal for under-13s, with 124cm x 16cm efforts priced at £18.71.
Appleberry scarves meanwhile are made from 100% Saxony wool and are manufactured in the UK. With a distinctive college look about them, these scarves are as English as the Queen, red telephone boxes and afternoon tea! Scarves are priced at £39.99, with a full range of English and Scottish clubs, international teams and those from leagues in France, Holland, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Your partner will never feel so comfortable displaying their love (for their team!) For more information visit www.savile-row.com and www.appleberry.co.uk.
Andy Greeves
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