Fitzoo founder Max Brown transports Sport and Life’s Teddy Draper back to the ’90s.
Watch the full chat with Max Brown below:
I was transported back to some of the most magical moments of my life a few weeks ago. Those magical moments that revolved around football.
I was strolling through Regent Arcade in Cheltenham with my wife and daughter when the shop front of Fitszoo caught my eye.
The window was very cool and intriguing enough to lure me into the store. But the rush of emotion, of joy and nostalgia as we stepped inside was next level.
Suddenly I found myself surrounded by clothes and, most movingly, football shirts from my youth. A World Cup ’98 France shirt with Zidane blazoned on the back caught my eye immediately.
Sights, sounds, emotions, feelings, visions of goals, music from the various eras came rushing back to me.
In a heady haze I went over to talk the owner and founder of Fitzoo Mark Brown, who I was amazed to find was only 22 years old.
Even though many of the items in the store predated his living memory, it was clear Brown had caught the football nostalgia bug full on.
“I was at school. I didn’t need money but you want a bit of extra money to spend, to go to football games and stuff like that.
“In the corner of my room was three massive cardboard boxes stacked full of vintage clothes. I didn’t start with football shits because they’re so expensive, but I had an obsession with football.
“When I had a bit more cash I was able to go and spend the money on shirts and buy and sell. And now I’ve built up a bit of a collection,” Brown told Sport and Life.
A bit of a collection is putting it lightly! Fitszoo boasts a big floor space and all the walls are adorned with classic football shirts.
The problem for perusers like me is that not all the shirts are for sale – because Max can’t bear to let them go. They say following your passion can be a good grounding to a business but in this case the passion prevents Max from parting from certain items.
“People look and there’s a tiny ‘not for sale’ sign. But there’s a load of other shirts in here that are. But I think that’s one of those things with doing this and selling vintage clothing and you want to have something to look back on in 10, 20 years time.”
One of those shirts just in view as we speak is a Manchester United shirt sporting the name of midfielder and South Korea star Park Ji-sung. This might surprise casual football fans, but the shirt is also in the not-for-sale category.
“He’s probably my favourite player. Park, and Roy Keane.”
Having Park as your favourite player might sound strange even for a Manchester United fan. Granted he was industrious and dedicated but not a player with a gripping show reel.
Roy Keane, legendary captain and all-action centre midfielder less strange. But then that might be seen as surprising given Max is too young to have seen Keane in a United shirt.
“I’m 22, so he shouldn’t be my favourite player, but I think it’s more about the ethos and the things you hear about him. You can watch videos on YouTube, but you hear the type of player he was, the captain he was and I think as a Man United fan that’s what you want from a player.
“Modern footballers aren’t allowed to get away with some of the stuff that he did. But he sounded like a great player and the videos you see and the stories you hear, he backs that up.”
It’s curious chatting to Max. As a middle-aged man naturally I’ve long felt the era of Keane and company was superior to the modern day. But I reasoned that was just normal revisionism and rose-tinted glasses.
But it was curious because this young guy had clearly grown up feeling the same way. And on the subject of shirts there’s definitely a sense of paradise lost.
Max believes 2026 shirts won’t be so sought after 20 years from now because the quality of the garment is relatively inferior to previous generations.
“People do come in and say ‘I wish Id bought 10, 15 of these shirts and kept them.’ And then say ‘maybe I’ll do that with the shirts now.’
“But I think the problem now is the shirts are nowhere near the same quality and nowhere near the same style. They’re also so easy to fake and replicate.
“So buying 20 Man United shirts with Bruno Fernandes on the back now you’re probably not gonna make much money back in 20 years time.”
Fernandes is one modern Manchester United player who perhaps has lived up to the expectations created by the stars of yesterday who beddazzled Old Trafford – statistically, the best assist maker since David Beckham.
As you might imagine, Beckham’s shirts are held in high esteem by collectors. Although if you’re looking to invest, make sure the jersey has long sleeves.
“I go by the rules you can’t have a short sleeve Beckham shirt. It doesn’t work like that. He really didn’t wear them. I think (Cristiano) Ronaldo was the same, but he wore a couple of short-sleeve shirts. That’s why I’ve got the short sleeve one he was wearing in his first Euros for Portugal.”
I was really excited to discover this store in my home town. And you might be too. But the story ends with a sad twist. Max is leaving Cheltenham and shutting the store.
“My family are looking to move. I’ve lived in Cheltenham my whole life but I’ll probably move into London. So I’ll try and find somewhere to open in London.
“It’s been great having the shop, but hopefully people come in and you know get to buy that shirt they’ve been thinking of for a while.”
I intend to get down before Fitzoo Cheltenham shuts its doors to get a garment for my garage/man cave.
If you’re reading this too late there’s still the online route for a beautiful shot of football nostalgia. Keep in touch with Max’s movements on Instagram @fitszoo.
Maybe a day out in London to see the new store too? Let’s go!
