*Introduction*

I am a devoted arsenal fan and I buy almost every shirt that is released. Unfortunately, when the Arsenal Away Shirt 08/09 was release, it was at the same time as the Home replica and things were a bit tight in terms of money. Most people would just not buy it but no not me! As a compromise, my boyfriend and I split the cost of the shirt and bought a medium sized adult shirt so that I could still wear it but he could as well.

*The Shirt Itself*

The Manufacturers: For the Arsenal Away Adult Shirt 08/09, Arsenal are sponsored by Nike and they are the manufacturers of this shirt. I personally prefer Nike to the other sports brands and the shirt itself demonstrates why I like them so much as the brand is just pure quality.

The Design:
Arsenal's Away Adult Shirt 08/09 is a round neck shape which, I personally don't like so much in comparison to v-necks and tops with collars. This Arsenal Away Shirt is similar to the one that was worn by the 88/89 Arsenal team who won the league at Anfield in dramatic style. The body of the shirt is a bright yellow although not luminous. The neck of the shirt has a blue rim. The sleeves are a dark navy blue colour with a red stripe running through it. And as with most Arsenal shirts, in the neck at the back you will find the words Victoria Concordia Crescent.

On the right side of the shirt you will see a standard Nike tick in white and on the left side is an Arsenal badge. These logos are both stitched onto the shirt. The centre of the shirt is quite a large logo which is the name of the teams sponsor, Fly Emirates. The final logos on the shirt are on the shirt are two small Nike logos at the bottom.

Is it comfortable? This shirt is made from 100% polyester, just like the majority of football shirts. It is a substantial material without feeling too light or too heavy. This means that it is a comfortable shirt to wear, especially in the summer when it is warmer (notice that I didn't say hot as I do live in the UK) and you don't smell wearing it!

For a man, this shirt is probably extremely comfortable and I think I would be harsh in saying that it is uncomfortable for a woman but it doesn't go in at all the right places which makes it slightly less favourable for me than others that I own but that was a sacrifice that I made in order to get the shirt so I shouldn't grumble.

Name and Number: Think that the back of the shirt is a bit empty? If this is the case, you can have a player name added (for £6) and their squad number (for £6). What name and number do I have on the back of this shirt I hear you ask? I like putting my faith in the Arsenal youngsters and have the name Ramsey his squad number 16 on the back of this shirt.

Sizes: The Arsenal Away Ladies Shirt 08 is available in 6 different sizes. They are small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large and xxx-large. These sizes should satisfy most people's sizes.

*Price and Availability*

All football shirts these days seem to retail at around the same price so those of you that buy your team's replica won't be surprised with the figure I am going to say but I still find it quite expensive. Now for the not so good part which is the cost. Arsenal Away Adult Shirt 08/09 will usually cost you £40. This hurts that little bit more because it was replaced the following year with my favourite blue one but if you are buying it now you can pick it up for around £20.

If you an arsenal fan then I would certainly recommend this shirt. It is similar to the one that the 88/89 team wore when they won the league at Anfield and I think it's a shame that the team couldn't replicate their success. You can buy it from any of the official Arsenal stores as well as the majority of good sports stores like Sports Soccer. If you prefer to shop online, you can visit www.onlinestore.arsenal.com and you're a few clicks away from owning it.

*Would I Recommend The Arsenal Home Ladies Shirt 08/10?*

As a female I would recommend buying this shirt but the ladies equivalent as they always seem to fit better as they are tailored to a females shape. But for all you Arsenal guys out there, I do recommend the Arsenal Away Adult Shirt 08/09 although I must admit it hasn't been my absolute favourite.

Do you support Wigan, Manchester City, Chelsea, Bolton? If so then regardless of the positives I say about this shirt, you aren't going to buy it so I'll just tell you to give it a miss.

*Overall*

I am a fan of the Arsenal Away Adult Shirt 08/09 although it isn't my favourite, perhaps because it is the Adult version. In hindsight I would have bought the ladies version as it would have fit better but I had my reasons for not doing so. Would I wear this top if it was completely separate from Arsenal? No, if I'm entirely honest the style combined with these colours isn't really something that I would go for. But I wear it to demonstrate my support for the Arsenal.