PUMA is launching a new podcast and video series, Who Gives A Shirt, exploring the history, culture, and environmental impact of football shirts.
Hosted by former semi-professional footballer Jack Fowler and content creator Kimberley Cumberbatch, the show celebrates football shirts as powerful symbols of identity, passion, and community.
It also uncovers their rich history, starting with the sport’s early days in the 1800s, when players wore flannel shirts or even formal clothes before kits were standardised.
The series highlights everything from the introduction of the football league in 1888 to the rise of branded sponsorships on shirts.
Episode one sees Kimberley, a self-confessed football novice, questioning Jack and expert guest Xaymaca Awoyungbo about the origins of the football shirt. Together they discuss home and away kits, the addition of player names and numbers, and the unique challenges women faced in early football attire.
Future episodes will welcome a range of guests. James Harkin from No Such Thing as a Fish explores the role of shirts in performance, while designer Hattie Crowther examines their migration from pitch to streetwear.
Angela, a Manchester City fan, shares her love for her club and teaches Kimberley how to do the Poznan.
Another episode looks at football shirts’ environmental footprint, with PUMA’s RE:FIBRE textile-to-textile recycling initiative offering insights into sustainable design.
Produced by Mags Creative and MSL, the series is part of PUMA’s FOREVER.BETTER commitment, it launches today, 1 October, on all podcast platforms.
