Saturdays Football — Reading the Tags (8.5×11 Print Insert)
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Saturdays Football · The Archive Reading the Tags · Vol. 01
A note from Saturdays Football

Reading
the Tags.

A field guide to authenticating vintage football jerseys — brand by brand, era by era. Tucked in with every order.

Every jersey we list passes through several pairs of hands before it reaches yours. We check stitching, labels, manufacturer codes, and era-specific details against trusted references — collector communities, brand-run authentication tools, and our own archive of verified pieces.

This is the same field guide we use. Now it's yours. If something doesn't sit right, write to us — clear photographs of the tags, well lit. We'll take a second look.

— The Archive · Saturdays Football
The Field Guide
Five brands · Twenty checks
N° 01
adidas
The product code is your starting point.
  1. Find the style code Inside the collar or hem, beneath the wash label. Format like HY3375. Google "adidas + code" and switch to Images — should return your exact shirt.
  2. Read the swing tag Real tags name the kit (MUFC 3 JSY, FEF H JSY). A tag that just says ADIDAS JSY is fake.
  3. Avoid known fake code Swing tag code P95985 recurs across counterfeits — confirms a fake.
N° 02
Nike
Strict code format. Holographic patch.
  1. Find the product code Inside lower hem, right side. Format: 287615-403 — six digits, dash, three. Google it; Images should match across multiple retailers.
  2. Check the jock tag Lower-right exterior. Must be metallic / holographic — colour shifts at angles. The patch code is unique.
  3. Read the wash label Country of manufacture must be present. Any spelling error on labels confirms a fake.
N° 03
Umbro
No product codes for vintage. Read the dots.
  1. Look at the word UMBRO Neck label. 90s shirts have tiny dots within each letter. Flat letters with no dots = fake. Single most reliable tell.
  2. Match country to era Pre-2000 production: England, Scotland, Portugal. Made in China on a 90s shirt = fake.
  3. Match logo to year The double-diamond changed across decades. A 1996 shirt with a 2015-style logo is wrong.
N° 04
Puma
The Style No. and the cat.
  1. Find the Style No. Wash label inside. Modern: six digits, dash, two. Real codes typically begin with 7. Google "Puma + Style No." — Images should match.
  2. Inspect the cat Real cats have pronounced ears, slim back legs. Fakes are chunkier, less defined.
  3. Avoid known fake code 757035-01 belongs to Marseille 2020 Home — widely reused on counterfeits.
N° 05
Kappa
Of all five, Kappa makes this easiest.
  1. Verify on basiclabels.net Find the QR or serial on the inside label, scan or enter — Kappa's official authentication tool.
  2. Read the dots Inside neck label: six dots in two diagonal lines, often within a triangle. Flat or scattered = fake.
  3. Inspect the Omini logo Real: defined noses, clean body shapes. Fake: trailing stitch instead of arm.
N° 06
Spot something off?
Photograph the tags clearly — neck label, inside hem, jock tag, swing tag if attached. Send the photos. We'll take a second look.
Write to us
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saturdaysfootball.com