Brentford FC has become the first-ever team in the English footballing pyramid to integrate the innovative technology, Fabricks, directly onto players’ match-worn shirts, allowing memorabilia collectors and fans to digitally check the authenticity of the match-worn shirt. The news sees the West London club join PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord and RSC Anderlecht in adopting the tech innovation.
Fabricks is an industry-changing NFC technology that, upon tapping the heat-pressed chip with a smartphone, will provide a digital certificate detailing the shirt’s authenticity and originality, alongside storing key details and content about the match-worn shirt. This adds an interactive and secure dimension to each collectible, catering to the growing demands of sports memorabilia enthusiasts and clubs who value authenticity and traceability of match-worn products.
Brentford announced the beginning of a long-term partnership this season with Fabricks’ sister company MatchWornShirt to give fans the chance to own match-worn and signed shirts straight from the pitch. Now, with Fabricks being applied onto every Brentford match-worn shirt before each match, these match-worn and signed shirts come with the reassurance of permanent, guaranteed digital authenticity. Starting from Brentford’s Premier League match against Everton on Wednesday 26th February, every player-issued Brentford shirt will contain the landmark Fabricks’ technology heat-pressed onto the shirt material.
Tijmen Zonderwijk, Founder of MatchWornShirt and Fabricks, said: “We’re incredibly excited to strengthen our collaboration with Brentford FC by incorporating Fabricks into every match-worn and signed shirt. The response from fans, collectors and clubs has been overwhelmingly positive about this cutting-edge technology, so we’re delighted to be expanding this across various partners in the memorabilia industry.”
Adam Ward, Head of Partnership Services of Brentford FC, added: “We’re delighted to collaborate with Fabricks and become the first-ever English club to introduce this groundbreaking verification technology, bringing a fresh and dynamic element to our MatchWornShirt auctions.”
Brentford’s match-worn and signed shirts, complete with Fabricks authenticity, will only be available through auctions on the MatchWornShirt platform. The club’s proceeds from these auctions are donated to the Heart of West London initiative, a partnership between Brentford FC and several charities and organisations campaigning to improve cardiac health in the local community.
