It’s a truly gargantuan month for international sport: the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off across Mexico, Canada and the US from 11 June, so we’re rummaging the racks of vintage football shirts at TopBinz, plus hearing all about the boost to local squad Long Ashton Junior Football Club; then all eyes will be on Seat Unique Stadium, which is hosting six matches for the ICC Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup (21-27 June); and finally closing the month is the return of Wimbledon from 29 June, which you can watch at multiple venues across the city.
The pressure’s on for England to follow in the Lioness’s paw prints and bring home an international tournament win – which, as we all know too well, will be a first for the men’s game in 60 years.
England’s boss Thomas Tuchel was appointed in the autumn of 2024 with the sole mission of adding a second star to the one on the shirt marking the 1966 World Cup victory. June will see the Three Lions play their three Group L games, meaning Bristol will no doubt come alive with World Cup fever as venues across the city open their doors to supporters. First up on 17 June is a fixture against Croatia (9pm), then England faces Ghana on 23 June (9pm), and finally Panama on 27 June (10pm). These timings mean bars, pubs, screening venues and dedicated fan zones will be bustling long into the hot summer evenings.
Can the boys bring it home?
There is a familiar feeling around the England men’s team heading into another World Cup: hopefulness muddled with apprehension.
Under new manager Tuchel, England arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of the tournament favourites after a flawless qualifying campaign in which they did not concede a single goal. The expectation is that England should comfortably progress from Group L, but beyond that, however, the pressure ramps up considerably.
England have now reached the latter stages of several recent tournaments (the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and finals of both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024) but have repeatedly fallen just short. That makes this tournament feel especially important; the squad is packed with elite-level talent, but there is growing recognition that this generation cannot keep being labelled ‘promising’ forever. Will Harry Kane maintain his reputation as England’s main goal-scoring threat, alongside creative stars such as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden? Will Tuchel achieve his mission? One thing’s for sure, the stakes are high, and it’ll be a nail-biting tournament. Whether this exceptionally talented squad can finally handle the weight of expectation remains the defining question…
At the top of their game
Seeing as football fever is guaranteed to spread across the land this month, you might want to make sure you’re looking the part. A Montpelier-based family business specialising in retro football kits from the ‘90s and ‘00s (as well as rare, collectable football shirts and authentic second-hand tops) is TopBinz, which has more than 4,000 shirts to choose from. Father-and-daughter team Fraser and Eva Van Nuil may have only launched TopBinz in April 2025 – having moved to their now-bustling current customer-facing location across from Montpelier Train Station from a former storage unit just six months ago – but they’ve already made an impact on the global vintage football shirt scene, nurturing a community of collectors and fashionistas simultaneously.
Fraser and Eva are supported by a team that makes the magic happen: from posting on social media to keeping the website running and processing/measuring each shirt that comes through the doors.
This summer, those who remember will be reminiscing about England’s 1966 glory days, and reliving previous World Cups passed. Likewise, the world of vintage football shirts is inherently steeped in nostalgia.
“We’ve already seen a huge rise in England shirts because of the World Cup,” Eva tells us. “We also sold a really rare Ghana shirt recently because England are obviously playing Ghana, and I think it was bought by a YouTube content creator for a video.
“We’ve always sold international shirts, but ahead of the World Cup, England has definitely boomed. People are coming in specifically asking for really nice England shirts for the tournament, so we expanded our England collection probably tenfold compared to what we had before.”
If England wins, Eva thinks it would create a boom for TopBinz for a while. “People might fall back in love with their England shirts and wear them with even more pride.”
“But vintage shirts are already on the rise regardless of the World Cup,” she adds. “If people start taking a more vintage approach to tournament fashion and that gets amplified on social media, it would do wonders for the business.”
Aside from the World Cup noise, football shirts continue to have the power to trigger meaningful memories, and are now becoming key fashion staples, too. “We speak to a lot of people from the older generation, where football was king in the ’90s,” Eva explains. “They come in and instantly remember the games those shirts were worn in – maybe when their team got promoted, or a player scored an amazing goal.
“The names on the back are often their idols as well. You’ll have customers come in and say, ‘I can’t believe you have that,’ and it’s almost like their eyes glaze over because they’re reliving that moment.”
The rise in ‘90s and Y2K fashion trends has – thankfully for TopBinz – included all kinds of football shirts.
“It’s actually been great for us,” Eva agrees. “We started the business just as football shirts were becoming fashion staples again, with loads of things from the ’90s being reused today.
“Because the majority of vintage shirts come from the ’90s and 2000s era, there’s a real nostalgia around them. On a sunny day in Bristol, you’ll go out on the street and everybody’s wearing a football shirt,” she chuckles, “with probably absolutely no intention of exercising or playing football.”
Spotting the difference between customers seeking a certain aesthetic and people on the hunt for a specific collectible isn’t always easy, as Eva’s come to realise: “What I didn’t anticipate was how many collectors are buying shirts as fashion accessories.
“People are collecting football shirts to wear all the time,” she notes. They don’t care about rival clubs, whether they support the team or not – they just love the look of an individual shirt, so they buy it.”
The missing puzzle piece
Eva, her dad and the team are incredibly proud of the personable nature of their store, and the wider world of collectibles generally, compared to other shopping experiences you may find in the city. They’re forming special relationships with customers – even people they’re dealing with online (as they’re selling shirts across the world).
“You almost see it every day, whether it’s in person or online. Somebody will email saying, ‘I’ve just bought this shirt from you and I’ve been looking for it for five years,’ or ‘This is the final shirt I needed for my collection.’ We’ve got one specific customer who collects Manchester United shirts and today we picked up a 1974 shirt he doesn’t have. For him, it’s a dream come true. In somewhere like H&M or Primark, you’re probably never served by the same person twice and you don’t really strike up conversations. That changes completely once you get into the world of collectibles.”
The TopBinz team regular receive people visiting the store from London and Birmingham – even when they’ve got similar shops in their own cities – mainly because of the range on the shop floor.
“We’ve got around 4,000 shirts downstairs that customers can physically go through and see face-to-face, and another 1,000 upstairs,” Eva explains. “If somebody says they support Liverpool, for example, we can go upstairs and bring down shirts that aren’t even on the website yet.
“A lot of people tell us other shops are geared more towards tourism, so they’ll mainly stock big clubs or famous teams from Spain and Italy. We also stock smaller UK clubs – League One and League Two sides – and that’s quite rare.”
This is drawing people to their patch in Montpelier from across the south west region (“which genuinely surprised me. I thought we’d have a Bristol audience and then sell internationally online”) – and have even had someone make a beeline for the shop once they landed in London from LA.
“The store has to be seen to be believed,” beams Eva. “People watch the videos on social media, but they’re still completely star-struck when they walk through the door because you can never quite capture the full scale of it online. There’s always going to be something for everyone here.”
topbinzfootballshirts.co.uk
Golden boots
While we’re using the Wold Cup as a wonderful reason to celebrate football culture across the city – did you know that Long Ashton Junior Football Club is only in its third year, but is already engaging more 100 young players in training and matches each week across multiple age groups? This further boosts Bristol’s reputation as a hotbed for women’s football in recent months, with the Subway Women’s League Cup Final drawing a record crowd of +21,000 to Ashton Gate Stadium on Mother’s Day. Since launching in May 2022, the LA Junior Girls programme has quickly expanded from a small group into a vibrant community of young women, with under-8s up to under-15s attending regular training, as well as competing weekly in the Somerset Girls League and Bristol Girls League – one of the region’s biggest competitions of its kind.
“With the recent League Cup final and England games and hosting women’s football at Ashton Gate – where our girls can see Bristol City women and the Lionesses play in a welcoming environment – has been instrumental to the growth,” explain Victoria Jones, Club Welfare Officer and Lee Probert, Vice Chair for Girls Football at LA Junior FC. “Many are feeling newly inspired and confident to pick up a ball, recognising that football is a game they belong in and can excel at. This has, without doubt, directly fuelled the surge in grassroots participation within our Club in Long Ashton and across the country.
“Alongside that, we have so many volunteers, parents and carers willing to give up their time to coach and manage, ensure fixtures go ahead, and generally help to make sure girls can participate.” The pair highlight a ‘feel good’ factor that has spread through the girls themselves and the parents who welcome this opportunity for their kids to exercise and – most importantly – have fun.
Keeping the girls engaged as they move up through to age groups is key, and Victoria and Lee have a game plan that has proven successful so far: “Training has to be fun; we never lose sight of the fact that the players are young people,” they say. “Whether it’s to just exercise or be a league champion, a fun, happy and safe environment is essential to keeping the players coming back each week. Each year group has at least a Level 1 FA qualified coach, who has a range of suitable tactics to ensure the children stay interested and engaged during training sessions.”
Let’s hear from the girls themselves: Millie, aged 12, loves playing for LA Griffins because they have improved so much as a team. “I am so happy to be a part of that journey,” she notes. “We play to our best because of the support we give each other on and off the pitch. The environment is lush and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the other girls.”
Kaylee, aged 15, has a long-term injury, but loves football. “My coaching team has put me in charge of the Team selection and tactics in recent weeks, so I still have the chance to be involved,” she says. “This will hopefully give me experience to become a coach in the future.”
Meanwhile, Amira, aged 11, enjoys being part of a team that keeps her so active. “I love playing football for the Long Ashton Girls U12 Griffins. From training, to matches, to socials, we always have so much fun!”. And Ella, also 11, is clear on who inspires her to continue. “I enjoy playing because I get to spend time with my friends,” she explains. “The Lionesses inspired me to play by winning the Euros and being great role models to young girls, encouraging more to play football.”
Long Ashton Junior FC is still inviting new players and volunteers to go along to training, meet the coaches and experience the fun of grassroots football in a supportive environment.
“We want any child to feel welcome and safe and be free to exercise, play sport and grow as a person,” state Victoria and Lee. “Attend a taster at one of our Monday evening sessions (with a parent or carer present) and introduce them to the group. We’ll bring them into the session, participating in the drills and informally chat to them about what their motivation is. This is crucial, as we can ensure they get what they want from the sessions.”
On match days, as many players are involved as we possible, rotating so ‘development’ players have game time.
“In year groups that have enough players, we have development teams, so that players who aren’t as skilled yet have a chance to play competitive football against girls at a similar level from other clubs.” No previous experience is required: just enthusiasm and a love of the game.
lajfc.org
Just the wicket
Taking a break from the footy, let’s grab our bats and hope for a good innings, as the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup also begins this month. The tournament will open with England Women taking on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston on 12 June, kicking off a whirlwind month of world-class action that will see eight teams battling it out for the prestigious trophy, currently held by New Zealand.
Our city’s playing a pivotal role in this one, as the Seat Unique Stadium – home of Gloucestershire Cricket – will host six cricket matches across four matchdays, starting with West Indies vs. Sri Lanka on Sunday, 21 June, and ending with a doubleheader on 27 June, featuring matches between Pakistan and Netherlands, and West Indies against Ireland.
In full, the Bristol fixtures for the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup are: 21 June, West Indies Women v Sri Lanka Women, 10.30am; 23 June, New Zealand Women v Scotland, 10.30am; 23 June, Sri Lanka Women v Ireland, 2.30pm; 25 June, South Africa Women v Netherlands, 6.30pm; 27 June, Pakistan Women v Netherlands, 10.30am; and 27 June, West Indies Women v Ireland, 2.30pm.
This World Cup tournament feels like a potential homecoming moment for English women’s cricket: England are hosts, among the favourites, and under pressure to deliver a title that could redefine the visibility of the women’s game nationally, and if that happens, our city will be directly involved in that story. England have not won a global women’s title since the 2017 ODI World Cup, despite repeatedly reaching latter stages of tournaments, but could playing in home conditions help us become a serious contender this summer?
Nat Sciver-Brunt is central to virtually every prediction about England’s chances. She is regarded as one of the world’s elite all-format cricketers: a match-winner with both bat and ball, and now the symbolic face of England’s attempt to reward their consistency with trophies.
There is, however, a major caveat: Sciver-Brunt is currently recovering from a calf injury sustained shortly before the tournament. Reuters recently reported that the ECB hopes she will still be ready for the World Cup, but the injury has added uncertainty. If fully fit, England’s ceiling rises dramatically.
Buying tickets to the matches, and boosting home crowd support could be key to England’s success in this World Cup, and the lasting positive impact on women’s cricket in the city and across the wider region would be huge as a result. We’re not just hosting the matches: what if we were to become central to the story of women’s cricket growth on a national scale? Can we Bristolians help to make history?
seatunique.com | ecb.co.uk
Game, set and match…
We can’t forget Wimbledon, can we? Pop your bats down and fetch a racquet. We’re about to see whether Britain can produce another sporting hero in a post-Andy Murray era. Wimbledon couldn’t come at a better time of year, from 29 June until 12 July, just when summer’s hitting its peak in the UK. Beyond Centre Court and back in Bristol, the tournament encourages us to celebrate a uniquely national atmosphere: parks, pubs and big screens across the city fill with viewers, strawberries and cream suddenly appear everywhere again, and Pimms jugs are filled generously (not forgetting those token segments of fruit: for health!).
British tennis has been searching high and low for its next homegrown contender, and the spotlight (at the time of writing) has fallen on Jack Draper. With Murray himself now on Jack’s coaching team, can the 24-year-old left-hander see it through to the end?
His breakthrough run to the US Open semi-finals and a major title win at Indian Wells put him in good stead for Wimbledon, but he’s been beset with injuries. Draper’s openly talked about wanting to follow in Murray’s footsteps, inspiring crowds and troubling the sport’s current leaders. But his recent and ongoing injuries could well impact his fitness across two incredibly demanding weeks of tennis at Wimbledon.
On the women’s side, our hopes will again focus heavily on Emma Raducanu, albeit with a little more caution – like Draper, she’s experienced injury-related setbacks recently. There’s a wealth of young talent emerging through the tennis ranks, which means there could be a wild card win that surprises everyone and keeping the women’s side of the tournament much more unpredictable (and possibly, rather dramatic, too).
Let’s not forget Bristol-born Katie Swan, who’s soared up the rankings in recent months; she’s been a Wildcard pick for Wimbledon before, so can we expect to see her make an appearance at the Championships this year? We’ll be rooting for her if so.
And in a British sporting summer that’s guaranteed to be dominated by football, cricket and tennis simultaneously, Wimbledon’s doubles events – not forgetting those all-important matches – may once again provide some of the tournament’s most unexpected home success stories. Watch this space.
wimbledon.com
