KITS, CONNECTION, AND PURPOSE: THE HEART OF SHEARER’S CUPBOARD

Business, Fashion, Feature, Sport
C.S

December 30, 2024

“I finally felt like I was doing something meaningful with my life.”

SHEARER’S CUPBOARD

For Anton Lovric, football isn’t just a sport—it’s now very much the fabric of his life….literally. Growing up in Melbourne in a Croatian-Australian family obsessed with football, Anton was destined to fall in love with the beautiful game.

“Football has always been central to our family’s identity,” he says. “My dad, my mum, my uncles—they all played. It’s a deeply football-oriented family.”

Today, Anton channels that lifelong passion into Shearer’s Cupboard, a thriving brand that celebrates football nostalgia by sourcing and selling authentic retro and vintage kits.

Inspired by memories of watching players like Ronaldo and Van Nistelrooy as a child, Anton says his journey was also deeply personal. “I started collecting and selling football shirts during a tough time in my life. It gave me purpose and became an escape.”

The name Shearer’s Cupboard nods to a running joke from Anton’s school days, where friends insisted his father resembled Newcastle legend Alan Shearer. The brand is more than just a marketplace—it’s a community.

Anton has unearthed rare gems through his collection, like the iconic 1996 Croatia away kit and a 1998 Alan Shearer Newcastle shirt, while chasing his holy grail: a 1996 Real Madrid home shirt featuring Davor Šuker.

He is also determined to add all the shirts of his idol to his growing collection. “My favourite player since 2012 has been Ivan Perisic, as someone with a Croatian background and a left winger myself I always embodied my game from him.

“My kit collection goal is to have a shirt from every club he has played for. I am on the hunt for a Wolfsburg Perisic shirt that defines the era where I loved him the most, killing it alongside De Bruyne.”

But the story of Shearer’s Cupboard is as much about Australia’s evolving football culture as it is about Anton’s collection.

“Football culture here has always been volatile,” he explains, reflecting on the shift from the ethnic-based National Soccer League to the franchise-driven A-League. Yet, through his work, Anton connects with like-minded Australian football lovers who want to grow and support the game in the country.

Throughout our time together, we explore Anton’s journey, the story behind Shearer’s Cupboard, and of course his love of football. From collecting rare kits to championing a deeper connection to the game, Anton’s passion is as timeless as the shirts he collects.

IT’S A TRUE FOOTBALLING FAMILY

I was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, and I’ve lived here my whole life. I’m part of a Croatian ethnic family.

My grandparents are Croatian ethnics born in a town in Bosnia. Growing up in Australia, I was surrounded by a very European household. There are five of us in our family, and all five of us have played soccer throughout our lives.

My dad is one of four siblings, and almost every cousin in our family—all thirteen of us—has played football at some point. It’s a deeply football-oriented Croatian-Australian family, and that’s where my love for football stems from.

My dad played football, my mum played football, and both of my uncles played at relatively high levels. It’s truly a footballing family.

I DREW INSPIRATION FROM THAT NICKNAME

I started playing football at the local club when I was four. I was too young to start, but I was already around kids a year older than me because I began school as a four-year-old in prep. My parents wanted me to start football at the same time as my friends in my year level.

Growing up, I idolised Manchester United and players like Ronaldo, Rooney, Nani, and Ji-Sung Park. Anderson was another childhood favourite for some reason.

I loved the movie Goal, and it’s still my favourite movie to this day. I’ve watched it countless times and can practically quote the entire film. Alan Shearer’s cameo in the movie made me curious about him, and Newcastle United became my second team.

The name “Shearer’s Cupboard” for my page has a fun origin. One day in high school, my mates started calling my dad “Alan” because they thought he looked like Alan Shearer. When it came time to name my page, I drew inspiration from that nickname and went with “Shearer’s Cupboard.”

I FELT LIKE I WAS DOING SOMETHING MEANINGFUL WITH MY LIFE

I initially started collecting football shirts, having always been surrounded by them due to my love of football. I began dabbling in eBay sales and went to a pop-up store run by PFC Vintage, where I met the owner.

Being a natural negotiator, I struck up a deal to sell shirts through him. Eventually, I realised I could create my own page, and that’s how Shearer’s Cupboard began. It’s been about 12 months now, and while it’s had its peaks and troughs, it’s been incredibly rewarding.

I started collecting and selling football shirts as a way to distract myself during a tough period in my life. Already at the age of 21, I was going through my second bout of depression. Football shirts became my escape—something to focus on and take my mind off everything else.

To then start Shearer’s Cupboard once that period was over, was like the beginning of a new chapter. I finally felt like I was doing something meaningful with my life.

I felt I had untapped potential for a long time and wasn’t achieving what I wanted. This venture became a way to channel my energy and talents.

Shearer’s Cupboard has been more than just a project for me; it’s been a lifeline. It’s a way to connect with others who share my passion for football and football shirts while giving me a sense of purpose.

I WISH WE COULD BUILD A STRONGER FOOTBALL CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA

The football culture in Melbourne and across Australia has always been volatile. Back in the 1990s, we had the National Soccer League (NSL), which was heavily ethnic-based, with clubs representing different communities like Greek, Italian, and Croatian Australians. For instance, Melbourne Knights, a Croatian club, was where Mark Viduka got his start.

However, the league was disbanded in 2003 because it didn’t fit the mainstream media’s vision of sport, dominated by the AFL.

The A-League was introduced in 2006 as a franchise-based league but lacked authenticity and connection to local communities. Despite a peak period between 2010 and 2015, over-policing of crowds dampened fan enthusiasm, and support has dwindled since.

Through Shearer’s Cupboard, I’ve noticed that many Australians channel their love for football into supporting European teams rather than the A-League.

While I think it’s great that people can express their passion for the sport this way, I also wish we could build a stronger football culture here in Australia. However, that’s a challenge I’m not sure I can tackle on my own.

IF I EVER GOT MY HANDS ON IT, I’D NEVER LET IT GO

Trying to decide my favourite shirt in my collection is a difficult one. One of the best I’ve had is the 1996 Croatia away shirt with Šuker on the back. It’s iconic and from one of Croatia’s first major tournaments where Šuker chipped the ball over Peter Schmeichel.

I was chasing a 1991 Lazio shirt for a long time, which I got in and that was really special for me because it’s one of the most beautiful shirts I’ve ever seen.

I’ve also owned a David Beckham 2000 long-sleeve shirt, which I sold through PFC for a lot of money. I’ve got a 1998 Alan Shearer away shirt with the Newcastle Brown Ale sponsor, again that is a beautiful shirt.

I’d say the best in my collection, which is based on my childhood, is the long-sleeved, 2005-away Manchester United blue shirt with Ronaldo on the back.

Among the rarest shirts I’ve had are a 1998-1999 Dinamo Zagreb away long-sleeve and a 1993 Greece home shirt. Regrettably, I sold the latter for far less than it was worth. I chased it for two years and sold it within a week. I was so upset.

One shirt that I am chasing that I haven’t been able to find, well I have, but the money for it is incredible the 1993 Ajax away shirt with the green stripes. That shirt is amazing.

I have a 1996 Real Madrid home shirt with Raul on the back, but my absolute holy grail would be a large, Real Madrid, 1996 home, with Davor Šuker on the back.

I’d pay an absurd amount of money for it because it’s one of the most beautiful shirts I’ve ever seen. If I ever got my hands on it, I’d never let it go. That is the one shirt that I don’t think I’d ever part with. I’d take that to my grave.