1990s Sunderland

Sunderland today.

I considered making these figures into 2 blog posts... then I remembered that, in spite of my recent efforts to blog more frequently, the number of photos in my repaints album has still gone up!

So, here are 5 recent Sunderland repaints!

Lee Clark... and what a kit...

Both of these 2 are 'lookalike' figures. There was a prototype for Michael Gray made in the 90s but it never made it to release. It had a glorious 1990s center-parting, in case you wondered. 

As for Phillips, well, you may know that a figure of him did make it to release, in England 2000 kit. I pointed that out to the guy who asked for this, and he said: Yeah, but it looks nothing like him!!

I described this on my Facebook page as the Phillips figure that Sunderland fans didn't even know that they needed!

As for these 2; Sorensen is a pretty standard repaint, but I absolutely love the Defoe one!

Liverpool... cream(?!) kit

I did not like this kit at all when it first came out!! I mean... I still don't really like it now, to be honest, but the repaints came out ok!

Here are a selection of spice boys, in shirt number order!

I decided to mix the colour for the shirts, rather than trying to find one that was available in shops... maybe affected by being in lockdown... though maybe not. The whole year feels like it's been lockdown, so I can't say for sure if these were done then or not!!

Anyway, there are 2 other things I want to point out. One is obviously the name and number font. Come on, you knew that was going to be one.

The other is that I did very minor remodels on all of these except Fowler. They were all wearing collared shirts apart from him, so I filled in the gap. I might have filed down the collars too... I've done so many figures since March that I can't properly remember! Anyway, if you look really closely, you might be able to tell!

Ronaldinho x2

Funny how, previous to these 2, I'm fairly sure my only Ronaldinho repaint was of him in St Mirren kit!!

Here are 2 of Ronnie in more familiar kits!

This one is of the kit worn in the 2006 Champions League final, which is why he's not wearing blue shorts. I really like the yellow and red stripe patch on the back of the neck. You can't see it here, but there is another on the side of the shorts

I case you're scratching your head about this one; yes, it was actually released by corinthian, and I was quick to point that out to the guy that asked me to do it. He already knew this anyway; apparently, it's so hard to get hold of that he thought it would be quicker and easier to get a repaint done!

I quite like figures with hair that obscures the number! It doesn't particularly make it easier or harder, it's just something a bit different I can do!

Luke Ayling Funkos, Home and Away

This blog has maybe been a little Leeds heavy recently... and I'm not even sorry!!

Championship title winners, and on the way back to the Premier League; I've waited my whole adult life for this!

Here are a couple of funko pops of Luke Ayling:

I nearly voted Ayling for player of the season, but he had to settle for my vote for goal of the season in the end! It's so nice that it was actually difficult to pick because we've had so many good performers this year! Not like when we used to have the Ross McCormack of the season awards, or even the Sam Byram of the Season awards a few years back!

Ayling missed the start fo the season with an injury, but has been a crucial player, particularly in the second half of the season. After our little wobble, he was one of the players who dragged the team forward, scoring 3 (from right back) in a 5 match winning run, where we also kept 5 clean sheets.

Also, his part in Hernandez's goal at Swansea, probably the most important goal of the season, was absolutely brilliant. 

*swoon*

Everton, 1999-2000 part 3!

I didn't know there was going to be a part 3 to this set, but then another order came in, and here we are!

Everton, 99-2000:

Having already done 2 blog posts about the same kit, I don't really have much more to say about it...

What I could add is that this set of figures is why Don Hutchison now follows me on instagram!

Part 4 coming soon...

Kalvin Phillips Funko, Home and Away!

Man, we are so close to the Premier League, I can smell it!! What that smell is, is probably best discussed another time.

But that being the case, surely you can allow me the excess of posting a couple more of this season's Leeds Funko Pops!

The absolute hero that is Kalvin Phillips:

If you follow this blog, or my other social media (links in the header) you'll have seen this remodel a few times. The one change to the home kit one, is the boots I put on it, to match a more recent pair. I think this is the 13th time I've made a Kalvin home kit funko!

The second figure is the first time I've painted our lovely, but hardly used sky blue away kit! you may have noticed it's in the same boots as the first one. As we've only worn it 4 or 5 times, I had to check that he wore those boots in it, because: of course I did!!

Hope you like them!

More Leeds funko pops to come!

Forest 93-94, Part 1!

Big order of Nottingham Forest figures recently completed!

While it's pretty difficult, I do enjoy pinstripes... and it's a good job too!!

Here are the first 4:

Pinstripes, an crisp clear badge in a shield, and a lovely Umbro number font. I could hardly have asked for more!

To explain that shield badge comment; I've recently had some trouble with 1980s 'shieldless ' badges'- when it was in fashion to just have for example EFC or the liver bird on the chest.... more on that later! 

4 Sheffield United Soccerstarz

These are the last 4 Sheffield United Soccerstarz in my repaints album that I haven't posted here yet.

There are still plenty of prostars tho!!

Doing this one was one of those occasions that taught me something new; namely that Matt Phillips played for Sheffield United!

This sentence is only here cos I felt I should write something about the Walker figure.

Stokes is one of those players that I only have the vaguest knowledge of! Maybe I tried to take him on loan on Football Manager once... maybe he was quite good in the Scottish Premier League... (I'm purposely not googling here!)

I'm not even entirely sure what his first name is! I want to say Anthony... or Tony?!

And finally Jagielka. I certainly repainted him in a kit from hsi first spell at Bramall Lane before... I may have even posted a pic of him in this kit to this blog in the past (I'm sure I did 2)

What I can tell you for sure: He is the only one that is definitely in the right place in my attempt to order these chronologically!

Pablo Hernandez Funko

Yesterday, this man made me go very very giddy!

Pablo Hernandez you beautiful human!

Almost there!!

Thompson and Keane, Celtic

Keeping the momentum going on the blog posts! Here are 2 Celtic players

Tough decision for me this one; Shirt number order or chronological!!

I was pleased with both of these. I think I've mentioned before that hoops are one style of kit that I am not quite as confident with in terms of just cracking on and getting them done; it takes concentration, and a session dedicated just to them!

With that in mind tho, I was pleased with these- the lines are good and clean, and I was happy with the sleeves too, another area that can be tricky.

...

I also can't look at these without thinking: They both played for Leeds too!

3 Lennons, Spurs

As with pretty much all my Spurs posts on this blog, I'll start by apologizing, just in case I've posted these before!!

I thought I'd go with Lennons today, all in home kits!

I painted all of these quite a while ago... so can't really think of anything interesting to tell you about the process...

I'd like to think that, with the middle picture, I was experimenting with the presentation of my photos... more likely is I had some kind of technical problem with editing them together!

Bruce, x2

I nearly posted some Leeds pics today, til I remembered my superstition about putting them up ont he same day that Leeds are playing...

And next after Leeds come Liverpool in my repaints album, so here are a couple of Bruces!

This is maybe  the third or fourth time I've done this kit now, but the first time on this sculpt (the one that was released in Southampton kit)

There was also a request for the gloves, as you may have noticed!

The gloves were done on this one too:

Unlike the last one, this was a first time kit for me. I was really pleased with the Adidas stripes on the chest; they just look really clean and straight to me. Hopefully you agree!

Dale, Blyth Spartans

I love painting an unexpected kit for the first time! I think it's the excitement it brings to fans of lower league clubs that never got any figures!

Here's my first ever Blyth Spartans player:

I've actually been to see Blyth Spartans play once, and as a stalwart of the club, this guy was probably on the pitch!

Adjustments i had to make to the lookalike figure were adding the beards, changing the hair colour, and, if you look closely, you'll see I've changed the hairline a bit too!

I think I also added a captain's armband after the pic was taken... then didn't remember to re-photograph it! I've had a LOT of figures to do through lockdown!!

Mixed Sheffield Wednesday figures!

In case you were wondering, my process for choosing which figures to put on the blog usually involves looking at the teams I've posted here recently; looking in my repaints album, and picking a team that I have a few of, hopefully with some kind of link.

These do not have a link! The problem with my Sheffield Wednesday, and Sheffield United figures for that matter, is that from the thumbnail pics, it's hard to tell which are from the same season, and I don't know the kits or players well enough!

Throw in the fact that sometimes I save them as "Sheffield Wednesday", sometimes "Sheff Wed" and sometimes "Sheff Weds"... well, that's why today's are the first 3 alphabetically by surname!!

 

First Agbonlahor... I had no idea he played for them til I did this! 

You may know that, in real life, I'm not a fan of shirts striped on the front and plain on the back, but it does make them quicker to paint!

Which leads us on to:

And Finally, Earl Barrett, with his lovely, traditional striped front and back!

...

I didn't know he played for Wednesday either!

Newport Subbuteo XLs part 2!

I posted some 1970s style Newport Subbuteo XLs the other day (which could be 2 days ago, could be a month ago cos: Lockdown) 

Here are some more contemporary ones!

No mullet remodels on these at least; just a beard, some changes of hair colour and some changes of skin colour too!

I think these players and kits were all chosen because of important recent moments in Newport history; promotion sealiing players, cup upset goals etc. 

I think they look pretty decent as a set... and I was very happy that the base was black!! They are a nightmare when it's a light colour!

Bolton Wanderers 2005-07 kit

Here's a set of Bolton repaints from a recent order:

It's hard to know where to put the accompanying text when there are so many pictures!

I enjoyed these- a set of repaints that weren't too tricky, but look nice and sharp.

If you were wondering, the Faye figure is a lookalike, as Faye was never produced by corinthian.

One of the things I find interesting, is how different things are important for different people when it comest to their orders. For some, it's boots, others base colour, others want kit manufacturers on... the guy who ordered these (he's ordered from me before too) is the only person to consistently ask for wristbands on specific players!

Check out the Senegal colours wrist band on Faye!

One more thing; Bolton can also go in the squad numbers hall of shame!

Southampton '99-'01

I thought it was about time I posted some Southampton pictures!

Here's a set that I recently finished in 1999-2001 kit. Imagine kits lasting for more than 1 season!

I like these! I forgot that it was actually pretty different to their traditional stripes, which made it slightly easier to paint, I guess. those thin black stripes certainly add a lot tho, as do the white details arounf the collar and cuffs.

One other thing: considering that these were all first team regulars, some of those shirt numbers are a bit disappointing!