The $50 million classic soccer jersey brand that started with an eBay flip
On a Tuesday afternoon in London, Doug Bierton, the unlikely cofounder and CEO of an even more unlikely $50 million classic soccer jersey company, arrives at 10 Downing Street, the U.K.'s equivalent of the White House.
It's St. George's Day, a national day of celebration, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hosting a reception. Inside, it's more Parliament sitting than party as some of the most important people in British politics, donning pressed suits and blouses, mingle.
Then there's Bierton, a regular bloke from Manchester, who's wearing a screaming light-blue vintage England soccer jersey from the early 1990s.
Who let that guy in? He's here by invitation. Bierton cofounded Classic Football Shirts in 2006 alongside his brother, Gary, and college buddy Matt Dale. The prime minister's team asked if they could bring some England shirts to the reception. 'The prime minister's really interested in football,' they said. 'Maybe you could bring some Arsenal shirts, too?'
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