Decide the presentation first
There are three conventional treatments. Fully spread shows the whole shirt flat with sleeves out, which suits a shirt where signatures are scattered across the body. Folded arms gives a tighter, more sculptural look and reduces the frame footprint significantly. Torso-only, with the shirt folded to show the crest and number, produces the smallest frame and works where the signatures cluster on the front.
Choose based on where the signatures actually sit. The whole point is that every signature is visible without the viewer stooping, so lay the shirt out on a table first and photograph it before deciding.
- Fully spread: maximum impact, largest frame, typically around 90cm wide
- Folded arms: balanced, most popular, noticeably smaller
- Torso only: compact, best where signatures cluster centrally
Mounting without damaging the shirt
Never allow a framer to put pins or staples through the fabric, and never allow adhesive of any kind. Modern conservation practice supports the shirt on a padded sub-frame or foam board wrapped in acid-free material, with the shirt held by a small number of concealed stitches in seams, or by fabric loops behind the shoulders.
The shirt should be able to be removed intact in twenty minutes. If the framer's method would leave holes, marks or residue, choose a different framer — that is the difference between a display and a permanent alteration.
Depth, glazing and weight
A shirt needs a box frame with genuine depth, typically 40 to 60 millimetres, so the fabric is not compressed against the glazing. Compression flattens the shirt's texture and, where a signature sits on a fold, can transfer ink onto the glass over time.
Given the size, UV acrylic is almost always the right glazing. A fully spread shirt in glass is heavy enough to need substantial fixings and becomes a genuine hazard if it comes off the wall. Acrylic halves the weight and will not shatter.
- Box depth of at least 40mm so nothing touches the glazing
- UV acrylic rather than glass at this size
- Two heavy-duty fixings into studs or with proper wall plugs
- Acid-free backing and mount throughout
Adding the extras without clutter
Most shirts are improved by one supporting element and ruined by four. A single engraved plaque naming the player, match and date is enough for most pieces. A match programme, ticket or photograph can work where it is genuinely connected to the shirt, but the shirt should remain unambiguously the subject.
Keep the certificate out of the frame. It should live with your insurance documents where it can be read, copied and produced on demand — not sealed behind glass where it will yellow.
Cost, lead time and where to hang it
Expect a conservation-grade shirt frame from a competent UK framer to run into the low hundreds of pounds, with several weeks' lead time in the run-up to Christmas. That is a real cost, but it is a fraction of the shirt's value and it is protecting it.
Hang away from direct sunlight, away from radiators and out of bathrooms and kitchens. An internal wall in a room with stable temperature is ideal. Rotate nothing, move it rarely, and check the fixings annually.
Every item we sell is supplied with the WDW Certificate of Authenticity, signed by Derek Warwick and valid for as long as you own the piece.
Need a straight answer on a specific piece?
Send photographs and we'll give you an honest opinion — whether you're buying, selling or simply curious. You can also visit us at 87 Princes Street, Southend-on-Sea, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–4pm.