Back in 2016, I returned home from a holiday to the south of France with this beautiful OGC Nice shirt as a souvenir… a shirt that will forever have happy memories for me.
When I visited the OGC Nice clubshop, back in September 2016, there was quite a buzz going round the place. This could have been due to several reasons: the season had not long started; people were feeling positive for the upcoming season, and the new Macron kits had just been released, taking over from previous suppliers, Burrda.
However, if I had to pinpoint one reason for the positive vibes around the place, I would hazard a guess that it was because of one man… Mario Balotelli! Balotelli had just signed for the club so his name and face was everywhere in that clubshop and I saw a lot of fans walking away with a Balotelli replica shirt.
The shirt itself is a beautiful, smart looking kit and shows the kind of work Macron are capable of. I have been really impressed with Macron kits over the last couple of years, and they have supplied teams such as Nice, Bologna, Lazio, Faroe Islands and Liechtenstein with some stunning shirts.
The shirt is predominantly made up of red and black stripes on the front and on the sleeves and this is complimented by a white fold-down collar and buttoned neck. This gives the shirt a sort of polo-shirt-esque look to it. I know it’s not everyone’s favourite football shirt style, but I love it.
Unlike the player-issue shirt, which has a few too many sponsors for my liking, the fan shirt only carries the main sponsor. It may be a tad big, but it goes well with collar and cuffs and it doesn’t cut into the stripes to make it stand out, which is something I like to see.
“Issa Nissa’ is embroidered on the back of the neck which alludes to a chant sung by the OGC Nice fans. ‘Issa Nissa’ was also the subject of a controversial copyright case back in 2014. A French businessman paid €200 for the rights to own the term, ‘Issa Nissa’, in order to be able to use it on t-shirts and make a quick buck by selling them to fans. The club would have to ask for permission to use an expression that had been synonymous with the club for many years. The club were outraged whereas the French businessman was unrepentant. However, as we can see the expression on this 2016 shirt, I’m going to assume that the club won this particular battle.
Nice, the city, is… nice (sorry, not sorry). Hot weather, delicious food, beautiful scenery and great walks along the beach all helped in making a great holiday and I hope to able to return one day and spend a bit more time getting to know Nice. However, this holiday isn’t the main reason why the shirt has a special place in my heart. On the day I returned home from this holiday, I was unpacking my suitcase and checking out my new shirt, when I found out I was going to be a father for the first time. This shirt will always remind me of that moment.
Everything about this shirt is just… nice.
pedro's football shirts 
Great story Pedro!
Thanks buddy
Nice to tie it in with the happy memories too. 👍
Absolutely. I think I love footy shirts so much because they can be tied in to so many memories whether it be a certain player, certain teams, seasons or something personal, like holidays, becoming a father or hanging out with my own dad.
Nail on the head!