How does a football jersey signing work? (behind the scenes)
How does a football shirt signing session work? (behind the scenes)
Many football fans wonder how signed football shirts actually come into being. Are they really signed by the player themselves? How exactly does such a process work? And how do you know if a signature is authentic?
In this blog, we take you behind the scenes of a professional football shirt signing session.
What is a signing session?
A signing session is an organised event where a player signs official items. These can be football shirts, photos, footballs or other memorabilia.
There are different types of signing sessions:
- Private signings
- Club events
- Meet & greets
- Commercial signing days
At professional signing sessions, often tens to hundreds of items are signed under controlled conditions.
How does a professional signing session proceed?
During a signing session, items are presented to the player one by one. Often, it is determined in advance:
- where the signature will be placed
- which marker will be used
- how the items will be checked
In professional sessions, much attention is paid to quality and authenticity.
It is common to work with:
- photo evidence
- video evidence
- hologram stickers
- registration codes
Why is authenticity so important?
In the world of sports memorabilia, everything revolves around trust. Without verification, a signature has much less value.
Therefore, professional signing sessions are often linked to:
- a COA (Certificate of Authenticity)
- official registrations
- reputable signing companies
👉 Read also: What is a COA?
Why are some signed shirts worth more?
Not every shirt has the same value. Factors such as:
- the player
- the rarity
- the match
- the provenance
play a major role.
A shirt from an exclusive signing session can be significantly more valuable than a standard signed item.
👉 Read also: What determines the value of a signed football shirt?
Common misconceptions
- "Every signature online is real"
- "A COA is not important"
- "All Messi or Ronaldo shirts are worth the same"
These are common misconceptions within the memorabilia market.
Precisely for this reason, knowledge about signing sessions is important for collectors.
From signing session to luxury presentation
After a signing session, shirts are often professionally processed and presented.
Consider:
- luxury frames
- double passe-partout
- name plates
- action photos
👉 Read also: Why have sports memorabilia framed?
Conclusion
A professional signing session is not just about getting a signature. The entire process of verification, control, and presentation ultimately determines the value of the item.
For collectors, knowledge about signing sessions is essential to recognise authentic and valuable memorabilia.
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