Alkmaar Zaanstreek, better known internationally as AZ Alkmaar, is a Dutch professional club from Alkmaar and the Zaan district playing in the Eredivisie. Founded on 10 May 1967, the club’s history is compact but notable, and Walkouts lists a focused selection of signed football shirts and memorabilia that speak to that era and to more recent triumphs.
The team competes in the Eredivisie and has claimed a headline domestic record of two Eredivisie titles, most famously in the 1980-81 and 2008-09 seasons. AZ also reached the UEFA Cup final in 1981 where they faced Ipswich Town, and the club’s cabinet includes four KNVB Cups and a Johan Cruyff Shield, all points of provenance collectors cite when confirming a shirt’s era.
For collectors the provenance story is often as important as condition, and AZ examples are no different. Fans hunt both match-worn and signed retail shirts, with a particular appetite for early fanshop runs, player-issue variants and region-specific releases. The club’s supplier eras, notably Adidas and Nike per archived notes, also help date pieces and guide authentication when pairing signatures with shirt cut and trim.
Anniversary releases after 1970 form a recognisable subset for AZ collectors, including a 30-year commemorative crest release in 1997, a 40-year anniversary set in 2007, and a 50-year set with golden details in 2017. These releases are often produced in limited numbers and carry unique crest or sleeve details that show up across framed and retail-signed items.
Season magnets are key drivers of demand, with shirts from the 1980-81 title season chased for their link to the club’s first championship and European run, and the 2008-09 Van Gaal era shirts prized as a modern high point. Away shirts also have their own lore; the classic white away strip used on decisive UEFA Cup away legs is a specific icon among collectors, marked by a white away, UEFA Cup colourway that appears in match photography from continental fixtures.
AZ’s narrative is often referenced with proper nouns that matter to provenance, including the Noord-Holland derby, the Johan Cruyff Shield and the 1981 final opponent Ipswich Town. Independent rankings may also appear alongside collections, for example the club has been listed by IFFHS at 54, a contextual marker of modern standing rather than a provenance claim.
When buying signed retail items, collectors request visible markers such as COAs and clear photo provenance; many of the best offers include a COA with exact photo proof or witnessed signing notes. Recent listings emphasise original tags, early production runs and player-issue stitching, and the most sought items are those that link an individual signature to a photographed match or promotional signing session. For specific seasons, interest remains strong in shirts from 1980-81 and 2008-09, reflecting both the club’s early success and its modern title, and Walkouts presents curated options that reflect those seasons and their backstories.
