Spezia Calcio is an Italian professional football club based in La Spezia, Liguria, currently competing in Serie B. Founded on 1 January 1906 by the Swiss banker Hermann Hurni, the club’s earliest kit arrived via a second‑hand Crystal Palace strip and that origin still shapes collector interest in early light shirts and provenance. At Walkouts we present curated signed football shirts and carefully described historic pieces with clear attribution to players and eras.
The club’s early story features characters such as Hermann Hurni and Alberto Picco, and the move in 1911 to a plain white shirt with black shorts and socks remains central to Spezia identity. Spezia’s wartime success is unique in the record book, the team winning the recognised national wartime competition, the Campionato Alta Italia 1944, a fact collectors cite when tracing authentic period shirts from that campaign.
Spezia spent much of the post‑war decades outside the top tiers, returning to Serie B in the 2000s before enduring bankruptcy and a rebirth. The modern era has seen dramatic moments, notably the club’s rise via the promotion play‑offs that returned Spezia to Serie A for the 2021-22 term, and that recent top‑flight push has created strong demand for shirts connected to the promotion run and the inaugural Serie A seasons.
Anniversary releases matter for collectors who want concrete provenance. Centenary celebrations that mark major club milestones are natural focal points for fans and completists, with centenary kits, reissues and framed retail editions often produced to mark the club’s 100 years since formation. These anniversary pieces are easier to date and authenticate, which helps when seeking rare retail variants or limited reprints tied to commemorative campaigns.
The club’s original colourways remain a distinctive collector angle, from the donated Crystal Palace strip to the enduring white and black home set. Away and alternate shirts that recall the early palette are especially prized by historians because they echo the origins of the club’s identity and local pride after matches against AC Milan, Juventus and Inter in the 1920s. Fans often chase these shirts for their connection to longstanding fixtures and regional narratives rather than simply match provenance.
Signed retail and fanshop pieces are actively collected, not only match‑worn shirts. Early retail runs, player‑issued variants and regionally distributed limited editions attract steady interest, and certificates or other verification matter when provenance is sought; collectors often request a Centenary 2006 style tag or accompanying COA to validate a retail signing or limited run. Exact photo proof, where available, further supports signed retail lots.
Collectors looking for tangible ties to club history focus on shirts from the 2020 promotion play-offs and the wartime-winning squad of light blue and white origin, as well as the 2021-22 top‑flight season when the club again met Italy’s giants in official competition. Provenance linked to Crystal Palace origins, Alberto Picco, Pro Vercelli and those 1944 and 2020 turning points helps buyers assess rarity and context, and Walkouts lists items with clear provenance notes and shipping options to collectors worldwide.
