Some things in Donegal are more than just names, they’re part of the culture. Football Special is one of them. For anyone who grew up here, this Ramelton based soft drink, born in the 1950s, is much more than just a post-match refreshment. It tells a story. It’s a taste of victory, a family tradition and a feeling of belonging. Sitting in the pub with your dad and his mates when you’re much too young to be there, enjoying a Football Special and a bag of Tayto.
At Sourced by Sab, we believe your clothes should tell stories too. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Football Special on an exclusive retro football jersey. To build a bridge between eras. Inspired by iconic football kits and stitched with retro design details, this jersey pays tribute to a Donegal classic. The crest, colours, and typography, a nod to Football Special’s legacy. The Football Special x Sourced by Sab jersey is a piece designed with a fit and feel that goes way beyond the pitch, to be worn whether you’re going to a festival, a gig or just one of those moments when you’re feeling particularly nostalgic for your Donegal childhood.
Sourced by Sab and Football Special may be from different worlds on the surface, clothing and soft drinks, but at the heart of both is community and a Donegal story. This collaboration is about more than a jersey. It’s about showing how local culture can live on in new ways. It’s about connecting generations, those who grew up with Football Special and those discovering it now.
The campaign itself was built to honour Donegal’s history, with the photoshoot taking place in Ramelton, the hometown of Football Special and the faces of the campaign were Donegal county footballers Ciarán Moore, Oisin Gallen, and Michael Langan, alongside a Derry City player, Ronan Boyce, also a Ramelton native. The jersey was manufactured by O’Reilly’s, a Donegal-based company, and proudly launched from our Letterkenny concept store.
We knew this project was something special and it seems you guys did too. The presale sold out in minutes and at the official launch, every jersey was gone in under 60 seconds. Influencers and creatives across Ireland backed the drop, carrying the story far beyond Donegal. The love you guys have shown this jersey has been incredible, and it proves what we already knew, this isn’t just another jersey, it’s a piece of Donegal history people are proud to wear.
