Football shirt entrepreneur scores with £50,000 investment

An East Midlands-based football shirt business is set for expansion after hitting the net with a £50,000 investment on BBC’s Dragons’ Den.

Alex Street, founder of Mystery Jersey King, impressed Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies with his unique venture, which sources rare and authentic football shirts from around the world. 

The online retailer, launched in 2021, offers one-off purchases and a subscription service delivering mystery shirts to football fans.

Alex, who was inspired to apply to the show after watching an episode of Dragons’ Den, managed to overcome nerves and embrace his favourite mantra ‘If you don’t shoot, you don’t score’ to give a winning pitch.

He said: “I was nervous walking into the Den, but I decided to stay true to myself and have fun with it. 

“I knew my numbers and had rehearsed as much as possible.

"Securing backing from Sara Davies, the ‘Queen of the North,’ is a dream come true. She’s the perfect partner to help take Mystery Jersey King to the next level.

“Our UK success has been incredible, and our next big challenge is cracking the US market. 

“Since Sara is already a household name stateside, I’m confident we’ll make it happen.”

Durham businesswoman and entrepreneur Sara, who recently announced she had agreed a deal to once again lead hobbyist operator Crafter’s Companion, the business she had founded from her student bedroom, invested £50,000 for a 15 per cent stake, reducing to 10 per cent once repaid. 

She added: “Alex is such a character, and his enthusiasm lit up the room the moment he walked in. 

“His vibrant, eye-catching products immediately grabbed our attention, but what really impressed me was his savvy business sense and the massive potential of his idea.

“With an endless supply of unique shirts that sport and fashion fans adore, Mystery Jersey King has global appeal. 

“I’m thrilled to join Alex on this journey and can’t wait to help scale the business.”

Alex and his co-founder Jamie King plan to use the funds to enhance operations and increase their buying power, ensuring a steady supply of high-quality shirts to their growing customer base.

You can watch Dragons' Den on BBC iPlayer here.

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