There are too many ways to fake a signature – particularly a signature of someone so famous that he or she has scrawled his or her name across thousands of pictures. Top football players probably sign more autographs than any other celebrity – than movie stars, than pop stars, than anyone. That’s why it’s so easy to forge their signatures: there are so many examples out there that the general shape and style is adulterated by its own frequency. No-one can sign 10,000 pictures in his lifetime without allowing a little variation to affect his signature. The fakers of Chelsea memorabilia and Arsenal memorabilia rely on that – using the fact that so many genuine variants are out there to slip a few dodgy ones under the radar.

There is, though, one radar that no faker can fail to get nailed by. Unfortunately, that radar is a bit of an industry secret – so the only way the public is able to use it is if someone tells them about it. Here’s how it works.

Any genuine signing event (most items of Chelsea memorabilia and Arsenal memorabilia are generated at these events, which are basically unseen press junkets where players sign photos and kit) is documented on film, or with digital photographs that have an un-removable date on them. A proper visual record will show each individual player, clearly signing his name on whatever item of memorabilia is in question. That item of memorabilia will have a unique number associated with it, which is cross referenced to the visual documentation of the signing. Without this visual proof and its associated number, a piece of Chelsea memorabilia or Arsenal memorabilia should be considered suspect and left well alone.

Other ways to be sure that your item of signed Chelsea or Arsenal kit is genuine can be found on the sites that do the selling. As a basic rule – go with a site that looks professional. Anything full of links to other sites, or other buying opportunities, is probably less trustworthy than a site that has clearly been well built and runs smoothly. Apply the same principle to the sites you visit as you would to anything else. If the quality looks suspect, it probably is – and a suspect quality site is only going to be selling suspect quality goods.

All Internet purchases are protected by a cast iron guarantee. That’s to stop sight unseen goods from being sold without proper description or advertising. As a result, all sites selling Chelsea memorabilia, and Arsenal memorabilia, should prominently display money back guarantees, delivery promises and instructions telling users what to do if they are unhappy with their items. Sites that do not have this clear evidence of willingness to undo unfortunate occurrences or reimburse for unwanted goods, may well not be playing the game properly.

As with all things, buying memorabilia online is a matter of common sense. If something seems priced in such a way that it is too good to be true, it is. Buy Chelsea memorabilia and Arsenal memorabilia at prices in line with the going rate – or be prepared to be disappointed.