Retro Scotland football top marking major milestone sparks memory of magic moment
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CAN you remember the first football shirt you ever owned?
Chances are not only can you remember it, you'll never forget it.
Heck, some of you may well still have it.
I wish I had mine.
It was a Scotland top bought after some serious parental cajoling in the run-up to the hugely hyped 1978 World Cup finals in Argentina.
Remember Andy Cameron's chart-denting, mind-numbing anthem? The words still rattle around somewhere in my head (whether I like it or not): 'We're on the march wi' Ally's Army / We're going to the Argentine / And we'll really shake them up /When we win the World Cup / Coz Scotland are the greatest football team."
Bizarre though it seems today, it captured something of the frenzied sense of over-expectation of that moment in time...
You may recall the open-top bus send off from Hampden for a squad that included 'King' Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, big Joe Jordan and wee Archie Gemmill.
If memory serves, that top came from the long since closed Coutts sports shop on Church Street in Inverness, a delightfully crammed two-storey affair where at the top of some creaky stairs lay an Aladdin's Cave of weird and wonderful football strips. Growing up on the Black Isle, getting there entailed a jaunt across the Kessock Ferry (this being prior to the bridge, which didn't open until some four years later).
Archie Gemmill, you say? The wee man will never be forgotten for THAT individual piece of magic which put Scotland "on the edge of dreamland". That iconic moment inspired the unforgettable Renton line from Trainspotting, as played by Ewan McGregor: "I haven't felt that good since Archie Gemmill scored against Holland in 1978."
The line made perfect sense to more than one generation, I suspect.
That campaign encapsulated the agony and – occasionally, and unforgettably – the ecstasy that comes with the territory when you are a Scotland supporter.
That short-sleeved shirt – with its white collar and wee triangular neckline inset – surely goes down as a Scotland classic and continues to sell well on the burgeoning retro market.
Sure, there were star names in that squad but my memory is of a team in which every member battled for one another – a team which was greater than the sum of its parts. A team of individuals proud to wear the shirt before the cult of celebrity changed the beautiful game forever.
In short, it was a great first shirt to own and I wish I still had it.
And, it turns out, my most recent football top acquisition is also a Scotland shirt.
This latest commemorative Scotland one has been produced by TOFFS – The Old Fashioned Football Shirt company, a Gateshead-based firm which came up with the genius idea of producing combed cotton retro shirts of pretty much any team you can think of. (They do rugby shirts too!)
No advertising logos. No polyester. No nonsense.
Call me a romantic old fool but when I heard about what TOFFS offered many years ago, it just made perfect sense. Simple as that.
TOFFS has now launched an exclusive range of officially-licensed commemorative Scotland sportswear to mark the 150th anniversary of Scottish football in 2023.
The range comes as part of a long partnership between TOFFS and the Scottish FA, and includes a wide selection of shirts, casual wear and accessories that feature rich navy blue designs paired with the Scottish FA’s golden 150th commemorative crest, inspired by the original association crest of 1873.
In my opinion, that embroidered crest is a thing of beauty.
An 18-month celebration, organised by the Scottish FA, began in late 2022 and runs throughout 2023, marking three key milestones in Scottish football history. Lest you be interested, these are: the staging of the first ever international match between Scotland and England on November 30, 1872; the formation of the Scottish FA on March 13, 1873 and the launch of the Scottish Cup on October 18, 1873.
Events have been organised to celebrate the pivotal role that Scotland has played in the development of the world’s most popular sport.
Down the years I've forked out for TOFFS shirts featuring the likes of Queen's Park Rangers (classic blue and white hoops, a stunner); Celtic (classic green and white hoops, and because I used to watch them every second Saturday while studying in Glasgow) and a bizarre Birmingham City third team kit in the colours of the German flag. Fair to say it divided opinion. Mine has long since been commandeered by my teenage son. Like me, he just likes it.
As one dazzled by the mesmerising magic of prime time Brazil – Pele, Jairzinho, Socrates, Carlos Alberto, Rivelino et al – it was inevitable that one (okay then, two) of their tops would make it into my collection.
Not everyone would agree but I prefer football shirts devoid of advertising and I've always found it a weird wearing a top with someone else's name on the back.
Which is why I find the new TOFFS Scotland top a thing of beauty in its sheer simplicity.
The only tough decision was which one to go for (I went long sleeved but am now hankering after the T-shirt with its white collar and cuff detail). I'd argue these hard-wearing, hand-made shirts are well worth the asking price. If you find it hard to justify, drop some heavy hints around your birthday, Christmas or perhaps Father's Day. (Hmm, now there's a thought...June 18, you say?)
Edward Slater, director at TOFFS, is keen to play up Scotland's significance. He said: “There can be no underestimating the importance of Scotland’s contribution to the historic development of the beautiful game. From hosting the first ever officially-recognised international match to organising the world’s longest-running association football trophy competition, many of football’s most important innovations have come from Scotland.
“TOFFS’ 150th anniversary commemorative Scotland sportswear collection offers the perfect way to celebrate this rich sporting legacy. Every product is manufactured by hand in the UK using 100 per cent cotton, and is designed with a timeless retro aesthetic that conjures memories of the countless iconic moments from the last 150 years of Scottish football history.”
Ah, those iconic moments – and, to be fair, there have been a few. You'll doubtless have your own favourite.
The rest of the Scotland 150th anniversary range can be browsed here and it's worth keeping an eye open for special offers. I'm told the code HEALTH10 will get 10 per cent off the retro range and TOFFS are also prone to bank holiday and other random anniversary offers too.
