At Zico, football has always been about more than shirts. Every item on the rails has a story behind it, and sometimes those stories lead to some of the game’s biggest names.
Back in 2007, we received a special request from the family of former Scotland and Ipswich Town legend John Wark. John’s sister visited the shop to collect a specially commissioned Escape to Victory retro shirt that we had produced through Toffs Retro Football Shirts as a birthday gift for her brother.
Not long afterwards, John showed his appreciation in typical style. He kindly sent us a collection of signed memorabilia from his remarkable playing career, along with this fantastic photograph of himself proudly wearing the shirt.
For football supporters of a certain generation, John Wark needs little introduction. A league title winner, UEFA Cup winner, FA Cup winner and one of Scotland’s most respected midfielders, he enjoyed legendary spells with Ipswich Town and Liverpool FC, earning 29 caps for Scotland and establishing a reputation as one of the finest goalscoring midfielders of his era.
The story doesn’t end there. During her visit, John’s sister shared a wonderful memory from their childhood in Glasgow’s Knightswood. She recalled kicking about in the street with a football signed by none other than Pelé. The ball had come from the iconic football film Escape to Victory, which famously featured Pelé alongside a cast of footballing stars and actors.
It’s exactly the kind of football tale we love at Zico — a connection between Glasgow streets, football history, legendary players and the shirts that help keep those memories alive.
We’re proud to have played a small part in this story and even prouder to have John’s signed memorabilia and photograph as part of the Zico collection.
If you’ve ever wondered where football heritage lives on in Glasgow, you’ll find plenty of it here at Zico in the Barras. Sometimes it arrives in the form of a shirt. Sometimes it arrives in the form of a story. And occasionally, it arrives from one of Scotland’s footballing greats.