Diego 10

‘Bring something Scottish’ were the words uttered to me before a trip oversees…‘something that shows where you are from’…I enquired as to whether heart disease, alcoholism and a penchant for casual racism would suffice… it did not.
Right says i, to the shop of cool funky retro tastic football shirtery i goes!
I spotted LOF when out shopping a while ago and wondered why in the name of Henrik it was located out here and not somewhere up the west end, a question i threw at the owner when i dropped in the other day for a retro Scotland top.
«we’re just about to open a store in De courceys arcade» says he
«really» says I
«aye» says he…
And on to the meat. This is a great wee shop and one that finally throws up a welcome alternative to the ever so thoughtless ‘socks and aftershave’ x mas/​birthday gifts for us men folk.
With a pretty decent sized range of retro and designer style footie tops, along with footballs and bags, LOF is a great wee store to wander around and drool over. The owner, John i think, is a real friendly guy who will pass the time of day with you in a genuine manner, without giving you ‘the eye’ when you leave empty handed.
So, my purchase? Well i opted for a ’76 Scotland top with 10 emblazoned on the back. Pretty classy in my opinion and a darn sight better than a haggis and bottle of Irn Bru to show off to the foreign folk!
Dig this joint, i know i do!

This fantastic shop is inconspicuously located on Stockwell Street and stocks, well, pretty much everything I want.
As the nation’s only supplier of Copa Merchandise, it has a fantastic selection of vintage football tops, ranging from Scotland to Senegal shirts. If they don’t have what you want then just ask, the staff are extremely friendly and were more than happy to order me a South Korea shirt.
As well as the exotic, Legends of Football excels at its merchandise for the Glaswegian. You won’t find Fruit of the Loom shirts with Bart Simpson saying «We arra peepeel» on the front here, but rather stylishly-​designed shirts for both Celtic and Rangers icons, as well some other quirky bits and bobs.
As a supporter of neither the Old Firm, it was the extensive Scotland range that particularly interested me, while t-​shirts dedicated to iconic players (Maradona, Beckenbauer, Zidane etc…) from across the world also appealled.
The Top Shop for football fanatics.

When I was at school, wearing an old football shirt, even if it was just last season’s, resulted in banishment from the entire playground, cruel accusations of pikeyness and a head drenched in toilet water.
The irony is, retro football tops have now become the height of fashion. Legends of Football have capitalised on this by opening a store in Glasgow which imports a wide range of vintage shirts from all over the world.
I discovered the shop, which is tucked away behind Argyle Street, a few years ago when I was looking for a birthday present for my boyfriend. He had requested a retro Scotland top so I was planning to buy him one of the two styles the chain sports shops were selling. However, Legends of Football stocked a 60s style I hadn’t seen in any other store. The owner explained that they order the shirts, which is made by a company called Copa, from Holland and at the moment are the only Scottish shops that stock it.
I visited again a few months ago and ended up purchasing a 1980s Mexico top for my boyfriend’s Christmas. I originally wanted to buy a Honduras top but the shop did not have any in. However, the owner, John, told me he could order it if I wished then showed me some different shirts online. I really appreciated the effort he put in to making sure I got exactly what I was looking for.
From one football widow to any who happen to be reading this; make a mental note of this place for your spouse’s birthday/​Christmas/​Winter solstice. Without wanting to sound like a cheesy advert, it is the foolproof option for a gift he will love.