Category: Announcements

Bid For Our Incredible Luis Suarez Signed and Match Worn Liverpool Shirt

March 3, 2016
Announcements

Luis-Suarez-(Liverpool)

During his three-year stint at Liverpool, striker Luis Suarez proved to be one of the most electrifying talents to have ever graced the Premier League. Redmen the world over will remember the Uruguayan’s time at Anfield for his all-action approach to the number nine role; his exceptional array of unforgettable goals and performances; and his fierce devotion to the club. To this day, El Pistolero remains a Kop icon.

Why are we telling you this? Well, if you’re a Liverpool fan and you agree with all that, then we have an incredible opportunity for you. For the next three days, we at icons.com are running an auction exclusive to Facebook in which you can bid for a Luis Suarez signed and match worn Liverpool shirt.

That’s right, this shirt wasn’t just signed by the man himself, it was genuinely worn by him during a match, too. And not just any match, either. Suarez wore this particular shirt during Liverpool’s pulsating 3-2 victory over Manchester City at Anfield on April 13th, 2014.

Liverpool v Manchester City - Premier League

Above: Luis Suarez celebrates as Liverpool score during their 3-2 win over Manchester City at Anfield on April 13th, 2014.

It was just one of several extra-special match worn shirts available to buy on icons.com but now it’s up for auction and you can place your bid right now on our official Facebook page.

The 2013-14 Premier League campaign was a memorable one for Liverpool fans, as Suarez and company made fans dream of the title but were cruelly denied over the final few hurdles. Despite the heartache, Redmen will remember a number of incredible matches during that exceptional season, and none more so than this excellent victory over eventual champions Manchester City.

Suarez was crucial that day, leading the line with a typically powerful performance that had the Manchester City back-line on edge throughout the game. Wearing their iconic red home kit with a special edition badge paying tribute to the 96 supporters who died at Hillsborough in 1989, Brendan Rodgers’ team dug deep to produce an emotional victory that few fans at a packed Anfield that day will soon forget.

Luis Suarez Liverpool Shirt

Above: Icons has a long-standing relationship with former Liverpool hero Luis Suarez. Here he signs a Liverpool shirt for us in 2011

Typifying our tremendous relationship with the striker, who has been signing with Icons for over six years now, Suarez later gifted us his shirt from that remarkable game and it could soon be yours.

All you have to do to be in with a shot of owning this amazing piece of sporting memorabilia is place your bid for the shirt on our dedicated Facebook Auction page. If your bid is above the minimum reserve price and it’s the highest of all the bids placed before Sunday March 6th, you’ll win the auction and become the new owner of this very special item.

So, what are you waiting for?

Head over to our Facebook page now and get yourself involved in the auction – which is hotting up with each new bid.

But if all that sounds like a bit too much excitement, you can always just head to icons.com and check out our Luis Suarez signed memorabilia range. We’ve got loads of awesome products available, ranging from signed Liverpool and Barcelona shirts and photos, to signed boots and balls.

Follow Icons on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all our latest blog posts, chat and competitions.


Icons Launch Exclusive ‘Signed & Match Worn’ Section

December 10, 2015
Announcements

Andres-Iniesta

Icons work with the world’s best players and today we are proud to launch our new and exclusive signed and match worn section. These are authentic, unique, game-used items direct from some of the greatest players on the planet. But how do you know these shirts are the real deal? 

Icons has and always will be dedicated to the highest standards of authenticity and our brand new signed and match worn range is no different. There are just a few simple questions you have to ask yourself as a customer to put your mind at rest when buying these items.

 

Does the supplier have long-standing and official relationships with the players?

Just a glance at the Icons homepage will tell you we have been working with the world’s best for over a decade and a half. We have official contracts with Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale and have been working with Cristiano Ronaldo for over ten years now. No one else in the world can claim such partnerships, with Icons a step ahead at every turn. We also have established relationships with the likes of Neymar Jr, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta and many more.

Does the supplier have photos of the player with the match worn shirt?

Icons is proud to provide clear photos of the player with the exact shirt they played in and have signed. This sort of endorsement is what elevates Icons above the rest. Our signed and match worn shirts are also dated, where possible. These dates were hand-written by the players themselves as a way to officially stamp said shirt as match worn from that specific match on that specific date.

Luis-Suarez-(Liverpool)

Do the shirts have any unique identifiers?

All our match worn shirts have unique identifiers establishing them as the products worn in the matches we say they are. Our Barcelona match worn shirts have an authentic tag on the hem of the shirt, which contains a serial number with nine digits, the year of the season and the iconic Nike tick. Our Luis Suarez Liverpool shirt bears the official Hillsborough 25th Anniversary crest that was specifically created for that game and has not been worn since. And our Andres Iniesta Spain shirt bears text under the badge, confirming the match opponents, date and location for example.

What about Certificates of Authenticity?

Anyone with a word processor can create a COA. All our items come with a Certificate of Authenticity, which include the details of the signing session and a photo of the player signing the product line at the signing session, where available. We introduced numbered, sequential Icons holograms to add to the COA security. They are uniquely printed on two sided black card so as to be unphotocopiable too. Details of our company are registered with Companies House and our company number is 06791294 – this is always displayed on the COAs. We are easily traceable and subject to UK law. So, if you can’t find a company’s details on its website then proceed with caution and remember you will have no claims in the courts. Our CEO personally signs every COA and we never reproduce signatures, even for this small task.

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Do they have licenses with official bodies?

Icons were awarded the world’s first ever signed football memorabilia licence by FIFA in 2010 so we could produce our range of iconic signed World Cup products. We went on to create a range for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and have been awarded the rights for the forthcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. In July 2012, Icons was awarded the first ever official licence for the UEFA Champions League and have renewed for 2015-18. Our rights now also include the UEFA Europa League so together our ranges incorporate the entire history of elite European club competition. We were also given the first ever UEFA European Championships memorabilia licence in 2015. As such, we’ve just launched our official UEFA EURO 2016 France range. If the governing bodies of world and European football deal with Icons, why would you buy signed items from anywhere else? Icons are looking to bring you match worn shirts from these tournaments so as to be able to combine our licences with these coveted products. Sign up to the Icons newsletter to find out first about this.

 

So remember when buying match worn items, does it have:

  • A COA and hologram with it?
  • A photo of the player with the item?
  • A signature from the player in question?
  • Where possible a date tying it to the specific game?
  • Identifiable patches or manufacturers details marking it as a match issue shirt?

 

Icons Shop Ltd is the world’s leading football memorabilia company and Icons.com the most trusted brand in the game. Authenticity is everything to us, as it is everything to our customers. So check out our exclusive and exciting match worn range featuring genuine shirts worn by the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta and Gareth Bale.

 

For our full range of match worn products, check out icons.com now!

Follow Icons on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all our latest blog posts, chat and competitions.


Relaunched: The World’s Best Memorabilia Brand Now Has The World’s Best Website

October 15, 2015
Announcements

Icons.com relaunches. The world’s best memorabilia brand now has the world’s best site

Icons-World-Best-Site

Today, we’re very excited to relaunch the Icons website. We just wanted to explain what we’ve done and why we’ve done it.

Designed for tablets and mobiles

The site has been completely rebuilt and now has a responsive design which means it automatically resizes to fit the screens of a desktop computer, a tablet or a mobile device. Over half our customers view the site on either a tablet or a mobile and we’re hoping this makes it a lot easier for them to use.

Easy shopping experience

We have concentrated our efforts on ensuring that the site is easy to use, intuitive and reassures our customers of our authenticity at every level. We now have a quicker checkout, wish lists and a personal account option where you can store your details.

Showcase our licensed collection

Icons are the only company allowed to create official memorabilia ranges for FIFA World Cups and the UEFA Champions League. Today we also launch our new collection: UEFA Euro2016 France to celebrate the history and excitement around next year’s tournament in France.

More video content

Icons lead the memorabilia market in authentication videos – no one else does videos of this quality or standard to 100% reassure our customers on the authenticity of the products they’re buying. We showcase our limited edition products and our long term, on-going relationships with the world’s best players, past and present. Check out our most recent releases from Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr, as well as our summer signing with the Dutch Masters – Van Basten, Guillit and Rijkaard.

Increased security

Icons have moved onto a new open-source platform called Magento. Without boring you with too much tech speak, it basically means that the platform is regularly upgraded so we can be constantly on top of new web developments and we also have enhanced security for ourselves and for our customers too.

More news and features

We’ve also relaunched our blog on News.icons.com, check out articles about our recent signings. We will be integrating our videos, social media and photos as well our links to the players’ own websites and social media so we can keep you up to date with our signings and what our players are up to too.

Feedback

We’re always happy to hear from our customers so let us know on customersupport@icons.com what you think. We look forward to hearing from you and hope your experience is world class.

Dan Jamieson,

CEO Icons Shop Ltd

 

 


Icons Shop Limited Becomes The World’s Largest Football Memorabilia Company

June 15, 2015
Announcements

ICONS BECOMES WORLD’S LARGEST FOOTBALL MEMORABILIA COMPANY

– Marka PJSC acquires a majority stake in Icons Shop Limited

– Icons buys assets of A1 Sporting Memorabilia, to create world’s largest football memorabilia company

London – June 15, 2015 – Icons Shop Limited, the UK-based signed memorabilia company today announced that it had sold a majority stake to Marka PJSC (DFM: MARKA), the first public joint stock company focused on the UAE’s retail sector. Marka acquired a sixty-five per cent share for £2.65 million. Icons have used the investment to create the largest football memorabilia company in the world, through the purchase of the assets of rival A1 Sporting Memorabilia.

Icons, which was established in 1999, retails exclusive and non-exclusive sports merchandise, has a key focus on football. The company was awarded the world’s first ever signed football memorabilia licence by FIFA in 2010 to produce a range of signed iconic World Cup products. In July 2012, Icons was awarded the first ever official licence for the UEFA Champions League and this year announced a licensing deal for UEFA Euro2016 France. The company holds valuable licensing contracts with the world’s most famous players; including Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale and enjoys long term relationship with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Neymar Jr.

Marka will integrate Icons and A1 products into its Modell’s Sporting Goods stores as well as its just opened UEFA Champions League Experience, located in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Mall in the United Arab Emirates. The concept, developed in partnership with UEFA, is the first of its kind and plans are confirmed for multiple locations across the GCC.

Dan Jamieson, managing director of Icons said, “Icons is the world’s leading football memorabilia brand and the most trusted operation in the game. Authenticity is everything to us, as it is everything to our customers. Our new joint venture with Marka enables us to open up our offerings to the Middle East region and beyond, bringing the millions of dedicated fans there the very best choice and quality of sports memorabilia. With the acquisition of A1 we have unprecedented access to, and a wide portfolio of, past and present icons of the game.”

Nick Peel, CEO of Marka and chairman of the joint venture between Marka and Icons, said, “The acquisition of a majority stake in Icons is an important strategic addition to our growing sports retail portfolio. With the addition of A1, the company will be the world’s leading football memorabilia brand and makes Marka a market leader in a highly-profitable segment, with strong international growth potential through the successful online websites Icons.com and A1sportingmemorabilia.co.uk.”

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Terry Baker, Founder and CEO of A1 Sporting Memorabilia, commented, “We are delighted to sell the UK’s leading memorabilia website, eBay store, stock and other assets to Icons. They understand the A1 brand and with the existing team, will continue to bring our national and international audience legendary players at legendary prices. We will still be involved as consultants, but will be primarily concentrating on our sporting speaker business.”

Marka confirmed that Mr. Jamieson will remain with Icons as its chief executive officer, Icons’ current chairman, Edward Freedman will remain as a board director. Nick Peel, chief executive officer of Marka and a former retail and licensing director at Arsenal FC, will assume the role of chairman of Icons.

About Icons Shop Limited:

Icons has been in business since 1999, the full range is available on www.icons.com

Icons exclusively produce the official Leo Messi Signed Merchandise range and are entering into the 10th year of their relationship with the world’s best player. Icons hold the licences for the UEFA Champions League, The FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia, the UEFA Europa League and The UEFA European Championships – UEFA Euro2016 France.

Icons Chairman, Edward Freedman, has over 40 years’ experience in the retail industry and in the late 80s was Managing Director of Tottenham Hotspur. He then moved to Manchester United and became Managing Director of Manchester United Merchandising from 1992 onwards. Over the next six years he transformed the commercial side of the club’s operation and built Manchester United into the biggest brand in world football. He was also a key player in the formation of the Premier League and was hailed by The Economist as “football’s merchandising guru”.

Icons are an international brand and supply to well over 90 countries each year and have representatives in North America and regularly supply customers in Japan, China. Australia and the Middle East.

Icons employs the highest standards in the signed football merchandise industry to assure customers of the authenticity of its products. At each event, photographs document each signature and Icons creates a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) for each item including the date and venue and a picture of the product and the signing image. Each product carries a uniquely coded Icons hologram whose identical twin is added to the COA which is signed by the Icons Managing Director.

Icons products are sold in Harrods in the UK, Futbolmania in Spain, UEFA Champions League Experience Abu Dhabi and Modell’s Sporting Goods stores in Dubai.

For further information about Icons, visit www.icons.com or email dan@icons.com

About Marka PJSC:

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Marka PJSC (DFM: MARKA) is the first public joint stock company focused on the growing retail sector in the UAE. Incorporated with a capital of AED 500 million and headquartered in Dubai, Marka is a premier retail operator targeting the mid-to-high-range and luxury segments.

Since incorporation in 2014, Marka has partnered with leading global brands in the retail and hospitality sectors, pursuing a growth strategy focused on acquisitions, franchise agreements and unique retail concepts. Marka is committed to offering value to its customers through high quality products and services at optimum cost, simultaneously generating value for its shareholders and giving back to the communities in which it operates.

For further information about Marka and to learn more about its brands, visit www.markaholding.com

 

 


Congratulations Cristiano Ronaldo: 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or Winner!

January 14, 2015
Announcements

Huge congratulations from all at Icons to the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo – official FIFA Ballon d’Or 2014 winner! 69 goals in 2013 saw the Portuguese superstar rocket to victory, pipping Leo Messi and Bayern Munich wide man Franck Ribery to the prestigious award at a ceremony in Zurich last night.

Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo delivers a speech after receiving the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or award for player of the year during the FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on January 13, 2014. AFP PHOTO / OLIVIER MORIN (Photo credit should read OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo delivers a speech after receiving the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or award for player of the year during the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich on January 13, 2014. AFP PHOTO / OLIVIER MORIN (Photo credit should read OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Ronaldo was overcome with emotion onstage accepting the prize. “It means a lot to win this after Eusébio‘s passing,” he said. “I dedicate this award to him and my team-mates. He was watching from the skies to see this great moment for a Portuguese player. When I saw my mum crying it made me cry as well. I’m an emotional person. It is very difficult to win this award.”

2014 will be Icons’ tenth year working with Cristiano. For the best in CR7 signed memorabilia, look no further than Icons.

Follow Icons on Twitter for all the latest football news, chat and competitions: @icons_footbal

 


Icons.com: Official Messi Signed Merchandise Partner

October 6, 2014
Announcements

Icons first met Leo Messi on May 5th, 2006. Although Messi had made less than 30 appearances for club and country, Icons were convinced of his potential and made the signing happen.

Leo-Messi-Signing-Sessions-For-Icons

Today, eight years later, Messi is the biggest name in world football and has a glittering trophy cabinet to prove it. To date Messi has won six La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League titles, two FIFA Club World Cup titles and four consecutive Ballon D’Or awards to name just a few.

Despite all this, Messi claims “off the pitch I am just normal”. And he’s right. Humble, unassuming and polite, he is a pleasure to work with. On the pitch, however, he is unlike any footballer the world has ever seen.

Official Messi Signed Merchandise

On Friday 26th September, 2014 Icons saw Leo Messi yet again to sign a range of shirts, boots and photos for us and his fans. Icons have also been working around the clock to launch the new Official Messi Signed Merchandise range.

All Official Messi Signed Merchandise is created under license by Icons Shop Ltd and now comes with an Official Messi Signed Merchandise Certificate of Authenticity, which has an image of Leo signing the product line.

The full range is only available on Icons.com.

 


And The Winner Of Our Daily Mail Competition Is…

October 1, 2014
AnnouncementsGiveaways & Competitions

Competition-Winner

We have made Stuart very happy! He is the winner of the competition we run with the Daily Mail. Stuart got a shirt that Cristiano gave us, plus a photo signed by the Real Madrid No 7. Not bad, right?

Would you like to join the next competition and win great prices? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter and you will be the first to know.


Icons Announce New Chinese Partnership With 5usport Media Co. Ltd

August 20, 2014
Announcements

Icons are delighted to announce a new long term, exclusive distribution partnership with 5usport Media Co., Ltd (U体育) in China.

Check out the new Icons section on the 5usport Shop on Tmall

Their website Usport News will be listing Icons signed products from the summer of 2014 onwards and they will be responsible for exclusively working with all our customers in greater China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Icons-Memorabilia-Chinease-Partnership

Usportnews.com will be the best place for all our Chinese customers to get their official signed Messi, Ronaldo, Maradona and Premier League superstar’s signed products, as well as officially licensed memorabilia ranges from the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

If you have any questions about this partnership please contact us on customersupport@icons.com