A Celtic football jersey stolen during a 2001 Edinburgh flat-warming party spent 25 years traveling to global landmarks including the London Eye, Barcelona, and Rio de Janeiro before being returned to its original owner at his wedding.
The 2001 Flat-Warming Theft in Edinburgh
The prank began in 2001 when Kevin Hill realized his prized Ian Wright Celtic jersey had gone missing after a flat-warming party in Edinburgh. Hill, who grew up as a Celtic fan in Aberdeen, cherished the green-and-white hooped shirt because it featured his childhood football hero’s name without a squad number, as Wright had not yet selected his digit when the shirt was purchased. According to the article, Hill suspected someone had taken the top during the raucous gathering but could not identify the culprit at the time.
Global Adventures Across Four Continents
For years, Hill received mysterious emails containing photographs of strangers holding his missing jersey in famous locations around the world. The shirt traveled to Venice, the London Eye, Barcelona, Turkey, Italy, and South America, where it was photographed at Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro and Easter Island. Robertson later explained that he enlisted random travelers and friends—including his parents—to carry the jersey during their trips, deliberately delaying the emails to prevent Hill from tracing the source.
The 2025 Wedding Reception Reveal
Robertson admitted that the original jersey was lost by travelers around 2013, forcing him to meticulously search the internet for an identical shirt and iron on the lettering by hand to finish the long-running gag inspired by the French film Amelie.
Kris Robertson orchestrated the theft for revenge
Who originally stole the Ian Wright Celtic jersey?
Kris Robertson orchestrated the theft, using another school friend to take the shirt from Kevin Hill’s 2001 flat-warming party in Edinburgh as revenge for an email prank.
Which notable landmarks did the jersey visit?
The shirt was photographed at the London Eye, Barcelona, Venice, Turkey, Italy, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue, and Easter Island.
How was the missing jersey replaced for the final reveal?
Robertson hand-crafted an identical replacement after the original shirt was lost by travelers in 2013, sourcing an identical Celtic jersey and ironing on the lettering by hand.
Where did the idea for the globetrotting prank come from?
Robertson drew inspiration from the 2001 French film Amelie, in which the main character sends her father’s garden gnome on a trip around the world.
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