April 2 – English football fans have taken to social media to slam the cost of the national team’s new World Cup replica shirt.
Supporters have branded the £90 price as a rip-off but sportwear giants Nike, which is supplying 10 of the 32 finalists, insist that is for a limited edition shirt which was an exact copy in terms of material, fit and finish of what the England players will wear – and that a more basic replica will cost £60.
Nevertheless hundreds of supporters and some players took to Twitter to lambast Nike and the English Football Association over the prices.
The England shirt is traditionally a huge seller at finals time, but parliamentarians have also got in on the act of attacking the cost. “The anger generated by the £90 price tag for an adult England shirt is symptomatic of a wider issue of the game’s traditional fan base being edged out by the growing costs of being a supporter,” said opposition Labour party sports spokesman Clive Efford.
The Football Association reacted by saying the Nike deal helped to fund the game in England at all levels.
“The FA is a not-for-profit organisation that puts £100 million back into the game every year. It is through relationships with partners such as Nike that we are able to maintain that level of investment in football,” it said.
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