- Nike have doubled down on their ‘legend update’ to the England football shirt
- The new design was met with widespread outrage from fans and commentators
- Nike’s ‘playful update’ on the St. George’s Cross is ‘a load of b******s’… who signed that flag design? It’s so stupid – Listen It’s all underway podcast
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There was widespread fury on Thursday over England’s controversial new shirt, which features an altered version of St. George’s cross on the collar.
The FA and manufacturers Nike doubled down on the design and insisted they have no plans to recall the shirt.
Nike describes the navy blue, light blue and purple colors as a ‘playful update’ to the nation’s flag. They say the altered kit is not virtue signaling but instead a nod to the 1966 World Cup winners.
Fans and commentators disagree and have reacted angrily since the release of the kit – which England will wear at Euro 2024 this summer – branding it “woke” and “stupid”.
“No other country would allow this to happen,” said Mail Sport columnist Simon Jordan.
The launch of England’s new kit for the 2024 Euros has been met with widespread fury
The shirt features a modified design of the St George’s Cross which features a red, navy blue and purple design
The FA and manufacturers Nike doubled down on the design and claimed they have no plans to recall the shirts
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‘They wouldn’t allow it to be done on their national shirt. This is the same Nike that couldn’t even be bothered to produce Mary Earp’s (Lioness goalie) shirts.
‘I don’t think we should learn from Nike about the values of this country. And the FA are absolutely complicit. The FA want their virtue signaling fingers all over the place.
‘I don’t quite understand why Nike wants to have a “legendary” brief about our identity. I don’t understand why we want to do this. Is our national identity a joke, is it something we are ashamed of?
‘Our national identity is something we should be proud of. I don’t find it offensive. I find it unnecessary’.
However, Nike will not change the shirt, which they claim is a nod to England’s 1966 training kit and is said to have been ‘flying off the shelves’ since it was released on Monday.
It didn’t impress Chris Sutton, who described the design as a ‘load of b******s’ on our It’s All Kicking Off podcast.
‘To unite and inspire?’ he added. ‘By changing a flag? It’s like The Apprentice when Lord Sugar sends them out to do tasks. It looks like a massive cock-up. What are they thinking about?
The kit designer revealed the update to the St Georges cross was to ‘unite and inspire’
England’s team will benefit from technology developed in the Nike Sport Research Lab, which has been implemented in the new playing shirts
Mail Sports columnists Chris Sutton (left) and Simon Jordan (right) criticized both suits
England captain Harry Kane, pictured here wearing the new home shirt, could miss the Three Lions’ friendly against Brazil on Saturday at Wembley
‘I don’t want to get angry, it’s a kit design. But I understand that there will be many people around the country who will say that it does not represent England and should not represent England. It is stupid. It is stupid”.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer also waded into the debate, saying: ‘The flag is unifying, it doesn’t need to change. We should just be proud of it. So I think they should just rethink this and change it back.’
British Reform MP Lee Anderson blasted the move, telling the Daily Express: ‘The left are nervous about asking me why I want my country back. This virtue-signaling, namby-pamby, pearl-wearing, woke nonsense has to stop.’
The FA and Nike say that the colors of the St. The George’s cross on the collar is a nod to previous training tops worn by the 1966 World Cup winners
It is understood the flag rejection was presented by a Nike employee and signed by the FA
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson is another who has blasted the new shirt design, claiming: ‘The vigilante nonsense must stop’
The production cycle for the new shirts is believed to have started almost two years ago
Despite the reaction, the shirt has the full support of the FA. It is believed the flag rejection was presented by a Nike employee and signed by an FA department.
The design was rubber stamped and entered the production cycle two years ago.
Even if there was a desire to change it, industry experts say a new set would take six to nine months to create and distribute.
While a small number of new shirts could be made for England players, that scenario is unlikely given the sheer volume of kit sales already.