Fake Football Merchandise.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

A Couple of weeks ago now, Notts put out a warning about Clamping down on People who used their Copyrighted Brand illegally, (and quite right to) People making money from Fake Items featuring the official Club Brand is taking money from the Club Coffers.

However it would seem Sheffield Wednesday have decide to clamp down on Fake Shirts and have come out with the Following statement. That Fans who wear Fake Wednesday Shirts may be asked to Leave their Stadium. The thing is how do they know what Shirts are Fake? And how would they Police such an operation? I can't understand how the Club will know if a Fan is wearing a Fake Shirt, or Not. Will there be someone at each turnstile standing there asking to look at each Fans Shirt to check it's Genuine and Not Fake, how long would that take? Unless it's Glaringly Obvious there is a Massive difference between the Real and Fake Article, surely they wont be able to tell the difference. Plus all a Fan wearing a Fake shirt has to do is hide their fake shirt under a jumper coat or Jacket. I mean Stewards at the match Aren't going to be able to ask a Fan to remove their clothing, imagine what an uproar that would cause, especially if they asked children.

I think this move is just Wednesday trying to scare Fans into Not Buying the Fake shirts and only buying the real Club merchandise from their Official Club Superstore. The only way they are going to stop Fake shirts being sold to Fans is stopping the production at source, and I imagine a Great deal of these Shirts will probably be made in China, so that ain't gonna happen.

What are Your Thoughts?

[The Heff]

They are doing exactly what the F.A. said about England and the Euros. There are some very good fake shirts that look exactly the same. You wouldn’t know without scanning the barcode. The way shirts circulate these days, they could end up in the hands of someone who doesn’t know. It’s silly. If people can’t afford the real thing, why punish the buyer?

Sheffield Wednesday should go after the manufacturer and seller only.

[liampie]

i think its petty because if clubs made sure they had a good range of reputable retro kits, i dont think fans would seek them out in the demand that makes it viable for them to be manufactured in the first place.

if there isnt the demand, then i dont see how they would sell.

at the same time i think that if there is demand, some fans cant afford the prices and may look for cheaper alternatives. i think clubs should not take any action against the fans who wear them or evict them from the stadium. that is harsh and i disagree with it.

they should put more effort into making sure they shut the fake suppliers down, whilst making sure they themselves can cater for this demand.

[TheSkipper]

Be careful with Notts. Some people who make fake kits try to cause trouble for others. I wouldn’t go near them, let alone wear one. I’m not a fan of The Terraces' work. The designs are lazy and don’t look anything like the real ones. If other fans want to wear them, that’s up to them, and I won’t judge. Clubs shouldn't have a say in the matter either. I just wouldn’t wear one myself.

[menzinho]

I thought the Terrace was all licensed and legit as Notts have posted about them before, could be wrong though.

I’ve never seen a knock off Notts shirt though, I think there’s a pretty limited market! I’ve been to many a tourist destination where they have the usual knock off United, Liverpool, Barca, Madrid, PSG shirts. No idea how you'd ever stop that though, I guess they make so much money many anyway they're not that bothered in all the effort it would take to stop it.

I think if the price of the shirt continues to go up someone might see a bit of gap in the market to make a cheaper Notts alternative. If it ever did happen and they used the actual Notts crest on a knock-off shirt the club would be able to sue and stop it. However if they “designed” their own Notts badge to look similar they’d probably get away with it and legally too – You’ve only got to look in any budget shop/supermarket and their versions always look really similar to the branded versions.

[Robbie]

As some have said on this thread fake football kits are so good nowadays, you can't tell them apart from the real thing.

Fake merchandise is big business and it isn't just football kits, & other football related brands, it's any merchandise that can be valuable from watches to mobile phones to even currency.

The Football clubs and the authorities do their best to counter it, but in the end purchasers should only purchase from a reputable source such as their own football club. 

I myself would only go to the club shop to purchase shirts & other Notts brands.

[StanfordPie]

I understand the issues with losing money and copyright problems, but I don’t think it should come at the cost of allowing fans to watch their club. It’s a step too far for me, but I understand why they might want to cut it down.

[TheSkipper]

2 hours ago, menzinho said:

I thought the Terrace was all licensed and legit as Notts have posted about them before, could be wrong though.

I meant shirts sourced from fans, who sell them on eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Basic rip-offs from China.

The Terrace are legit now, but they didn’t start that way. They mass-produced a lot of retro shirts without the clubs’ permission. I think it was West Ham who took action against them for reproducing a late 80s or early 90s shirt.

[allardyces tash]

It’s a bit of a farce, and bringing attention to it will make it harder to stop. There’s no easy solution to getting rid of fake shirts on the internet, but clubs can advise fans and try to reason with people who buy fake shirts. It’s bad for football, but worse when clubs get involved.

[liampie]

21 hours ago, TheSkipper said:

I meant shirts sourced from fans, who sell them on eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Basic rip-offs from China.

The Terrace are legit now, but they didn’t start that way. They mass-produced a lot of retro shirts without the clubs’ permission. I think it was West Ham who took action against them for reproducing a late 80s or early 90s shirt.

yes, there is a couple of fans who have sold fake shirts in the past and dont like seeing anyone else do it. even though they could have approached the club to work with them, but decided they wanted to make money for themselves.

very vocal towards attacking others who have better quality shirts.

there is also someone who goes around selling fake shirts as ex player worn, jake from the merch group on pon posts about him. supposedly he found some really old geninue 80s shirts which were allegedly found in a barn.

[True Magpie]

I am not that keen on retro shirts myself, mostly because the shirts tend to be off. Due to copyright and branding, you will never get a close enough remake that will be endorsed by a professional club. Some of these fake ones with the Adidas logo, Match Winner, etc., are wrong despite being closer to perfect.

Clubs shouldn’t target the supporters, though. This just alienates the fan base and could lead to some fans being unpleasant to their own supporters just for wearing a shirt.

It’s down to individual preference if someone likes something, and nobody should say otherwise. Even though I don’t personally like them, I can see why people do and why some would buy cheap fakes just to feel closer to their club. Most might even be unaware that it breaks copyright, but I would assume most did.

Chasing a Chinese manufacturer would be difficult, so targeting fans is the easiest route, and people tend to do whatever is easier.

[Blake]

Trading standards should intercept the shirts upon delivery, but I don't believe clubs should pursue the fans. Buying fake shorts isn't right, but it could inadvertently end up in the possession of unsuspecting buyers.

[Chris]

Notts has always seemed reluctant to look into replica kits, when I was a part of group meetings this was often a suggestion put forward. I think the trade-off in terms of likeness to the original and issue with potential copyright is what has made it such a challenge. Fake kits are a different thing, but I know fans who have at times made their own because shirts are so expensive. These would be deemed fake by most clubs, but they're not being re-sold.

Yet I could imagine if every EFL/Premier League team started telling their fans what they can wear in a ground, it would only make the problem more controversial.

Fake kits tend to be hit and miss. I have a replica kit of the 80s shirt and I love it, even though the quality isn't great.

It's the only one I would buy mind.

[Countyman]

I don’t see fake shirts as something clubs should tell their fans not to wear or use as an excuse to reject them from the stadium. This wouldn’t happen at a concert or gig if the artist knew their fans had unofficial merch on. I think football targets the fans a little too much. We are cash cows for them.

[upthepies]

It's a problem for clubs losing out on sales, but it also shows that the price of kits needs to be fairer. It costs an arm and a leg these days, it's not cheap and every year it seems they creep up. Clubs need to be realistic and make it harder to copy.

[Piethagoram]

The stand on match days outside The Navi? Is that licensed for Notts apparel sales? 

[Joshua]

3 hours ago, Piethagoram said:

The stand on match days outside The Navi? Is that licensed for Notts apparel sales? 

It’s not official. I don’t believe any of the money goes directly towards Notts either.

[Piethagoram]

@Joshua That's what I thought..... I do seem to recall going back donkeys years, action being taken by the club, by maybe Peter Storrie or Neal Hook against similar unauthorised sales?

[Fan of Big Tone]

Don’t you have to have a licence from the council to sell stuff on the street, has the stand outside the Navigation got a licence? If not I would have thought that a phone call to whatever department deals with it would stop them. (Trading Standards?)

[Joshua]

On 20/08/2024 at 03:54, Piethagoram said:

@Joshua That's what I thought..... I do seem to recall going back donkeys years, action being taken by the club, by maybe Peter Storrie or Neal Hook against similar unauthorised sales?

Sorry, I’m not very familiar with Peter Storrie or Neal Hook. I do know there used to be a bloke who sold pin badges, and the Trews took action against him.

On 20/08/2024 at 07:38, Fan of Big Tone said:

Don’t you have to have a licence from the council to sell stuff on the street, has the stand outside the Navigation got a licence? If not I would have thought that a phone call to whatever department deals with it would stop them. (Trading Standards?)

This could turn unnecessarily ugly. I don’t know if the Navi owns any space in front, but reporting or talking about it might not be the best idea. I feel it’s best to leave it to the club to handle. I’m not saying you would, but more the club. To outside eyes, it might look different. Leave the club to chase people selling unlicensed or fake merchandise.

[Fan of Big Tone]

12 minutes ago, Joshua said:

This could turn unnecessarily ugly. I don’t know if the Navi owns any space in front, but reporting or talking about it might not be the best idea. I feel it’s best to leave it to the club to handle. I’m not saying you would, but more the club. To outside eyes, it might look different. Leave the club to chase people selling unlicensed or fake merchandise.

@Joshua I wasn’t thinking of reporting it myself or suggesting anyone else should do so, as you say it’s a matter for the club if they want to do that.

[NiftyNick]

It looks like Notts might be starting to crack down on these unlicensed sellers. I think the club should try to work with people where possible, rather than stopping them completely, but it depends on the situation. Fake and retro shirts could be a good money maker for the club. I know they work with The Terrace.

[nightOWL]

The problem at Sheffield Wednesday is that some of the latest kits are being cloned and copied. On match days, you’ll see more fake shirts than retro ones.

Our fans are quite divided on the matter. There’s no doubt it takes money away from the club’s coffers.

https://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/topic/323664-fake-shirts/

[CliftonMagpie]

I don't think it should come at the expense of a fan enjoying their team. Removing people based on what they are wearing, even if it's a fake shirt, seems wrong. I am talking about fans who are sensibly clothed.

The issue shouldn't be with those who wear them, but clubs could discourage the purchase of fake shirts. It's a double-edged sword. You can limit those who own or would wear them, while promoting it to people who didn't know.