Cameron steps in on England shirt prices - finally

[Harrys_Mummy]

Cameron demands a 'rethink' on England World Cup kit which will cost fans costs up to £90

• Premier wades into row over launch less than a year after last new kit
• Urges Nike and Football Association to think again about costs
• Sports minister Helen Grant says price is 'not right' and punishes fans
• Joey Barton says the £90 costs it is 'taking the mickey out of the fans'

 

The Prime Minister said fans would 'welcome' the Football Association and kit makers Nike reconsidering the hefty costs which have been condemned as a 'rip-off' by fans.

The government has insisted the charges are 'not right' and risk punishing loyal supporters who are 'the bedrock of our national game'.

Scroll down to watch the England squad modelling the new kit

 

 

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Problem: Supporters fear they are being priced out of purchasing England's World Cup strips

 

 

 

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Worth it? The home and away kits go on sale for as much as £90 before the tournament kicks off

 

Fans are unhappy that the new, costly kit has been launched less than a year after the last new strip went on sale.

It was only last May that the previous home kit was released, which has been worn just seven times.

The red away kit, released even more recently in June 2013, has had just two airings.

 

 

The £90 shirt is identical to those worn by Roy Hodgson's side, while an adult 'stadium' England shirt is priced at £60 and shirts for children aged between eight and 15 cost £42, with mini-kits priced at £40.

Sports minister Helen Grant took to Twitter to say: 'On £90 England football shirts for fans, it's not right. Loyal supporters are the bedrock of our national game - pricing needs a rethink.'

 

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Prime Minister David Cameron called for a rethink on the prices after a backlash from fans

 

Mr Cameron's officials spokesman said the PM backed Miss Grant and called for Nike to think again.

He told a regular Westminster media briefing: 'I'm sure all fans would welcome a rethink.'

The spokesman said it was 'clearly not' for the Government to set the price of football shirts.

But he added: 'It is a matter for the manufacturers and the FA, but does he agree with Helen Grant that £90 is a great deal of money for a replica shirt? Absolutely. 

'Would a rethink by the manufacturer be welcomed by all fans? I'm sure that would be the case.'

Labour's shadow sports minister Clive Efford said the price of the shirts was 'disappointing'.

Justine Roberts, founder of popular parenting website Mumsnet, said: 'With the previous kit less than a year old and the away shirt worn only twice since then, it's not hard to see why some people might just think the FA are exploiting England fans by churning out yet another expensively priced version.

'When we asked our users about this this issue, an overwhelming majority thought football merchandise was a rip off.

'Instead of charging £60-plus for an 8-year-old’s kit, the FA could lead the way and produce a fairly priced kit so all England fans could afford to buy it and show support for the national team.'

The latest shirts - to be worn at the World Cup in Brazil this summer - are going on sale on April 3, less than a year after the previous ones were released.

Mark Perryman, a member of England Supporters Club, said: ‘They certainly don’t help themselves the fact two new shirts were introduced well before the 18 months. 

‘They seem to have broken that rule. I thought it was a legal requirement.

‘The FA are in a difficult position, they can’t have a Nike home kit and Umbro away kit.

‘I suppose the FA’s excuse for releasing the kits so early is that it’s a World Cup year, but I’m sorry they should’ve thought about that when they signed the contract with Nike. It’s crazy.’

 

Watch Gerrard, Rooney and Co model England's World Cup kit

 

 

 

 

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Added on top: If fans want to get added lettering with their shirt they'll need to pay more money

 

 

 

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Not happy! Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton isn't best pleased at the price of the shirt

 

 

In the mid-2000s replica England shirts were on sale for £30 almost as soon as they were released.

The prices have since risen steeply, but they are dependent on results on the field. Following England’s 4-1 defeat to Germany in the 2010 World Cup the price for the replica shirts worn in that tournament plummeted.

Perryman, who has been a member of the ESC for 18 years, added: 'At the end of the day people will vote with their chests. If England are doing well, people will buy it.

‘If they lose to Italy in the World Cup it will drop to a fraction of that £90 price.’

Outrage from punters and those involved in the game poured out across social media websites.

Joey Barton said on Twitter: ‘£90 for the new England shirt is taking the mickey out of the fans. When will it stop?

‘I wonder what ‘magic’ technology it has this time that forces the price up but doesn’t actually work.

 

 

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Coming thick and fast: These are the second new kits to have been released in the past year by England

 

‘Also [it’s] technology that the supporters don’t need. When will brands start to listen? Fans just want to feel a part of it. Part of the tribe.

‘[it’s] appalling, in my opinion. Football again allows commercialism to eat away at its soul. Something has got to give.

‘Its literally a white sports top with an England badge on. Costs about £2 pound tops to make in some sweatshop in the East.’

Stan Collymore added: ‘Nike have gone down American route. A “Match†shirt and “stadium†shirt, like NBA do. A joke, just make one please, £90 is a rip off.’

The FA are not allowed by UK and EU law to get involved with setting the price of the replica shirts.

A spokesman said: 'The FA is a not-for-profit Organisation that puts £100m 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.

'The FA's policy is to avoid any involvement with how its partners or licensees set their prices, so as to avoid any risk of or implications of price fixing.'

Nike have pointed out that the £60 replica kit is the one aimed at fans, whereas the £90 shirt is the exact one worn by the players with the full technological additions.

The prices are recommended to retailers who are able to set their own value.

A spokesman also confirmed that the kit cycle would return in future, saying: 'The previous kit marked the start of the partnership between England and The FA and the timing of the agreement put us in an unusual circumstance with regards to kit cycle. 

'A normal kit cycle will resume with the new kits – the home kit will stay the same for two years, and the away for one year.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2595101/Cameron-demands-rethink-England-World-Cup-kit-cost-fans-costs-90.html#ixzz2xk0zuMDl 
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[weymouthPIE]

Sad thing is most people will moan about it but still pay it, so the FA will still make their money and possibly increase the price next time.

 

I won't be buying one myself, I've never purchased an England shirt. I was brought one as a present a few years ago, but I can't be bothered spending in exess of £50 (or £90 this time) on something that's usually out of date within 8 months and they've brought a new shirt out

[Chris]

Sad thing is most people will moan about it but still pay it, so the FA will still make their money and possibly increase the price next time.

 

I won't be buying one myself, I've never purchased an England shirt. I was brought one as a present a few years ago, but I can't be bothered spending in exess of £5 (or £90 this time) on something that's usually out of date within 8 months and they've brought a new shirt out

Very true, whereas others might never actually buy it in the first place.

I would, though shirts over £40 are a no go for me. I have several England shirts, I used to buy them all the time but I stopped when the quality started getting poorer. I also never thought I would agree with David Cameron or Joey Barton.... Wow!

[liampie]

and what is mr prime minster going to do about it? nothing, joey will comment on anything. hes such an idiot tho 

[upthepies]

David Cameron believes we over price everything, yet when it comes to businesses! £90 is just ridiculous! 

[Northants Pie]

This is just typical Cameron, always talking never doing unless it means creating a further social divide, you can have as many inquests as you like but the only man who can change it won't as it goes against his very core thoughts about making money.

 

The blokes as much of a scam as these shirts are

[4everapie]

He'll get a backhanders from Nike and do feck all. Just buy a white Nike short sleeved shirt and an iron on England badge off eBay for about 3 quid. £25 tops.

[Northants Pie]

He'll get a backhanders from Nike and do feck all. Just buy a white Nike short sleeved shirt and an iron on England badge off eBay for about 3 quid. £25 tops.

 

He would have already had them & they ( Nike) would have known about this whole thing long before we all did

[Chris]

This is just typical Cameron, always talking never doing unless it means creating a further social divide, you can have as many inquests as you like but the only man who can change it won't as it goes against his very core thoughts about making money.

 

The blokes as much of a scam as these shirts are

The bloke needs to go, total waste of time. Things he promised are half measures and he's causing more issues, then he's solving.

[Northants Pie]

The bloke needs to go, total waste of time. Things he promised are half measures and he's causing more issues, then he's solving.

 

 

 

I couldn't agree more, ask any policeman / woman about the police reforms that he pushed through, he was on the back bench the last time they tried, they failed that time but this time 30 odd of his best mates got trumped up jobs paying millions, take the disability welfare reforms, they're that bad that company who was making billions out of the contract have quit over the damage it is doing to their stock rating, anyone who is in the boat of caring for someone or who is themselves disabled with life long illnesses are having years taken of off their lives due to the worry of having to go back to work when they clearly can't, for example a person has an extremely rare neurological disability which is pushing the boundaries of modern medicine due to the complications it causes and the lack of any dedicated medication, this person has to go through trials of a multitude of off label medications with the sole purpose of trying to create a slightly better way of life whilst seeing neurologists that are being paid for by the big drug companies as they are the finite best in what they do as the person has been to the end of the NHS road with no change, has to go for a PIP medical which is being carried out by a physiotherapist, this said physiotherapist who has zero neurological understanding overrules the aforementioned neurologists for the sole purpose of a £500 bonus, if this doesn't prove what he is up to then i don't know does

[Super_Danny_Allsopp]

Don't need that. Let them release it, as long as noone buys it they will learn their lesson!