LONDON (AP) — New England Men's soccer team The shirt is out and it's causing a bit of a commotion. It's not just the price that confuses some people.
Nike's decision to change the color of the St. George's Cross on the new shirt from the traditional red and white colors prompted the Prime Minister and the man nominated to succeed him to express their dissatisfaction.
A Change.org petition calling for the design to be changed had already attracted more than 22,000 signatures by early Friday afternoon.
The new shirt is designed by Nike, and was designed by some players, including the captain of the England national team Harry Kaneis being introduced in the period leading up to this year European Championship In Germany. It features a modified cross on the back of the shirt collar, redesigned using purple and blue horizontal stripes.
Nike says it's a “playful update” to the shirt ahead of Euro 2024, and harkens back to the training kit worn by the England team at the 1966 World Cup, the only major tournament ever won by the men's team. England will start the tournament this summer as one of the favourites.
Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labor Party and a fan of Premier League leaders Arsenal, said he believed the flag, which features an image of St George's Cross, was “uniform” and that Nike needed to “reconsider”. “Her decision to amend it.
“There is no need to change,” he told The Sun. “We should just be proud of that.”
Conservative Prime Minister Rishi SunakDuring a visit to the north of England, he was also asked what he thought of the change at Nike.
“Obviously I prefer indigenous flags and my general view is that when it comes to our national flags, we shouldn't mess with them because they're a source of pride, identity, our identity, and they're perfect the way they are.” said Sunak, who supports Southampton, which is competing to return to the Premier League.
In the looming general election this year, opinion polls suggest that Labor will defeat the Conservatives, and politicians of all colors will undoubtedly be invited to have their say on a variety of cultural issues.
Nike and the Football Association, which oversees the England national team, have indicated they will not change their approach.
Despite the criticism, the FA defended the design, saying it was “not the first time” that various designs inspired by the Cross of St George had appeared on England shirts, and that it was “very proud” of the traditional cross.
A spokesperson said: “The New England 2024 home kit contains a number of design elements that were intended to pay tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team.” “The colorful decoration on the cuffs is inspired by the training equipment worn by the 1966 England champions, and the same colors also appear on the design on the back of the collar.”
John Barnes, one of England's greatest ever players, said he couldn't understand what all the fuss was about and was trying to avoid culture wars.
“I think it's much ado about nothing,” the 60-year-old former winger said.
For most people, the issue will be less about the color of the flag and more about its price. The “original” version costs £125 for adults and £120 for children. This is significant spending at a time when household budgets are strained as a result of one of the most severe cost-of-living crises in decades.
The Football Supporters' Association has long complained about the high cost of replica shirts, and has suggested putting an 'expiry' date on kits so buyers know how long they will be used before a newer version is released.
A spokesperson for the group said: “An unwitting parent can easily purchase a kit for Christmas or Christmas only to find it is out of date within months.”
