Lionesses shirts on sale for £100 spark outrage
Young England fans being priced out of game, says MP Nike urged to think again over cost of replica kit for children
Young England fans are being “priced out of the game”, an MP has told Telegraph Sport, after Nike’s new England women’s team kit was released yesterday with children’s shirts costing almost £100.
The Lionesses’ home and away kit launch came ahead of July’s Women’s Euros on home soil, which is a once-in-a-generation chance to grow the game.
But there are fears the shirts will not be affordable for many fans, especially with the ongoing increase to the cost of living.
Nike’s “Vapor match” adult shirt, the model closest to matching what the players will wear, will cost £114.95, while the more basic “stadium” shirt, seen by some as the replica, is £74.95 for adults.
But the children’s prices have provoked the biggest response, with the Vapor kit being priced at £99.95 and shorts costing an additional £32.95.
It is understood that it is Nike which has the biggest say in the retail price of the kit. The new kits for several European sides, also manufactured by Nike, were all released yesterday, all with a similar pricing structure.
In France and Holland, the Vapor kits for adults were fractionally more expensive based on the current exchange rate, priced at
€139.90 (£118.86).
But Nike is facing calls to reconsider the prices. “It is another example of young people being priced out of supporting their team,” said Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott, a member of the Commons select committee for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
“We are coming up to a major tournament, with record-breaking sales to see the Lionesses compete for the Euros in this country in the summer, but with shirts costing so much, it will price people out of showing their support.
“We want to see everyone get behind the team, but this does make it that little bit harder, especially when costs are rising everywhere else, too. Nike should think again about the prices.”
Reacting to the prices, Carol West, the chair of the Football Association’s Women’s National League, said on social media: “Hardly “For All” is it?!” in reference to the FA’S ‘for all’ slogan . Nike and the FA have been contacted for comment.
The England women’s team have worn their own kit, purpose-made for them, since 2019, rather than playing in an identical kit to the men’s side.