CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: England’s new men’s football team shirt is causing a bit of a stir. It’s not just the price that’s vexing some.
The decision by Nike to change the colour of the St. George’s Cross on the shirt from the traditional red and white has even prompted the prime minister and the man who is favoured to succeed him to make their displeasure known.
A petition on Change.org calling for a design change attracted more than 22,000 signatures by early afternoon on Friday.
The new Nike-designed shirt, which has been modelled by England captain Harry Kane, is being rolled out in the run-up to the European Championship in Germany. The altered cross on the back of the shirt collar has purple and blue horizontal stripes.
Nike says it’s a playful update to the shirt and harks to the training kit England wore at the 1966 World Cup, the only major tournament won by the men’s team. England will be starting Euro 2024 this summer as one of the favourites.
Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party and a fan of English Premier League leader Arsenal, said he believed the flag, which is marked by an image of the St. George’s Cross, was a unifier and Nike needed to “reconsider its decision to modify it”.