CROSSED THE LINE
England shirt slammed by Rishi Sunak as he says St George’s Cross ‘should not be messed with’
The PM joined a chorus of criticism after Nike changed the colours of the flag on the national team's new football shirt
England's new football shirt has been slammed by Rishi Sunak.
The PM has today spoken out on the kit, which has been showcased for Euro 2024, and said St George's Cross "should not be messed with".
2
2
Mr Sunak has said he "prefers the original" England shirt, as he waded in on the row over Nike's decision to change the colour of the cross on its new jersey.
The symbol has been altered so it now has purple and blue horizontal stripes in what the sports brand called a "playful update".
The US firm said the colours were inspired by the training kit worn by England's 1966 World Cup winners.
Mr Sunak said: "Obviously I prefer the original, and my general view is that when it comes to our national flags, we shouldn't mess with them.
read more on uk news
"Because they are a source of pride, identity, who we are, and they're perfect as they are."
Some football pundits and fans criticised the design and price of the shirt since it was launched earlier this week.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also blasted the new design, calling on Nike to change the colour back to the traditional red on the Sun’s brilliant new politics show .
And now footie legends like Harry Redknapp, Peter Shilton and David Seaman have had their say on the saga.
Most read in Football
Redknapp this morning blasted the decision as "an absolute disgrace".
He slammed: "I've seen plenty of own goals in my time, but this has to be the worst ever.
"Who on earth thought this was a good idea? It's the cross of St George, red and white...would Nike do this with another country's national flag?
England's Best and Worst Kits
"It's something that should be respected, not changed for a bit of playful fun, as they put it.
"In my book it's an absolute disgrace - I hope they see sense and have a rethink."
Former England goalkeeper Shilton also slammed the change.
He told GB News: "I am totally against it, which I don't think is a surprise. I mean I am a traditionalist, really.
"I think we have seen a lot of design changes on shirts and that's to get the fans to buy the new shirt every time it changes.
"But now they are messing with the colours on a national flag and you know, where would it stop once it starts?
"Is the next shirt going to have more changes in the colour? So I am against it, I think it is wrong.
"It is only a small change, but I think it could be the start of more changes.
"That's the way I look on it, once you start changing the colour. I mean the Three Lions is obviously traditional and the fans love that.
"I am very surprised to be fair that the FA agreed to this but it's all about money and making money and if the shirt sponsor says look 'we'd like to do this' then sometimes you get maybe members at the FA who think, 'Oh well, we are getting paid well for it. You know, we won't bother'.
"But I think it is a precedent that we don't want, you know, other things to suddenly change on the next England shirt, and you know maybe, you know a pink band going round the middle of the shirt - I mean you don't know do you what they are going to change."
England shirt change controversy
THE latest Three Lions strip came under heavy fire after a sudden change.
The Three Lions' strips were unveiled on Monday with the traditional red cross altered to one with navy, light blue and purple.
But Nike and the FA have "no plans" to recall the new England home kit amid a row over its altered St George's flag.
Both the home and away kits were released earlier this week, with England set to debut them during the upcoming March internationals.
It is thought to be a nod to the 1966 World Cup winners' training kit - which contained blue, red and purple.
The change led to some labelling the shirt "woke" as they called on the manufacturer to revert back to the usual colours.
But according to , Nike will not succumb to pressure from some England fans.
It is thought to be a nod to the 1966 World Cup winners' training kit - which contained blue, red and purple.
The change led to some labelling the shirt "woke" as they called on the manufacturer to revert back to the usual colours.
But according to , Nike will not succumb to pressure from some England fans.
It is understood the flag alteration was the work of a Nike designer, but was also signed off by the FA.
And the FA insist the decision was made to "honour the classic colour regime of 1966 training gear".
New kit releases are one of the highlights in the build-up to a summer tournament, but England fans have also been left frustrated by the cost of the Three Lions’ new jerseys.
England’s "authentic" home and away shirts for the European Championships have been priced at £124.99 for adults and a whopping £119.99 for children.
England's most capped men's player, 74, also criticised the price of the new shirt.
An "authentic" version costs £124.99 for adults and £119.99 for children while a "stadium" version is £84.99 and £64.99 for children.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Shilton continued: "I do think also the cost of the shirts now is getting extortionate. I think the fans are getting ripped off in a way.
"I think it is going to be very difficult for parents if they have got a couple of kids to buy them each a new shirt, that's why they make these changes."
Topics