A friend of mine writes a blog on men's fashion (the rather excellent Permanent Style) and he recently received an email from a PR company representing Umbro. It was requesting coverage of the latest England kit on his site.
Funnily enough, he didn't want to waste blogspace usually reserved for hats, shoes, suits, shoes, ties, shoes and shoes on Umbro's latest polyester offering.
The email that he was sent was hilarious though. Apparently, "each player of the England national team was fitted and measured individually - in the same manner that a bespoke suit would be tailored". Firstly, I love the concept of Can't Control, sorry, Carlton Cole getting a fitting for a kit he will wear for 10 minutes once every six months if he is lucky.
I also wonder if the tailor will be in the dressing room at half time just in case Rio is finding the chest too tight or Wayne could do with half an inch off the long sleeve cuff.
What is the point of all this? Football kits are a curse of the modern game. They are a tax on football fans and are only changed frequently to milk the public further. So will the 24-stone fan that goes to all the England away games get a bespoke fitting?
Apparently not. But "in keeping with the tailoring theme, the kit will be available to fans for the first time in chest sizes, instead of conventional small/medium/large". Phew, that will make it easier for England fans to drink lager, eat pies and run from the filth.
A lazy stereotype I know, but only a few percent of England shirt owners over the age of 14 actually wear the kit to play football in.
It is a gimmick. And an odd one considering the times we are living in. Perhaps it would be more apt to get Primark to run off the new away kit for a few pence a go.
Well I've just scene the new England kit and think there are at least two positivies about.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, at least it's different this time around. Rather than trying to play spot the difference between the new kit and the old, at least we know this time that it's changed.
Secondly, as it's plain white, hopefully the kids will be able to get away without having to buy all the official gear, nobody would really notice anyway, a cheap englannd polo shirt and some white shorts will do the job now.
Kits are a problem and I think there should be a minimum of two years for each kit (there are still some out there that just have an outing for one year) but also, parents need to have a bit of backbone.
I always wanted a new kit as a kid, did I get one everyone time it changed..... no. Simple as that, Mum & Dad kindly bought me a saints shirt a couple of times during my childhood but everytime it changed, no chance. Common sense parenting would help no doubt.
As for the adult fan, well you could say that football as a whole is a tax on them, not just the shirts. Those that have to go to every game at £50+ a go are being robbed blind.
With next years season tickets now available, and with sponsors needing to be found in a recession I'll bet the numbers of clubs entering administration next year will be the highest yet.
But that's an aside, the FA have so much money that it would be great if they made an example and reduced the cost of the kit. Nobody would really mind if the kits changed every other year if they only cost £15.
I think your new kit looks like a really cheap PE kit. It is the shirt right at the bottom of the lost property barrel when you have forgotten your kit.
ReplyDeleteIn defence of the FA I dont think they decide on the price of the kit. I think that is down to Umbro and the individual retailers. Dave Whelan of Wigan FC and JJB Sports has been banging on about dignity recently but he once got in trouble with the Monopolies Commission for price fixing on football shirts