by On Monday it was just another piece of merchandise, by Friday it was the subject of national debate. Everyone from the prime minister to the King (of the Jungle) had their opinions on the controversial artefact, one that, miraculously, seemed to provoke reactions that matched those of those who had been there before. It was the magic eye of England kits, the most divisive in history, and is gradually flying off the shelves.
Five days after sportswear giant Nike posted a series of tweets announcing a “fun update” to the St George flag on the back of England’s new home kit, the coach of the men’s national team has been drawn into the debate.
Gareth Southgate was asked on Friday if he had a problem with his team’s shirt collar featuring a version of the St George’s Cross that was not red, but a combination of red, blue and purple. The England manager seemed nonplussed by the whole affair. “The most important thing on the England shirt really is the Three Lions. That is the iconic thing, which differentiates us from the England rugby team or the England cricket team,” he said. “People don’t think we should change the St. George flag … but if it’s changed it’s not the St. George flag! So I’m a bit lost on that aspect of it.”
Related: The FA defends a colorful cross on the England shirt as a tribute to the 1966 team
It is not the first time in recent years that Southgate has been expected to grapple with matters wider than whether Harry Maguire has done enough to retain his place in the squad. He was asked about Brexit, social media culture and labor rights in the Gulf, among other things. His stance, in 2021, defending the right of England players to protest against racial discrimination made him a target for figures such as Conservative MP Lee Anderson at the time. Sure enough, Anderson is putting his thoughts on the little purple flag as well.
Anderson claims he can’t wear the new England shirt because he’s “woke”. The new design, he says, is exactly the sort of “namby-pamby, pearl-clutching, hand-wringing nonsense” that leads him to fulminate on GB News for £100,000 a year. When Anderson was in charge, right-wing culture heroes such as Nigel Farage and Joey Barton followed. Former Tottenham manager and I’m a Celebrity winner Harry Redknapp called the shirt “an absolute disgrace”.
Then, on Thursday night, during an internet broadcast by the Sun newspaper, the opposition leader chipped in. Sir Keir Starmer noted that “the St George’s flag does not need to be changed … we must be proud of it. So I think they should rethink this and change it back.” Better late than never, Rishi Sunak shared his tuppence value on Friday, calling national flags “a source of pride and identity” and “perfect as they are”.
As culture war skirmishes go, this one seems standard, right down to the strong sense that a lot of it is confected. Although critics of the purple flag have suggested that national traditions are being ignored and a conspiracy to promote progressive causes, the FA insists that the idea – conceived more than two years ago – is to pay oblique tribute to the personalities most uncontroversial national, England. The 1966 Cup winning squad.
“The colored trim on the cuffs is inspired by the training kit worn by England’s heroes in 1966, and the same colors also feature in the design on the back of the collar,” an FA spokesman said on Friday. “We are very proud of the red and white George Cross – the flag of England. We understand what it means to our fans, and how it unites and inspires, and it will be on display tomorrow at Wembley – as always – when England play Brazil.”
Nike later apologized in a statement: “We have been a proud partner of the FA since 2012 and understand the significance and importance of the St George’s Cross. It was never our intention to offend, given what it means to England fans.”
This is not the first time that the George Cross has been adapted to an England shirt and there are also many shirts that did not feature the cross at all. “In 2010 Peter Savile made a kit he called ‘New England Fabric’ and it had little crosses, which were green and blue as well as red,” says Ed Cowburn, kit designer and founder of AcidFC. “I don’t remember at the time that anyone was really offended by it.”
Cowburn notes that the line between sportswear and fashion has been breaking down over the past decade, with each new outfit not just trying to continue tradition but setting a trend. “You hope that what you design will follow the fashion zeitgeist at that time,” he says. “In recent years, most of the big fashion brands, from Gucci to Balenciaga, have produced their version of a football shirt. The Kardashians were even wearing vintage Roma shirts.”
The FA understands that the controversial shirt has made a big impression on shoppers, despite its quality and, also, its price tag. Retailing for as little as £84.99 for adults, there’s an excellent children’s shirt on sale for £119.99. Starmer said Nike could “reduce the price of the shirts” and on Friday the Football Supporters’ Association called for a “best before date” on kits to help hard-pressed parents.
“Our national survey of supporters showed that 53% of fans felt that kit prices were important to them,” said a spokesman. “In that context £124 on top of a children’s game feels expensive. We think it’s a good idea for suppliers to put a ‘sell by’ date on kits to let people know how long it will be before their staff replace their kit.”
