Overview
- Lord Richard Walker told the House of Lords on Wednesday that many families are being forced to buy counterfeit football shirts because officially licensed kits have become unaffordable.
- Sports Minister Baroness Twycross said the government shares concerns about cost but will not set or cap kit prices and left pricing to manufacturers and football associations.
- Reporters cited current retail prices that have fuelled the debate, with England adult shirts listed at £89.99 on the FA site and Scotland’s home shirt offered at £75.
- Peers warned that the shift to cheaper fake kits creates clear harms: poor quality or unsafe materials for consumers and investigations linking knock‑offs to unregulated sweatshop labour.
- The issue is sharpened by the World Cup next month and critics point to repeated kit releases and big sponsorship deals as drivers of high retail prices, which could increase political pressure on associations and brands.