Manchester United and adidas have been accused of exploitation after it emerged the club’s new home kit could cost as much as £193.
Supporters, campaigners and fans groups have all criticised the Old Trafford outfit and the manufacturer — branding the staggering sum ‘a disgrace’.
United released their 2018-19 home strip on Tuesday, which features a nod to the club’s railwaymen founders of 140 years ago in the shape of black train line.
Manchester United have unveiled their new home kit ahead of the Premier League season – with the ‘authentic’ version of the adults’ kit costing £183 for shirt, shorts and socks. The shirt is worn in this image by United midfielder Juan Mata
The ‘authentic’ kit – made of the same materials as clothing worn by stars – costs £183. It is modelled (left) by World Cup-winning United star man Paul Pogba
Romelu Lukaku models the new home kit that is inspired by United’s original name
The new home kit will be worn for the first time on their tour of the United States
The ‘authentic’ jersey, which boasts ‘climachill technology’, an ‘athletic fit’ and is what Jose Mourinho’s men will wear at Old Trafford for the coming campaign, costs £109.95, with ‘authentic’ shorts £42.95 and socks a scarcely believable £29.95.
THE EYE-WATERING COST OF UNITED KIT
Authentic kit – adult
Top 109.95
Shorts 42.95
Socks 29.95
Total £182.85
Normal kit – adult
Top 64.95
Short 34.95
Socks 16.95
Total £116.85
Kids aged 7 – 16 years
Top 49.95
Shorts 24.95
Socks 16.95
Total £91.85
Mini kit for kids
Up to 18 months – £37.95 for top/shorts/socks
18 months to six years – £44.95 for top/shorts/socks
When a name and number is added, the total cost comes to £192.85.
A replica kit which costs £126.85 is also available, while full strips for kids aged 7-16 are £109.80 and minikits for those up to six are priced at £44.95.
United have defended the cost, saying the prices are set by retailers and are in line with kits from other top European clubs.
Across Manchester, City also have two versions of their Nike-manufactured home jersey, with the ‘Vapor’ match shirt coming in at a staggering £89.95.
The full kit, including ‘Vapor’ shorts, a name and number and Premier League badge, costs £169.86.
An England ‘Vapor’ jersey also costs £89.95, while Puma-made ‘authentic’ Arsenal shirts — using the same materials as those worn by the players — cost £100.
Liverpool’s most expensive shirt, made by New Balance, is £70 with an ‘LFC Junior European Home Shirt’ costing £60. A Liverpool infant kit is £40.
Justine Roberts, founder and chief executive of parenting site mumsnet, accused clubs of exploitation.
She said: ‘Every season football clubs seem to push the prices of junior kits upwards. Parents love seeing their kids enjoying football, but the price of their children’s fandom is too steep for many parents.
‘Mumsnet users have said overwhelmingly that they think football merchandise is a rip-off. It’s a shame that clubs who generate vast revenues choose to exploit their very youngest supporters in this way.’
United fan and father-of-two Gareth Asomaning branded the prices ‘scandalous’. ‘Last year it cost me about £170 to kit us all out,’ he said. ‘This is something else.’
Self-employed Asomaning added: ‘My eldest, Hugo, is six but he’s big for his age so the minikit is no longer an option which means we’ll have to pay more and I’d bet there are thousands in the same category.
‘I think this year we are looking at around £300. It’s a disgrace.’
Asomaning rejected claims that parents could simply refuse to buy the kits: ‘Try telling that to someone who has two boys who love football,’ he added.
Asomaning believes the kits are just another part of the big football rip-off.
‘There used to be a new kit every two years and now it’s every year, which is a joke. It’s also tough to get to games so we have to get the TV packages.
‘This year, with Sky and BT, we are looking at about £125 a month. I want to take Hugo to a couple of matches if we can and to make ourselves members, just so we could buy tickets, cost £60.’
He feels United should be more aware of their fans’ finances. ‘They sign this incredible deal with adidas who then try to make the money back by ripping off the club’s fans,’ he said.
Midfielder Juan Mata starred in a video on Twitter unveiling United’s new home kit
30-year-old Mata walks through a railway, in reference to United’s Newton Heath origin
‘To make matters worse, Hugo loves Ronaldo so I’ve got to get him a Juventus shirt now!’
The Football Supporters Federation (FSF) have called for kits to carry expiry date labels.
A spokesperson said: ‘While not all supporters wear replica kits, a lot of fans do feel they are too expensive.
‘However, they aren’t essential and a fairer solution would be for manufacturers and clubs to include a sell-by date in the label.
‘Fans and parents then know exactly what they are buying and how long they can expect it to remain their club’s kit, to determine if the price is worth it.’
Pogba, World Cup winner with France, dons United’s third kit ahead of the 2018-19 season
England international Jesse Lingard also models the Premier League side’s third kit
Richard Arnold, United group managing director, said: ‘There are many great moments in this club’s fantastic history and none more important than the year the club was founded, back in 1878. This shirt pays homage to the year we were founded.’
Inigo Turner, design director at adidas, added: ‘When designing the kit, we wanted to tell the story of the first incarnation of the United kit, 140 years ago.’
A United spokesperson said: ‘The price of the club’s 2018-19 season replica shirt is set by the retailer and not by the club or the manufacturer. It is priced in line with leading European clubs.’
United signed a world record £750million, 10-year kit deal with adidas in 2015. A 2016 report found fans can pay a 1,000 per cent mark-up on shirts that cost as little as £5 to produce.