Nike, which makes England’s national team kits, unveiled its new design this week, which it said pays tribute to the country’s 1966 World Cup-winning men’s team.
It does not feature the St George’s Cross, which is red on a white background and is the national flag of England, but another in shades of red, blue and purple on the back of the shirt collar.
Update: The prime minister has criticised a decision by the brand Nike to change the colour of the St George’s cross on the official England team kit ⬇️
— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) March 22, 2024
Nike called the change an “update” meant to “unite and inspire,” adding that the design “disrupts history with a modern take on a classic.”
The Football Association of England insisted, however, that it would not be withdrawing the shirt, saying in a statement this afternoon: “We are very proud of the red and white cross of St George – the flag of England. We understand what it means to our fans, and how it unites and inspires, and it will feature prominently at Wembley tomorrow – as always – when England play Brazil.”
“When it comes to our national flags, we should not confuse them because they are a source of pride, identity, who we are and they are perfect as they are” said today (22/3) the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, since her decision Nike.
“Well, obviously, I prefer the original,” Sunak told reporters. “My general view is that when it comes to our national flags, we shouldn’t mess with them, because they are a source of pride, identity, who we are and they are perfect as they are.”
Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who played for the national team in three World Cups, said there was no need to change the flag: “I think we’re seeing a lot of changes these days with different things and I think the colors for England , like The Three Lions, are traditional,” he told BBC radio.
England’s most capped former goalkeeper Peter Shilton said today: “This is wrong on every level. I’m totally against it. Including the price Nike will charge. I don’t agree with that. He is awake. If you’re going to put the St. George cross on a kit, which Nike apparently did, then put it in the traditional colors. Like the three lions, they are traditional.
The leader of the opposition Labor Party, Keir Starmer, told The Sun newspaper that Nike should reconsider the plan.
Conservative MP Mark Francois told MailOnline: ‘We are about a month away from St George’s Day, when we celebrate our Englishness in an upbeat, positive way, just like Americans celebrate the Fourth of July. This is a woke lunacy and it should be hit on the head.”
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