Fury over England's 'woke' kit: Fans outraged as Nike and FA turn St George's cross purple and blue as Chris Sutton condemns move 'like a task from The Apprentice that's gone wrong'
- Nike have doubled down on their 'playful update' of England's football shirt
- The new design was met by widespread fury from fans and commentators
- Nike's 'playful update' on St George's cross is 'a load of b******s'... who signed that flag design off? It's so dumb - Listen to the It's All Kicking Off podcast
There was widespread fury on Thursday over England’s controversial new shirt which features an altered version of the St George’s cross on the collar.
The FA and manufacturers Nike doubled down on the design, insisting they have no plans to recall the jersey.
Nike describe the navy, light blue and purple colours as a ‘playful update’ on the nation’s flag. They say the changed kit is not virtue-signalling but instead a nod to the 1966 World Cup winners.
Fans and commentators disagree and have reacted angrily since the release of the kit — which England will wear at Euro 2024 this summer — branding it ‘woke’ and ‘dumb’.
‘No other country would allow this to happen,’ said Mail Sport columnist Simon Jordan.
![The launch of England's new kit for the 2024 Euros has been met with widespread fury](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/21/22/82753365-13225469-The_launch_of_England_s_new_kit_for_the_2024_Euros_has_been_met_-m-3_1711061554351.jpg)
The launch of England's new kit for the 2024 Euros has been met with widespread fury
![The shirt features an altered design of the St George's cross, which has a red, navy blue and purple design](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/21/21/82753429-0-image-a-3_1711057826160.jpg)
The shirt features an altered design of the St George's cross, which has a red, navy blue and purple design
![England's alternate strip is said to take inspiration from kits of the past and boasts a purple colourway](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/21/21/82753433-0-image-a-8_1711057851819.jpg)
![Nike say the new kit designs are a nod to the Three Lions' 1966 World Cup winning side](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/21/21/82753371-0-image-m-7_1711057846773.jpg)
The FA and manufacturers Nike doubled down on the design claiming they have no plans to recall the jerseys
‘They wouldn’t allow it to be done on their national shirt. This is the same Nike who couldn’t even be bothered to produce Mary Earps (Lionesses keeper) shirts.
'I don’t think we should be taking lessons from Nike on the values of this country. And the FA are absolutely complicit. The FA will have their virtue-signalling fingers all over this.
‘I don’t quite understand why Nike want to have a “playful” brief on our identity. I don’t understand why we would want to do this. Is our national identity a joke, is it something we’re ashamed of?
'Our national identity is something we should be proud of. I don’t find this offensive. I find it unnecessary.’
However, Nike will not alter the jersey, which they claim is a nod to England’s 1966 training gear and is said to have ‘flown off the shelves’ since its release on Monday.
That did not impress Chris Sutton, who described the design as a ‘load of b******s’ on our It’s All Kicking Off podcast.
‘To unite and inspire?’ he added. ‘By changing a flag? It’s like The Apprentice when Lord Sugar sends them out to do tasks. It looks like a massive cock-up. What are they thinking?
![The kit designer revealed that the update to the St Georges cross was to 'unite and inspire'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/21/22/82723037-13225469-The_kit_designer_revealed_this_week_it_had_replaced_the_horizona-a-16_1711059063204.jpg)
The kit designer revealed that the update to the St Georges cross was to 'unite and inspire'
![England's teams are set to benefit from technology developed in the Nike Sport Research Lab which has been implemented into the new playing jerseys](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/13/82753497-13225469-England_s_teams_are_set_to_benefit_from_technology_developed_in_-a-4_1711115086308.jpg)
England's teams are set to benefit from technology developed in the Nike Sport Research Lab which has been implemented into the new playing jerseys
![Sutton labelled the new shirts a 'massive cock-up' and likened the design process to something out of The Apprentice](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/13/82753407-13225469-Sutton_labelled_the_new_shirts_a_massive_cock_up_and_likened_the-a-5_1711115086416.jpg)
![Jordan said he 'could not understand why Nike wanted a "playful" brief on our identity'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/13/82755403-13225469-Jordan_said_he_could_not_understand_why_Nike_wanted_a_playful_br-a-3_1711115086261.jpg)
Mail Sport's columnists Chris Sutton (left) and Simon Jordan (right) both criticised the kits
![England captain Harry Kane, here pictured wearing the new home shirt, could miss the Three Lions' friendly against Brazil on Saturday at Wembley](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/13/82753495-13225469-England_captain_Harry_Kane_here_pictured_wearing_the_new_home_sh-a-1_1711115086227.jpg)
England captain Harry Kane, here pictured wearing the new home shirt, could miss the Three Lions' friendly against Brazil on Saturday at Wembley
'I’m not going to get angry, it’s a kit design. But I do understand there will be a lot of people around the country who are going to say it doesn’t represent England and shouldn’t represent England. It’s stupid. It’s dumb.’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also waded into the debate, saying: ‘The flag’s unifying, it doesn’t need to change. We just need to be proud of it. So I think they should just reconsider this and change it back.’
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson blasted the move and told the Daily Express: ‘The Left have a nerve to ask me why I want my country back. This virtue-signalling, namby-pamby, pearl-clutching, woke nonsense must stop.’
![The FA and Nike say that the colours on the St George's cross on the collar is a nod to past training tops worn by the 1966 World Cup winners](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/21/21/82753377-0-image-a-14_1711057993142.jpg)
The FA and Nike say that the colours on the St George's cross on the collar is a nod to past training tops worn by the 1966 World Cup winners
![It is understood the flag rejig was presented by a Nike employee and signed off by the FA](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/13/82753437-13225469-It_is_understood_the_flag_rejig_was_presented_by_a_Nike_employee-a-2_1711115086228.jpg)
It is understood the flag rejig was presented by a Nike employee and signed off by the FA
![Reform UK MP Lee Anderson is another who has blasted the new shirt design, claiming: 'Woke nonsense must stop'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/13/82754463-13225469-Reform_UK_MP_Lee_Anderson_is_another_who_has_blasted_the_new_shi-a-7_1711115086623.jpg)
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson is another who has blasted the new shirt design, claiming: 'Woke nonsense must stop'
![The production cycle for the new shirts is thought to have began nearly two years ago](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/13/82753427-13225469-The_production_cycle_for_the_new_shirts_is_thought_to_have_began-a-6_1711115086608.jpg)
The production cycle for the new shirts is thought to have began nearly two years ago
Despite the reaction, the shirt has the full backing of the FA. It is thought the flag rejig was presented by a Nike employee and signed off by an FA department.
The design was rubber-stamped and entered into the production cycle two years ago.
Even if there was a desire to change it, industry experts say a new kit would take six to nine months to create and distribute.
While a small number of new shirts could be made for England’s players, that scenario is unlikely given the large volume of kit sales already.