FA defends decision to axe England kit after only eight matches

The FA has said it stands firmly by its decision to change the England home kit after it was only used for eight matches.

This is the fewest times the kit - which cost fans £80 - has been worn.

It was first worn in a European Championship qualifier against Bulgaria in September and was donned for the final time during a friendly with Sweden at Wembley in November. Before the 1990s, the kit was renewed every three years.

A long-sleeved shirt of the current outfit cost £49.99 (£44.99 for children) while shorts cost £27.99 and socks set you back £10.99.

An FA spokesman told Yahoo! News the decision to change the outfit came from kit supplier Umbro and added that they fully supported the decision.


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However the decision provoked a furious response from Siobhan Freegard of parenting website Netmums who accused the FA of ‘money grabbing’. She said: “The cost is a disgrace, but then changing it again after just eight games is a rip-off. It's an insult to the family of fans who are the backbone of England's supporters.”

But the FA has no influence on price-fixing and insisted it was a not-for-profit organisation. “All revenue from commercial sales is reinvested back into football,” the spokesman said.

The next England kit is due to be presented for the first time during a match against Holland at the end of the month.

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Football shirt manufacturer Umbro said that changing the shirt was standard practice.

“The new kit is launched at the end of an 18-month cycle which the last few kits have all run for. The number of games for which the kit is worn is entirely down to the fixture list during the cycle.”

The new kit is set to be worn during this summer's European Championship campaign in Poland and Ukraine.

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