Mumsnet calls for an end to Premiership kit rip-off

[KatieMumsnet]

As you might have seen we're writing to Premiership clubs, asking them to stop ripping off young fans with their replica kits. When we did our Family Friendly survey back in February 80% of you who responded said they thought football club merchandise ripped off families. We've now done the maths and the average Premiership kit for an eight year old retails at almost £60, rising to £80+ if you include getting the latest logos and player names. We know a similar (non-branded) kit at M&S costs £27, so are asking (very nicely of course) if the Premiership clubs couldn't produce a more affordable kit for their junior fans as they do for their toddlers.

As JustineMumsnet said in our press release "it's really hard to be the parent who says 'no' to the requests for the latest kits but these days you need a small fortune to buy a complete replica."

We'll keep you updated as the clubs respond to our letter, but let us know your thoughts, and of course if you want to tweet your club in support, that would be fine and lovely.

mnhq is a prosperous business and brand not a widdle delicate put upon pal you need to stick up for

you got all emotional and tired

anyhoo mn loaded founders dont need angst about wellbeing
they'll be just fine

The letter to the Premier Leagur Clubs completely misses the point unfortunately...
Let's use a big London Club as an example. For the kit supplier to secure the shirt contract costs upwards of £8mio per season. Over 5 seasons that's £40mio.
The Club in question (or any other shirt retailer) buys the shirts at a WHOLESALE price - roughly half the retail price. So a £35 RRP shirt costs the Club £17.50. As a business they are more than entitled to make a profit so that they can continue to exist (and pay wages to everyone from the cleaner to the centre half) - but they are not making 500% profit because they didn't buy the shirt from the factory. Marks and Spencers by comparisson did. They did not buy their stock from a wholesaler, so the £27 shirt you mention actually makes them MORE profit because there is no wholesale cost in the transaction.

Back to the shirt supplier... They spent £40mio on the contract and are also entitled to make a profit from the deal. 'Big London Club' sells 200,000 shirts p/a lets say. Contract cost £8mio p/a, therefore the 'contract cost' per shirt = £40 (and that's to break even) So lets add in the cost of the shirt itself, and I'll use your £9 as an example (don't forget the M+S garment has no fancy Club badge, no technical fabric, no expensive R+D, no sponsos logo on the front, so their cost price is more like £4... (£27-£4=£23 profit, hmmm...interesting that) Cost to kit supplier is now £49 in comparisson - and they WHOLESALE the shirt to the Club at £17.50 so have actually lost £31.50 on the deal.

The Club is the one that has made the real money however: £8mio upfront. Then profit on their shirt sales (lets say 60,000 sales themselves, about 1/3 of the 200K total = £3.5mio) so: £8mio + £3.5mio = £11.5mio in revenue. Not bad going I'd say...

Now lets look at the cost of that £30mio striker they need to but to be competitive, and to keep the fans interested, and to make sure little Johnny actually wants to buy that replica kit in the first place. The Club are £18.5mio short...

...possibly Marks and Spencers could lend them some cash.

I agree its an absolute rip-off.
I would be surprised if they lower their prices though!

only rip off if you dont want to pay that price
but plenty do,and dont feel conned
this is daft campaign

Great campaign- they are a complete rip-off.

Good luck.

mn shouldn't be berating legitimate businesses
this is indignant froth.i can think of many more meaningful or significant things to attach the mn brand to.than what cost or merchandising people buy

SM - when you have to take out a 2nd mortgage Just to buy a season ticket - any help is welcome. Football is exploiting parents. They know it and we know it.

not true.you have volition and free will whether or not to buy brandedmerchandise and or season ticket.no one compels you and you dont need mn to campaign for you.

Good lord there are much more pressing issues for parents and families that MN could get behind. As someone says business is business and this just seems daft.

SM - trust me - you can't take your dc to a football match warring a Primark T.shirt Children want the shirt of their club to Show support.
Clubs make millions out of merchandise, away kits, new shirts every year, ( why do they need to change the kit so often?? Hmm, let's think ) - they could sell childrens kits for less and still make millions.

All luxury items are non essential so it is a bit rich for a site which, lets be honest, if one of the big teams paid them top dollar to advertise here they would bite their hand off to start a campaign like this. Yopu can say no to your kids you know they will still love you!

hypocritical of a successful brand like mn to preach to other brands how to make money. given mn have advertising associations which clearly generate revenue

so buy a knock off replica kit down market like everyone else if the look is all that matters

Agree with scottish My son still leapt around like a loon in teh park in spiderman pjs from primark and he was no less happy than those who had the 30 quid job from the disney store.

Football is fantastic for children, it's our national sport and going to games should be affordable - all sport should be encouraged, but a lot of it is simply too expensive for most of us - look at tennis, it costs a fortune to have lessons. Football needs to stay within reach of the common man ( and woman )

Agree with Carmina, and this is a worthy campaign, imo.

I haven't read the whole thread, so I don't know if anyone else has suggested paying rich footballers and managers less (they'd still want to stay in the game - if you have a talent you never lose the urge to share it!) in order to subsidise their young supporters?

Also, there's nothing stopping individual highly-paid sports people from donating a proportion of their earnings in order to make the kit more affordable. Many of them are already very generous with their cash and their time and do a lot to help promote their sport among children.

this is making mnhq look v silly.the ire and tubthumping is misplaces

This is a ridiculous idea.

Does the lack of recent comments by MNHQ count as flouncing?

Thanks mellow

I support this campaign 100%.

Stop paying players £100,000 a week and make football affordable for all.

Justa - I'm hoping Sepp Blatter is a M'netter and is reading this.