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.

I think we are the subject of a little joke here.

and i fell for it? i fell for the last one too. bloody hell!!!

'Is this a spoof campaign.'

Mumsnet. Don't you see the error of your ways? Nobody on here would ever let their children want something as common as a football kit...

I think it is so dreadful, it has to be a joke surely?

lots of kids tops cost £30 to £40 - do you campaign against those too ? if you don't like the price don't buy it -
someone earlier complained about a season ticket @ £390 - why is this too much - i do not know exactly how many matches there are in a season but in the championship (where the ticket was for ) surely there are around 20 or so home matches a season = £19.50 per admission, and I am given to understand (correct me please if I am wrong) that these tickets also admit you to the reserve team home matches - so over a season it works out at a fair price per admission
ps - I have a 'thing' about adults walking around in football shirts, (also rugby - but not to such an extent) especially with some one elses name on their backs - i think they look like twats. Can anyone tell me why they do this - horse racing fans don't wear silks with a jockey or horses name on the back, athletics fans don't wear vests with their favourite athletes name on their back

I would never pay £30 to £40 for a top normally.

Hi All

Not a spoof, just a small part of our family friendly programme. When we did the survey back in Feb more than 1,000 of you took part. And when we asked what you thought was bad value for money football kit merchandise topped the list of complaints, with 97% saying it was poor value for money and nearly 80% saying it ripped off families - pretty categoric results.

This doesn't mean we won't also carry on with our broader campaigns work, which in recent weeks has included Let Girls be Girls, Miscarriage, Immunisations in 3rd world countries and supporting child literacy (we've yet to hear back from Cameron on our offer to help out with Libya ).

Realise this isn't an issue for everyone, but it is for lots of people, and we think it's worth seeing if we can get things changed.

Is this a wind up? ha ha:o got me good n proper if so!

I DO think season tickets are expensive.For me personally shelling out £410 (mine +his)IS a lot of money,and I DO think that the kits are a lot of money ,mind you, as its all he wants to wear day in day out I may have got my moneys worth and they don't need ironing which is always a bonus:)

Football is much more expensive tahn cricket for instance,dm bought df a cricket season ticket and that was only £90 (ok season is shorter)

Hi Katie,

Could you please organise a campaign to get Steve & Becky back together again in Corrie.

Thanks

Oh now Corrie is one of my guilty pleasures, although I've gone a bit off the Steve and Becky storyline - too much repetition. As Justine would I'd always say, start a thread and if there's lots of support we can certainly throw it into the mix . Although my personal campaign would probably be to bring Graham back.

Granted, Graham was a sweetheart,....but if we got Steve & Becky back together it would stop the repetition....so we agree :)

Or how about a "Please bump Norris off" campaign instead ?

Good god no. You can't get rid of Norris! He's awesome. I would however support a campaign to get rid of Stella. Who the hell talks like that?

Justine..... Can we re name it a campaign to lower costs of replica 'sports' kit not 'football' specifically?

Nooo.......Norris is so past his sell by date he's gone mouldy. That mad besotted camper van driving loon needs to kidnap him properly this time and leave him to perish somewhere in the Lake District. Hopefully the awful Stella is a flash in the pan and will vanish down the same mineshaft as John Snape.

If it's too expensive don't buy it. Sorry, this is a silly campaign, children don't have a right to a cheap replica kit, and not all kids, male or female, want it anyway. It's a luxury item, not a school uniform - many of which ARE overpriced btw, something that all parents have to pay the same price for, but hits poorer families much more than richer ones.

What about the children who make the replica kits? Do they deserve a campaign?

I don't see the need for a campaign. The latest kit/shirt is not necessary - if folk want to pay through the nose, then fine.

If you are a true fan, then you probably are more interested in the team than the merchandise, and the sponsors. DH, for example, will wear old shirts on colours days, which show he's supported the team through thick and thin, and is not jumping on the bandwagon. My DC have replica shirts as birthday presents, but also wear their favourites from past seasons.

I realise football is widely regarded on this forum as a pointless game where uneducated thugs kick around a bag of wind. To others, myself included, it is a wonderful game. It is a matter of opinion and upbringing I suppose.
I always try to buy ethically sourced clothing, even when it comes to sports kit. Football fans are not all mindless idiots. Ok I perhaps don't get my children to knit, weave or colour in their own clothes as some people on here appear to, but I don't believe wanting fairly priced football kits for my football mad children deserves this weird backlash
Incidentally, the last kits I bought were Barcelona strips. This is a team who support Unicef and wear their logo on their chest.

I also think that saying kids should be told they can't have the latest kit because that's what makes you a good parent is a strange argument.

My dc don't automatically get the latest kits. However, every Christmas and birthday, you can guarantee a kit is top of their lists.

'Just say no or get them to save for a kit.'

That's not the point though is it. The point is they are vastly overpriced so when they do save for them or wait for Christmas or whatever, they are still being ripped off