Football clubs are charging as much as £100 for a child’s replica kit – more than the price of rivals’ adult strips.
A third of Premier League sides have hiked prices, despite coronavirus hitting many families’ incomes, a Sunday People survey found
Young fans will not even be able to wear their kit at matches when the new season kicks off on September 12, due to continuing crowd bans.
Spurs top the league for the dearest junior shirt – up £3 to £55. The cost of a complete youth strip, including £30 shorts and £15 socks, is now £100.
Burnley ’s new adult kit – £45 shirt, £20 shorts and £12 socks – costs £77.
The top price rise is at Liverpool, whose kids’ shirts are up £7 to £54.95.
Of the 20 Premier League clubs, seven want more for kids’ shirts and ten for adult ones. Spurs have the most expensive adult shirt at £70, up £5.
Strips are a big earner for clubs, with makers paying huge sums for licences. But critics say shirt production costs are only about £5.
Ex-Burnley player and CEO Paul Fletcher said: “Clubs setting their prices should remember that football is a working-class game.”
And Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said 80 per cent of her site’s users “think football merch is a rip-off”.
She added: “Above-inflation cost rises feel exploitative, particularly when so many families have lost income.”
Spurs and Liverpool, who both have lucrative deals with Nike, refused to comment on the price hikes. But many clubs say costs reflect investments in design.
