Roy Hodgson's three lions yesterday revealed the strip they will be wearing in Brazil come the summer. However, the nation wasn't completely supporting especially when they spotted the cost. A wallet-emptying £90.
Being that this was April 1st, many could have dismissed this as a cunning April fools joke by the national squad, speculation of this was put to bed when it was confirmed this would indeed be the price and design.
With football as costly as it already is, has the penny finally dropped when considering how out of touch the beautiful game has really become when it comes to pricing?
The kit itself raises questions. Most nations have tended to go with an "old-school" style for their strips with clean and straight designs depicting mainly just the colours added to a few neat designs. When you compare modern day football apparel with the latest in footwear, you can see a clear difference.
Nike and Adidas both recently revealed their "Samba" collection ready in time for Brazil's big tournament in June. Both sets of boots are bright and colourful but will set the average person back at least £100. Players have also received their own personal footwear. Lionel Messi has been given a new set of boots by Adidas which have more colours than a rainbow along with Gareth Bale who has started wearing cleats that would look more in place at a construction site.
England's look hasn't really changed since 2010. A plain look with the odd collar or v-neck switch together with either a tiny bit of blue or red. The designs during the '80s and 90's at least had a splash of originality to them (despite how hideous they may have looked).
This most recent design has created a backlash amount a certain amount of fans with alternative "DIY" designs being posted on social media.
The question is, if England continue to bring out straight and bland strips, at sky-high prices, with they begin to lose business as they become predictable and boring?
On the other hand, if the three lions gain success at this years World Cup, it could be heralded as good luck charm and placed in the vault as a classic.
Source: DSG
