You would have had to have been on the moon or a different planet to have missed the marathon of sporting activity over the past few weeks.
We’ve had the Rugby World Cup, the Grand Prix and the European Cup so, if you’re a sports fan, you’ve been well and truly spoilt – even if the outcome didn’t quite meet the winning expectations we had all hoped for.
Sport continues to be one of the few pastimes that bridges social boundaries. However, there’s one element of sport that some could argue isn’t as inclusive as watching the game on telly or kicking the ball around your local park.
To give you a clue, millions of them are sold on an annual basis and how much they sell for continues to court controversy.
I’m not talking about the telephone-number salaries that players are paid, but another income stream that generates similar amounts: the cost of your favourite team’s strip.
Many of you will remember that, in 2005, the OFT found Manchester United, Umbro and JJB Sports guilty of fixing the price of football shirts. As a result, it was thought that the price of team strips would tumble.
However, two years later, the predicted fall in prices hasn’t happened. With the England adult tops going for£35 and the Scottish equivalent going for nearly£40, many families can no longer afford to show their support for their team by wearing the strip.
So why do the prices still remain high? It’s a question you would need to ask the big brands. I know from personal experience that when we have managed to get hold of football shirts to sell in our stores, they have been at greatly reduced prices, but the stock has not come from the big brands – until now, that is.
We’ve just signed a deal with Diadora that helps us do just that: sell shirts at reduced prices. Tartan Army fans can now get hold of the Scotland strip at Asda for£10 less than anywhere else.
But the Diadora deal is unique. In the past, like many other retailers, we have been forced to go to the grey market to meet customer demand. When we last wrote to the big brands, we received a letter back with a list of clauses longer than your arm. Not to be put off, we are going to write to them again to see if they’ve had a change of heart. And, to twist their arms, we are going to launch the Fairprice4footyshirts.co.uk site for fans to petition for a fair deal on football shirts.
After all, a football shirt that supporters can afford isn’t too much to ask, is it? So come on, big brands. We don’t think you are playing ball and the prices you charge – well, it’s simply not cricket.
Peter Pritchard, non-food trading director, Asda
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