English soccer fans are furious with far-left sportswear giant Nike over its highly controversial decision to change, on a new England football shirt, the color of the St George’s Cross. Nike insists the change was a fun throwback to the English National Team’s 1966 training gear, but, the Daily Mail reports, fans argue otherwise, noting that the gear was different colors and that the change to the flag is “woke” and meant to make it “diverse.”
As background, the St. George’s cross is a red cross on a white background that has been the national flag of England since St. George, the military saint, became the patron saint of England in the fourteenth century. It has recently drawn controversy in Great Britain over its crusader roots, as St. George rose to prominence as the military saint during the Third Crusade.
Now, Nike, on the back of a shirt that costs up to £125, replaced the traditional red cross on a white background for a very different design in which the same shape of cross is on a white background, but, instead of being read, is a mix of navy, light blue, and purple. Reporting on the change, the Daily Mail noted that “Fans have blasted the American sports giant for going ‘woke’ by switching” the traditional colors for the new design.
Nike, for its part, said that the change was “a playful update” that “appears on the collar to unite and inspire.” Further, a spokesperson for Nike said, “The England 2024 Home kit disrupts history with a modern take on a classic. The trim on the cuffs takes its cues from the training gear worn by England’s 1966 heroes, with a gradient of blues and reds topped with purple. The same colours also feature an interpretation of the flag of St. George on the back of the collar.”
Fans, the Daily Mail reports, found the change infuriating rather than “playful.” Venting their outrage on X (formerly Twitter), people said things like “Doesn’t look the same as 1966 training kit to me?” and “Looks very similar to a “Gender Fluid Flag” to me! This should only be White and Red.”
Similarly, another fan torched the company for trying to foist its views on the broader public, saying, “It’s disrespectful and creates division, you of all people should have learned from the actions of Budweiser and Doritos with regards to real people’s reactions to companies like you forcing your opinions and morals on the public. Time to boycott Nike!”
Still others torched Nike for going “woke” with the design, saying things like “Literally isn’t the English flag tho.. don’t care about any of this woke s****.. but If change colours of a flag, it isn’t that countries flag anymore” and “Delusional woke nonsense which isn’t needed or wanted! At £124.99 for an Adult version and £119.00 for a Children version, think they can keep there ‘woke St George’!”
Yet another commenter blasted Nike for thinking it had the right to change the English flag, saying, “Since when did Nike have the right to alter our flag? You can’t just ‘playfully update’ a national flag! There would be uproar if they modified the stars and stripes on the United States’ kit. Hopefully zero sales of this shirt until they restore the flag of St George. And now the FA claim the England football shirt flag colours are an homage to the 1966 England training kit. Odd, given that training kit did not use those colours, and had an actual flag of St. George on it. What a PR/marketing mess.”
Watch GB News’ Neil Oliver torch Nike for the design change here:
British politicians across the political spectrum sounded off on the change as well. For example, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told The Sun, “I’m a big football fan, I go to England games, men, women’s games. ‘And the flag is used by everybody, it’s unifying, it doesn’t need to change. We just need to be proud of it. So I think they should just reconsider this and change it back.”
Similarly, Reform UK MP Lee Anderson, when speaking to the Express, said: “This virtue-signalling, namby-pamby, pearl-clutching woke nonsense must stop. Any more of this and I’ll be on the first flight to Rwanda.” Joining them was former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who told GB News: “It bears no relationship to the St George’s Cross whatsoever. If the England football team think that’s acceptable, well, why on earth would you be apologetic about Englishness if you’re going to play for England in the European football finals? I think it’s an absolute joke.”
Featured image credit: By Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA – Nike Flagship – NYC, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80043580
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