Nike say they want to “unite and inspire” by changing the colours of the St. George’s Cross on the back of England’s new kit – and they will not be making any tweaks despite some backlash over their decision. Harry Kane and co. will wear the new kits as they seek to go one further than Euro 2020 by winning the European Championships in Germany this summer.
The traditional red cross has been replaced by a multicoloured cross on the kit’s neckline. While the vertical line remains red, the horizontal line features a navy blue, light blue and pink colour scheme.
Changing the colours of the St. George’s Cross has caused confusion and annyonce among football fans, with the move branded as ‘woke’. Some individuals have wondered why the flag could not have been included in its original colours.
Nike say that it is a “playful update” on the Cross, a symbol that dates back to the 10th century and has become the national flag of England. The manufacturer says the change was made to “unite and inspire”.
A post on social media platform X which revealed the feature read: “A playful update to the [flag emoji] of St. George appears on the collar to unite and inspire.” The Daily Mail report that Nike insiders admit the language used was somewhat clumsy.
Yet there are still absolutely no plans to change it. And the shirt is backed by the FA, who are claimed to ‘completely stand by it’ after signing off on the design. It is inspired by the classic colour of the 1966 training gear worn by Sir Alf Ramsey’s iconic World Cup-winning team.
Nike added that the new kits will “celebrate football heroes of the past with a modern twist”. Even if there was a desire to change the strip after the online debates it has caused, doing so would take at least six months meaning any new kit would not be in distribution until well after the Euros anyway.
England’s new home shirt, which will debut during friendlies against Brazil and Belgium this month, features the classic white shirt, navy blue shorts and white socks. It resembles the attire worn by the Three Lions for the 1990 World Cup, in which Bobby Robson’s side reached the semi-finals.
The home shirt features a navy blue collar and rim, with a red and blue design around the cuffs. Meanwhile, Nike say that the purple away shirt “reimagines iconic kits from the past with a modern twist”.
Purple was chosen to represent the fact that England have traditionally worn either blue or red away shirts. The colours have been merged to create purple.
The new kits will be worn by all England teams, including the men’s and women’s senior squads. In the last few years, the Lionesses have worn a different design to their male counterparts.
“It is unbelievable,” England winger Bukayo Saka said of the home kit. “I think this is the best kit we are going to wear and that I will have worn. It has a classic look and the collar is top. It is ten out of ten.”
Midfielder Phil Foden added: “Oh my god, what a kit. It is my favourite kit so far.” Declan Rice said: “This kit is a ten, a classic. It is proper retro – it feels like the 1966 kit.”
