England football kit redesign blasted as ‘woke, gay communist nonsense’ by outraged right-wingers
The new St George’s Cross logo. Apparently all colourful flags are somehow LGBTQ+ now, according to “outraged” people online (Nike)
England’s national football kit has left right-wing news outlets and commenters complaining that it’s “woke”, after manufacturers Nike changed the traditional England flag colours to purple and blue to honour the original 1966 kit.
Many (many) people pointed out that the new design looks a lot like the bisexual flag, but Nike insists it has nothing to do with the LGBTQ+ community.
A Nike spokesperson explained: “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.”
They’ve insisted that they have no plans to update the jersey, which is set to be worn by the England team in the upcoming Euro 2024 championship. The shirt also has the full backing of the Football Association (FA), who are understood to “completely stand by it”.
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson spoke to the Daily Express about the kit, saying: “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.”
Conservative MP Brendan Clarke-Smith also spoke to the Daily Express, saying: “Maybe somebody in the design department misheard Three Lions and instead went for three lines on a shirt.”
A lot of the most belligerent online fury was found on Elon Musk’s X platform, formerly Twitter. Football manager turned “anti-woke” commentator Joey Barton tweeted: “Trying to sneak that Woke, Gay communist nonsense onto the England national team jersey. It’ll be to appease all of the lesbians who play for the @Lionesses.”
His comments were widely mocked, with one person pointing out that it’s unlikely Nike intentionally created a “woke” England kit just for bisexuals. Others pointed out that the original red flag colouring was still prominent.
Last year, Nike were widely condemned by fans of the women’s England team, the Lionesses, as well as the players themselves, after the company opted not to sell replica England goalkeeper jerseys with goalkeeper Mary Earps’ name and number on it.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicked off in July – with England’s Lionesses making it to the final before being beaten by Spain – and fans were dismayed that England’s shirt supplier was not selling the goalkeeper’s replica kit, despite making home and away strips for every other Lioness player available.
“I can’t really sugar-coat this in any way, so I am not going to try,” Earps, who plays for Manchester United in the Women’s Super League, told journalists at the time. “It is hugely disappointing and very hurtful.”
Eventually, Nike caved to pressure and made a limited number of Mary Earps shirts available to buy.
