The latest England football kit, designed by Nike, has sparked controversy over the design of the St George’s Cross on the shirt. The cross is now a combination of blues and purples, rather than the traditional red. The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, have added their voices to the debate, each describing the flag as a source of pride that shouldn’t be changed. The Football Association has also defended the kit, stating that “we are very proud of the red and white St George’s cross – the England flag. We understand what it means to our fans, and how it unites and inspires, and it will be displayed prominently at Wembley tomorrow – as it always is – when England play Brazil.”
This is not the first time the England kit has caused controversy. In 2010, designer Peter Saville used a multicoloured cross on the shirt, which he described as a celebration of the diversity of modern England. Critics described it as “gratuitous” and “ugly”, but Saville maintains that the national team’s kit has the potential to be about something that connects people.
Despite the criticism faced by kit designers over the years, the national team’s football kit is something that people pay attention to and engage with on a mass scale. The controversy surrounding the St George’s Cross on the latest kit highlights the passionate debates that regularly erupt when the design of the iconic plain white shirt is changed. In previous years, designers have used stripes, bands, and various versions of the cross in an attempt to create a modern representation of the national team.
The debate over national identity and the representation of the St George’s Cross on the football kit is likely to continue in the future. As the country undergoes changes and evolves, so too will its symbols and designs. For now, the latest
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