Simon Jordan has slammed Nike’s ‘playful update’ to the St George’s Cross on the back of England’s shirt for Euro 2024.
The strip, which was launched on Monday ahead of the competition in Germany this summer, promised to ‘celebrate football heroes of the past with a modern twist’.
However, some supporters were left outraged when the kit designer revealed it had replaced the horizonal line on the traditional red cross with a navy blue, light blue and pink one.
Now, talkSPORT’s Jordan has also taken issue with Nike’s decision and went on to label the idea as ‘meaningless’.
He said: ‘I don’t quite understand why Nike want to have a playful brief on our identity.
TalkSPORT host Simon Jordan slammed Nike’s ‘playful update’ to the St George’s Cross on the back of England’s shirt for Euro 2024
The kit designer revealed this week it had replaced the horizonal line on the traditional red cross with a navy blue, light blue and pink one
‘Is our national identity a joke, is it something we’re ashamed of? I think our national identity is something we should be proud of. I don’t find it offensive, I find it unnecessary.
‘Rather than reclaim it, what we’ll do is put up a meaningless cross that has no value to it and represents nobody’.
‘No other country would allow this to happen, they wouldn’t allow it to be done on their national shirt.
‘This is the same Nike that couldn’t even be bothered to produce Mary Earps shirts. I don’t think we should be taking lessons from Nike on the values of this country.
‘And the FA are absolutely complicit in this. The FA will have their virtue-signalling fingers all over this’.
Nike unveiled England’s new home and away kits on Monday, ahead of this summer’s Euros in Germany.
The kits – which will also be worn by the Lionesses and England Para teams in 2024 – will cost fans £124.99 in adult sizes and £119.99 for kids.
The kits – which will also be worn by the Lionesses and England Para teams in 2024 – will cost fans £124.99 in adult sizes and £119.99 for kids
The Nike home jersey goes with a classic simple white design with a blue trim. While the kit-makers have gone back with a dark blue for the away strip.
Nike tweeted the launch of the new kit and made specific reference to the ‘new’ flag alongside a picture in a social media post yesterday, writing: ‘A playful update to the St. George appears on the collar to unite and inspire.’
Jordan wasn’t the only prominent sports figure to take issue with the creative decision, with Joey Barton also venting his frustrations on social media.
The former Man City and QPR midfielder took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and said: ‘Why did you alter the St George’s Cross on the back of the shirt. Why Rainbow-fy it? France and USA suffer the same change to their national flag?
‘They haven’t done it to the French, US or the Dutch kits. They know the Rainbow, virtue signalling, simps and gimps crew will dig this.
Former Man City and QPR midfielder Joey Barton also voiced his opinion on the colour change
‘Proper England fans should boycott it until they put our national flag back the way it should be and has been for centuries. Embarrassing. Can’t believe the FA signed it off. More Woke B******.
‘Don’t worry there will be Gay or Lesbian lion soon. Virtue signaling to the max. Who knows one day, One might turn into a lioness. Go woke, go broke.
‘Won’t be buying my sons the shirt that disrespects our country’s flag. Might as well put a Rainbow/Palenstine/Ukraine flag on it for all those virtue signalling characters who lap this nonsense up. Fix it Nike’.
