The environmental challenges of sports merchandise production

After the English second-tier Championship and the Dutch Eredivisie begin tomorrow, the top tiers in Italy, Spain, France and England follow next weekend, before the German Bundesliga gets underway in two weeks’ time. Across these seven leagues – the most popular in terms of attendance in Europe – more than 73 million spectators filed through the turnstiles last season. Many millions more watched the action from afar.

Almost all of the clubs in these leagues have released new home, away and third kits for the campaign for their passionate fans to snap up; and supporters have had to dig deeper than ever.

The average price for a standard adult jersey from an English Premier League club has reached £72.60 this season, representing the first time it has surpassed the £70 threshold and an inflation-busting rise of 53% versus the average price of £47.40 just a decade ago.

In Spain, Real Madrid’s home shirt is priced at £95, with an ‘authentic shirt’ costing £140. Rival Barcelona is charging £85 and nearly £125 for its comparable jerseys.

However, these eye-watering prices are not only confined to the upper echelons. Even outside the top flight in England, 11 clubs are charging more than £60 for an adult jersey. Being a supporter has never been so expensive.

A costly passion

For many fans, the joy of supporting their favourite team is increasingly tempered by the rising cost of staying up to date with the latest kits. This trend is particularly problematic in a sport where the visual representation of allegiance through jerseys is deeply ingrained in fan culture.