Stop buying fake football shirts

[h_m_boro]

He is incredibly short sighted. I suspect he thinks most Boro fans (aside from ST holders) are fickle idiots not worth bothering with. Rather than try and entice them to games he'd rather just not bother.

Didn't we have a new head of ticket office a few years ago who basically quit because every idea he came up with to increase attendances was vetoed?

Kids shirts should be cheap. Very cheap. They're the fans of tomorrow and as daft as it sounds many people have picked what team they support based on what shirt they had as a kid. Many kids will care as much about the shirt as watching games. They then emulate their favourite players playing with their mates, become Boro mad and end up wasting thousands on the club when they become adults.

Making it easy for families to get hold of and afford kids shirts should be a no brainer. It's an investment for the future.

But Gibson doesn't really seem to give a **** about any of that. In fact he seems to think the other way around. If fans really care (like he does, because we're all multi millionaires with loads of disposable income) they'll happily pay for the privilege. And are presumably not worth bothering with if they won't.

That's another thread entirely - making sure the next generation get hooked as early as possible.

£44 for a shirt (lot of kids want the full kit), £19 cheapest ticket for kids of any age.....it's going to put kids off. Or rather parents can't afford to bring their kids up as Boro fans. Kids find something else to do on matchdays - or worse become Sky armchair supporters for other teams.

Very short sighted from the club - or Gibson basically doesn't care

 

[Nano]

Not that I necessarily buy into this but isn't part of the argument for shirts etc. being more expensive than non-branded items of the same quality to put some additional £ towards the club and support them? Appreciate this is more of an argument for teams lower down the pyramid.

You mean like a donation? No. The whole point of anyone selling something is that people want to buy it or they don't and there are price points which reflect the value. Some people might think paying £50 to show other people who you support is good value and others don't. Businesses need to make a profit and I don't think anyone is saying Boro should be selling shirts at cost but to make a football shirt you are probably looking at an actual cost of £5 per item, probably less. Errea takes a cut and then Boro take a cut. If you were selling a plain football shirt then it would be selling for £15 but Boro are selling it for £50 and some people would say that making that margin is profiteering and shouldn't be supported. If the club need people to make a £30 donation for every shirt sold then they should try selling more shirts for a lower price instead.

There is a big difference between fans and customers. Unfortunately that makes it ripe for exploitation. We are fans of the club and shouldn't be exploited at every opportunity and I think it is fantastic that there are now options to stand up to unscrupulous business practices, even if they are illegitimate. Maybe it will force the hand of clubs to be more fair, or at the least more transparent. If MFC came out and provided a breakdown of why they have to charge £44 for a kids shirt and it was because they ensured their suppliers were paying their staff well, materials were sourced fairly and sustainably and the retail staff at MFC were paid well etc then it could be justified and we would have the choice of contributing to sustainable and fair business practices or not. I would be willing to bet though that it isn't the case and all costs are kept to an absolute minimum and it is pure revenue maximisation. They are producing Primark goods and selling them at Harrods prices.

The club exists because of the fans, stop ripping us off.

 

[Norman_Conquest]

,,,,

Apart from a small matter of copyright/protected trademarks.

The last time I had a trademark on my burger I nearly choked on it.

 

[ThatFragranceGuy]

As is the case with football shirts, the cheaper beans are often better than Heinz.

Don't be fooled by television adverts.

I don't watch television and can't think of the last baked bean advert I watched, probably something boomers do more of given how much tv they sit and watch.

 

[Blf]

I don't get 50yr old adults wearing football tops. The funniest I've seen at the Boro was a bald fella with a beard trying to get into position to run on the pitch after the draw with Brighton that took us up.
Full kit on but normal black shoes. As he turned to run you could clearly see he had shin pads in.

 

[18MFC76]

If I was Steve Gibson, I would be quite concerned reading this thread. It's quite clear that most supporters now view him as a Chairman that will rip the fans off at every opportunity. As time goes by he seems to be getting worse. I think he needs to take a good look at his running of the club and start making some changes to get some of the fans back on side.

 

[Mfc79]

I love a moral aspect when it comes to football clubs

Sometimes it is not about being able to afford it, it is about not willing to pay to be ripped off.

Obviously not related to our club but where on the moral scale is buying a newcastle shirt?

Give money to organised crime v's give money to a murderous regime

 

[breakthewallsdown]

Got my oldest a kit from DHG when the club shop had no stock for 3 weeks, identical to his mates and can’t tell the difference

 

[atypical_boro]

If I was Steve Gibson, I would be quite concerned reading this thread. It's quite clear that most supporters now view him as a Chairman that will rip the fans off at every opportunity. As time goes by he seems to be getting worse. I think he needs to take a good look at his running of the club and start making some changes to get some of the fans back on side.

I think there is some truth in this. Plus the little Private Eye article won him few new fans….

Last thing he needed was us bottom of the league.

 

[Frozen Horse]

I've not read the whole thread, but has anyone suggested "stop buying football shirts?"

You don't need to have one, or any merchandise, to support a club. They've always been overpriced, and every club does the new-design-every-year now. It used to be every 2-3 seasons.

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

If I was Steve Gibson, I would be quite concerned reading this thread. It's quite clear that most supporters now view him as a Chairman that will rip the fans off at every opportunity. As time goes by he seems to be getting worse. I think he needs to take a good look at his running of the club and start making some changes to get some of the fans back on side.

When he came to the club he dropped ticket prices for families, I remember because it was my son's first season, I went from paying £8 in the Holgate to £9 for two of us in the seats.

Football has gone out of control, can't blame him for that, sooner or later some clubs are going to have to make a stand to stop the ridiculously spiraling demands from those involved in the game or we and other clubs will go to the wall

 

[JackG]

I've not read the whole thread, but has anyone suggested "stop buying football shirts?"

You don't need to have one, or any merchandise, to support a club. They've always been overpriced, and every club does the new-design-every-year now. It used to be every 2-3 seasons.

They're OK for kids - adults, not so much.

 

[h_m_boro]

I think there is some truth in this. Plus the little Private Eye article won him few new fans….

Apart from Clarks having to replace the children's shoes ........

 

[atypical_boro]

Apart from Clarks having to replace the children's shoes ........

Oh yeah quids in.

 

[SalfordBoro]

Especially Boro ones.

You're hurting the club you supposedly love, and it's illegal.

(They're also mainly made using slave labour through human trafficking too, which is....y'know, bad)

/rant

I've bought both shirts this season and the quality of them is terrible. I wore a back pack the other day with one on the way to the gym and under the arms of the away shirt is clicked to sh1t.

Errea really are crap

 

[Inoffthebar]

This has just made me want to buy a fake footy shirt. Maybe a retro Barca or Dortmund one for holiday. £15 delivered from DH Gate… cheers

 

[h_m_boro]

I've bought both shirts this season and the quality of them is terrible. I wore a back pack the other day with one on the way to the gym and under the arms of the away shirt is clicked to sh1t.

Errea really are crap

Daughter couldn't get a top last year, so is wearing the previous years Hummel one.

Wears it to the stables, gym......apart from the band being discolored as she keeps washing it with her black jeans the quality is very good. No noticeable clicks, badges falling off etc

So yes, it does appear Errea are crap - and £52 for the privelage

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

I've bought both shirts this season and the quality of them is terrible. I wore a back pack the other day with one on the way to the gym and under the arms of the away shirt is clicked to sh1t.

Errea really are crap

They're not designed for hiking in, they're football shirts.

I've just been sorting a kit out for the weekend, been worn about half a dozen times and showing signs of wear already. It's a Kappa kit but they're all pretty similar. Some of the socks are falling apart.

 

[Frozen Horse]

They're OK for kids - adults, not so much.

I didn't much like them as a kid, but I accept I'm in a small minority on that.

Convincing the average football fan that you need one has to be one of the greatest marketing tricks of all time.

 

[festa5]

If I was Steve Gibson, I would be quite concerned reading this thread. It's quite clear that most supporters now view him as a Chairman that will rip the fans off at every opportunity. As time goes by he seems to be getting worse. I think he needs to take a good look at his running of the club and start making some changes to get some of the fans back on side.

Absolutely. I don't think anyone has agreed with the OP yet and even he's admitted he only buys them every three years because they're too expensive.

Yes they're not essential and a luxury item. People don't have to have them. But is it really wise to price people who do want them, particularly kids, out of the market? Particularly given its not the most affluent area anyway.

And then throw the quality and supply issues into the mix too.

Not doing himself any favours at all.