sportskeeda
Frugal Premier League fans are contributing to a rise in counterfeit team shirts as they seek Christmas gifts.
Latest reports indicate that supporters made 48,510 online inquiries for fake premier league merchandise from September until early December.
1
In contrast, there were merely 4,230 searches from January to August, prior to the holiday purchasing period.
Counterfeit Manchester United shirts topped the list with 17,730 queries.
The official adult home shirt for the club is priced at £80, while the children’s version costs £55; both can be found for just £12 on counterfeit websites.
According to research by betting platform Footy Accumulators, “It’s concerning to witness clubs making merchandise unaffordable for many devoted fans, compelling them to opt for counterfeit sites for holiday gifts this season.”
“With inflation soaring, a family of four interested in buying new shirts would face a cost of approximately £370 at official retailers, whereas purchasing from counterfeit sources would reduce expenses to around £50.”
“We hope that clubs across the UK consider these alarming statistics and endeavor to make merchandise more affordable in the future, thus preventing supporters from turning to counterfeit options.”
Interest in Arsenal counterfeit shirts saw a dramatic increase of 191 percent compared to earlier this year, rising from 680 to 5,940 in advance of Christmas, making fake Gooners shirts the second most popular.
Newcastle knock-offs came in third, with 4,830 searches, representing a remarkable 419 percent jump from earlier in the year.
Tottenham Hotspur took the fourth place, as demand increased from 440 to 3,750, marking an increase of 184 percent.
Liverpool closely followed in fifth place with a 169 percent rise, climbing from 460 to 3,720 searches.
In sixth position, Manchester City registered 3,150 counterfeit searches, a significant rise from 420, equating to a 150 percent increase.
Non-league club hailed as ‘absolute class’ for arriving at an FA Cup match in a quirky pina colada kit
