The 2019/20 season is well underway, and barring the odd third kit, most teams have revealed what they’ll be wearing throughout the campaign. And now Love the Sales, a retail fashion aggregator, has released a list of the most in demand shirts within the English Leagues, with some surprising appearances.
The replica market is a huge source of revenue for football clubs potentially leading to massive profits, with sales often influenced by a team’s performance on the pitch. With most shirts now out for the world to see, retail fashion aggregator Love the Sales has been tracking UK demand of replica shirts for all 92 League clubs, producing a list of the most sought-after English kits on the market this season.
On the back of the success of last season it’s not a massive surprise to see that Liverpool’s home shirt takes the top spot in what could be their last year with New Balance, but interestingly that’s followed up by Arsenal’s home kit. The retro design has seen huge appeal and appreciation from fans and players alike, but as it’s the first season back with the adidas, both the club and brand couldn’t have hoped for better, with an 84 percent increase from the 2018/19 edition.
That’s similarly echoed by Manchester City in fourth, who are embarking on their first season in partnership with PUMA, and they have seen a 110 percent increase in the demand for their home shirts. Sandwiched between those teams is Manchester United, who, despite seeing a five percent drop in demand for their home kit, still find themselves in third, although Liverpool’s shirts are now three times as popular as United’s. Chelsea’s home kit, which has proved divisive away from Blues fans, rounds off the top five.
But it’s in position number six that we get a real surprise. Following Paddy Power’s hugely successful marketing masterstroke that was the sash sponsor/no sponsor ‘Save Our Shirt’ campaign – which has clearly had the desired effect in creating more hype than if they had actually regularly sponsored the shirt – the demand for the Huddersfield Town home shirt has increased by an incredible 1904 percent.
When you bare in mind the fact that this is on the back of a season in which they were relegated it’s quite astonishing. This huge increase saw Huddersfield’s shirt go from 26th on the list in 2018 to the sixth place it now occupies, sitting proudly above Champions League finalists, Tottenham. Whether it’s down to fans wanting it for memorabilia, or people generally liking the idea of having a sponsor-less shirt, you have to take your hat off to Paddy Power.
Another cheeky little appearance at 26 comes from League Two’s Salford City. Backed by the Manchester United old guard, Salford have pushed on from non-league to gain promotion to League Two this season, and as a result the demand for their home shirt from Kappa has increased by 262 percent.
If talking solely about away shirts, there’s no massive surprise, with the immensely popular ‘Bruised Banana’ return taking top spot for Arsenal. In terms of goalkeeper shirts, it’s Liverpool who again top the pile with their black and gold offering; the sleek shirt is so popular that it’s more in demand than most Premier League home shirts, including Everton, Newcastle United and West Ham United, making it the 11th most popular football shirt in England.
Top English Football Kits of 2019/20
1. Liverpool
2. Arsenal
3. Manchester United
4. Manchester City
5. Chelsea
6. Huddersfield Town
7. Tottenham Hotspur
8. Aston Villa
9. Newcastle United
10. West Ham United
Check out the full list at lovethesales.com and shop all replica at prodirectsoccer.com
