With every stunning save made by Mary Earps, the goalkeeper who helped the England national team take second place in the Women’s World Cup, the complaints from fans grew louder: Why couldn’t they buy a replica of his Nike jersey?
Nike, which outfitted the team, tried to present itself as being ahead of the curve in terms of offering support to female athletes and emerging sporting talent. Although the company, the world’s largest sportswear manufacturer by sales, recognized fans’ interest in replica goalkeeper jerseys, it did not initially commit to manufacturing them.
That changed on Wednesday, after thousands of people signed a petition calling for replicas of the jerseys worn by Ms. Earps and other goalkeepers to be released, and after a motion addressing the issue was submitted to the British Parliament .
“Nike has secured limited quantities of goalkeeper jerseys for England, USA, France and the Netherlands, which will be sold on the federations’ websites in the coming days, and we are also in conversation with our other federation partners,” a Nike spokesperson said in a statement. statement emailed to The New York Times on Wednesday evening, referring to members of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body.
Nike “is committed to retailing women’s goalkeeper jerseys for major tournaments in the future,” the spokesperson said in a statement, which did not specify how many jerseys will be available or when they might be available. purchased.
Days earlier, Nike, which equipped 13 of the 32 teams participating in the Women’s World Cup, faced growing backlash from soccer fans over the issue. (Replica goalkeeper jerseys were available for four of the Nike-sponsored men’s teams at last year’s World Cup.)
Most of the complaints concerned Ms. Earps, 30, who received the Golden Glove, an award for the tournament’s best goalkeeper. “She’s the best in the world right now and she doesn’t have a jersey,” said Beth Mead, who played for the England women’s national team. told BBC. “She doesn’t have a shirt that young boys and girls can buy.”
Why wouldn’t Nike want to offer replica jerseys to popular goalkeepers?
In the past, goalie jerseys were not best-sellers for sportswear companies, for several reasons.
With a few exceptions, goalkeepers generally don’t cultivate the type of passionate fans that other players like forwards can cultivate, which potentially means fewer jersey sales.
A goalkeeper’s jersey is also different from that of other teammates to ensure that he stands out on the pitch. (Ms Earps’s World Cup jerseys were emerald green and pink; her teammates’ were blue and white.) While a team’s main jersey can be mass produced – with versions for different players requiring a simple name change on the back – the goalkeeper jersey requires a much smaller and more personalized manufacturing cycle.
Even though interest in women’s soccer has increased, the sport still generates fewer clothing sales worldwide than men’s soccer.
Have any other brands made jerseys for the Women’s World Cup goalkeepers?
Adidas, which equipped 10 teams for the tournament, did not offer replica goalkeeper jerseys. Neither did Puma, which manufactured kits for Morocco and Switzerland.
But Hummel, who made jerseys for the Danish women’s national team, and Castore, who made them for Ireland, have each released replica goalkeeper jerseys for those teams.
How did the controversy start?
At a press conference at the start of the Women’s World Cup, Earps expressed frustration with Nike’s decision not to offer replicas of the jerseys worn by the participating teams’ goalkeepers. “It’s extremely disappointing and very hurtful,” she said, adding that she had sought talks with both Nike and the Football Association, English football’s governing body, after England won the Women’s European Championship last year.
Ms Earps, goalkeeper for Manchester United in the Women’s Super League, also rejected the idea that her jersey would not sell. “My jersey on the Manchester United website was sold out last season,” she said.
By the time England faced Spain in the Women’s World Cup final, Ms. Earps had made several vital saves that helped her team stay in the tournament. His star performance only intensified questions about Nike’s decision.
David Seaman, a former goalkeeper for Arsenal and the England men’s national team, posted a message of support for Ms Earps as she played in the final. “I bet Nike regrets not selling the #maryearps jersey now,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another article on shared that day: “My 10-year-old daughter is the goalie for her school team. She just went online to buy a jersey for next year and wanted one like Mary Earps’ only to find out Nike doesn’t make them. “It’s kind of stupid,” she said.
In the absence of an official replica Nike jersey, some Ms. Earps fans made their own jerseys using adhesive tape. Several small retailers have also started make jerseys similar to his Nike shirt.
How did Nike react at first?
In a statement released Sunday after England’s 1-0 Women’s World Cup final against Spain, Nike tried to focus on the future.
“We are working on solutions for future tournaments in partnership with FIFA and the federations,” the company said. “The fact that there is a conversation on this topic is a testament to the continued passion and energy around women’s football, and we think that’s encouraging.”
This did not satisfy Mrs. Earps. On Tuesday, she reposted Nike’s statement on her Instagram account, adding the text: “Is this your version of an apology/taking responsibility/a powerful statement of intent?”
In another Instagram post, she shared a link to a Change.org petition which had been created for his support. It received more than 150,000 signatures.
Ms. Earps, through a representative, declined to comment for this article.
How did Parliament get involved?
This week, Tracey Crouch, MP and former sports minister, submitted a motion calling on Nike to release a jersey for Ms Earps.
Nike “could have changed this,” Ms. Crouch wrote in a statement. essay published in The Independent Wednesday. “They still can if they take their fingers out of their tin ears and listen to the hundreds of thousands of women who signed the petition, went to social media, listened to the outcry in the media. »
Nike’s change of direction and the big online noise that apparently caused it underscore the growing influence of global women’s football and its big names.