Simon Jordan CRITICISES Nike Over England Shirt Controversy | talkSPORT

Simon Jordan and former Managing Director of the FA Adrian Bevington react to Nike changing the Saint George’s Cross on the back of the England kit for the 2024 Euro’s.

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What kind of message Simon are Nike sending out regards the national flag um let’s look at this because for those who don’t know um the England strip this weekend little flag in the back of uh the collar that the neck is is different this time around um on Twitter Nike

Announced the launch of the New England kit with fresh pictures and they did it with a number of tweets with the pictures involved so number one they say the New England uh sh celebrate football heroes of the past with a modern twist now if you’re watching this morning on

YouTube in Facebook you’ll see what Nike have done with the back of the the the collar which normally would be uh the Red Cross and a white background the the St George’s flag Nike call this what you’re looking at now it’s a bit multicolored uh a playful update to the

Flag of St George appearing on the back of the caller to unite and Inspire and then they say the graphic side panels on their wake it pay homage to forward thinking fashionistas so they’ve gone all out to change this thing Simon you’ve seen it um we’re joined here this

Morning by the former fa managing director Adrian Bevington H Adrian good morning to you morning Jim morning Simon morning Adrian Adrian thanks so much for joining us before before you say your bit Adrian about maybe fa fa policy on something like this from the past what

Your take on this Simon what do you think of what Nike have done to your St George’s flag I don’t understand why we need a playful interpretation of our national flag I don’t want to get into the hysteria and hyperbole that some other people are talking about but I

Don’t quite understand what we’re trying to achieve here it’s part of our national identity you know you have the flag of St Andrews you have the flag of St David’s U and you have the flag of St Patrick’s in various other parts of the home Nations I don’t quite understand

Why Nike and I would suggest under the fa’s brief feel that need to have a playful interpretation of our national identity are we somewhat embarrassed by it is it not part of our heritage do we not believe in its value set yes there were a few people that have adapted it

In a way that isn’t particularly palatable but I I I I look at this and say I don’t quite understand why we why we would want to do this and why we feel the necessity to do it and what it actually represents and what the values

Of it are would the fa if you can wear your fa hat for a moment would they have given the nod to Nike to do this yeah they have to because look I can I put my fa hat away a long time ago but uh sort of still in the background forever and

Uh we we would always have the kit supplier come and present what they were planning to do and there’ be different conversations that would take place generally with the commercial people it would then get put in front of the uh the team manager often historically and

Then what I did when I got involved at the more senior level I just brought the whole sort of management structure around it you know from the chief executive chair person commercial team and the football people and said right Nike Umbro as it was previously come in

Present um and then we’ll have an open discussion about it before we sign it off and I don’t know the exact process now but I can’t believe this has been approved without a Sig off of at least the commercial director and the chief executive of the organization what would

You have done if you were still there Adrian as you emphasize you’re no longer there of course it’s been some time but would you have encouraged the fa to sign this off personally no um I think it’s an emotive subject and it was always going to cause the conjecture that we’ve

Got I always see it try to see it from all sides and I understand from Nike’s perspective they’re looking to push all the time and be uh Cutting Edge uh and as modern as they can be to the different markets they serve uh but like what Simons just said there I it’s our

Flag you know when you when the games take place particularly during the tournament you’ll see the stadium absolutely swamped with the cross to St George hanging everywhere it’s a national identity and I just don’t really think it needs to be changed and it’s going to upset a lot of people

Because people do feel passionate about this I mean Adan saying a lot of people will be upset but it’s this not just patriotism gone overboard no no no when you have to have the problem with this country at times is the policy of appeasement and no Central values and

That’s why we have so many of the challenges we have in societal issues and the reality is we have a national identity and part of that is the Ferguson Georges it’s not me getting carried away and being offended on behalf of it but the bottom line is are

We is it a joke is our national identity a joke is It Something That We’re ashamed of is it something like people like Nike that allow biological males to wear sports bras to promote it to young kids in this day and age where you know sexuality and gender uh are becoming an

Ideological battle are preposterously allowed to do these sort of things and I don’t understand the thinking behind it you know okay it’s greatly you’ve got people like Emily Thornbury running around ridiculing um the St George’s flag and telling it’s you know the the the ideal of little little white fan men

Which I think was an appalling thing for her to have done but this has to be pride and value in the principles of this country and if you’re going to if you’re going to imitate the St George’s Cross by turning into something that’s not what is that underlying message

What’s the point of it well what does it represent to and show respect what an utter load of rubbish Adrian many listeners getting in touch there’s one Danny it’s absolutely disgusting they’ve changed our national flag in the shirt uh all other Nike shirts have left the

Flags and colors alone so why have they done it with England there’s Ryan though Adrian saying Simon Says in one breath he is not a little Englander uh then he gets offended like a snowflake because of the flag in another he says I’m English I couldn’t care less about this

I mean what way do you think fans will think Adrian because if anybody knows England fans you do I think we’ve all gotten opinion as an individual where anyone who’s English hasn’t is entitled to a view on it and there’s going to be a mixed opinion um

What Simon said is is correct though it’s an emotional subject it’s on it’s part of our national identity and it’s the same as with the other Home nations with you know the the St Andrews cross are we going to see that change from blue and white you know are we going to

See the the flag of Ireland change to different colors down the line I I don’t I don’t really understand what they’re trying to achieve by this but it was always going to be something if I been in the meetings at the very beginning of this myself back in the time I was there

I would have immediately flagged up and said are you sure about this because this is going to create a whole load of conjecture every time there’s a kit launch there’s nearly always an issue of some point with a kit launch because it’s just the way it is it creates a

Stir this is a massive ticket for Nike in their football calendar the England kit is one of their biggest sellers in the world they pay a lot of money to be associated with a national team and actually had a great few years because of the measured success of the national

Team under Gareth Southgate so you know it may end up selling more kits for them who knows commercially it might drive it with the conjecture it’s created but certainly from my point of view I just would have canel against it and if I’d been in a position to sign off or not I

Wouldn’t have signed that off personally bar and Harford are saying I bet they wouldn’t do that with the USA flag so why the England flag uh Mark is saying the England strip should have been left alone this is quite shocking people are offended Adrian saying it’s a big seller

For Nike I wonder Simon if a lot of England fans because of the view you’re taking and they sharing that view might boycott it well I mean that’s for them to choose and everyone is Right Adrian is Right everyone has a right to an opinion I happen to believe that the national

Identity of this country is something that we should be proud of we should be proud of this nation and I’m tired of the self flagellation and self-loathing that goes on and by the way this is Nike that couldn’t even be bothered to produce kits for for Merry herbs so

Let’s not get allow them to get carried away with their what I perceive to be virtue signaling but I don’t find it offensive I find it unnecessary do youp this much attention though in the normal course of events I mean what does the St George’s flag represent to you I think

It represents a a variety of things I think it goes back to 1190 ad when it was first brought in as the values of this country or BC or whatever 1190 was I I feel that the strong values of this country are are it you know it’s inherent fairness it’s balance it’s

Equitability it’s decency it’s Innovation the substance of an island nation of his indomitable spirit I think it’s something we should be proud of and it’s something that should be represented in the back of our national team that are going into battle on a football field to win something for this

Country and I don’t think we should in any shape or form be changing for something that means precisely nothing yeah but do you and Adrian this is one for you as well be you could view it along these lines a number of people have kind of hijacked this in George’s

Flag of late and it could have negative connotations to some so reclaim it because of political beliefs extreme political belief if you if you walk at Wembley Wembley way today and walk at Wembley way on Saturday before the Brazil game you’ll see see an an absolutely fantastic statue of our

Greatest Captain Bobby Moore and flying close by will be the cross of St George which is something that the fa and the England team have had above their greatest captain since the Wembley Stadium opened and if it’s good enough for that I think it should be good

Enough for our national shirt do you know what that’s a great Point Adrian because this particular version of the flag that Nike are putting in the back of the caller Simon would the fa agree agree to fly that close to Bobby Mo statue as Adrian has just described of

Course they wouldn’t so why have it in the back of the shark well look you can answer that question for yourself because there’s a feeling of certain things about this country that we need to do things in a certain way and not to take it off piece this is another

Example of certain thinking um being foed upon most people’s views and there’s no necessity for it it has no substance the flag of St George’s is an inclusive flag it represents all people that live on these aisles it doesn’t need to be adapted and turned into something else to tick some boxes for

Some people that sit in marketing meetings thinking that they’ve got the Zeitgeist and what people should think and feel about this country Adrian a final one for me to you when something like this happens um is is there time to do a U-turn in it would the fa entertain

The idea of a U-turn in conversation with Nike once something like this has been signed off as it has been I think it’s very difficult for them because the kit will be massively in production now it’s out there so the cost is huge and they will they must have signed it off

Someone at the very highest level must have signed this off so I I’d be very very surprised if this was overturned there Adrian bton always like your contribution to the show thank you so much former managing director of the fa Adrian of course been in football

Involved in football for years um as an England fan out there are you are you offended by this Simon simply isn’t having it I mean that’s fair to say Simon you you just think this could end up being a massive own go the fa agreeing to this with Nike well the fa

Not agreeing to it the fa being being being a facilitator of it you think that Nike came to them with a brief guaranteed the Fa went to them saying this is what we’d quite like to represent and we think it’s time and a society that we’re living in should have

This on the back of an England shirt and we should we should degrade the national identity because somehow a few people have made it associated with a few toxic ideals but rather than reclaim it and have some pride in it what we’ll do is we’ll put up a meaningless cross that

Presents nothing to nobody because somehow or another this this concurs with our value set about what we think our should Society should represent well instead of just the traditional Red Cross this flag has some navy blue in it light blue in it and pink replacing the horizontal line of the traditional Red

Cross uh is this an agenda driven change that you personally object to uh Jason and wolver Hampton very much objects to it this is an utter disgrace and it’s disrespectful I normally Buy five England shirts for myself and the kids I will not be buying this one it is a

Total lack of respect do you agree with Jason or do you agree with Ryan couldn’t care less about it an England shirt’s an England shirt Jim White and Simon Jordan Monday to Friday mornings from 10: on amm on da via the talk sport app and on your smart speaker talk sport