Last week, to the dismay of many ordinary people, and to the disapproval of such political worthies as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, American sportswear giant Nike unveiled “a playful update” to England’s new football home kit, just in time for the forthcoming Euro 2024 tournament. This new kit design was first revealed to fans on 18 March 2024 on social media platform X.
As part of Nike’s update, the horizontal bar of the St George’s Cross, a red cross on a white background, now featured blue and purple horizontal stripes. Purists were naturally offended. The national flag is considered sacrosanct by patriotic traditionalists. The imposition of this new design on England fans by the American firm, an official partner of the Football Association (FA) since 2012, was considered a sacrilege, likely with “woke” intent, even though it was by no means the first time such changes had been made. Those particularly affected by the new design even called for a boycott of Nike products. At the time of writing, an online petition on Change.org, launched on 20 March to ‘Save St George’s Cross in English Football’ and to boycott the new shirt with the “defaced” Cross, has collected over 46,000 signatures, with numbers continuing to rise. Nike, meanwhile, issued a statement on 22 March, claiming “it was never our intention to offend, given what it means to England fans. Together with the FA, the intention was to celebrate the heroes of 1966 and their achievements.”
The new shirt nevertheless debuted at a friendly match between England and Brazil the following day, with the unqualified blessings of the FA. Notwithstanding any quibbles over the recoloured St George’s Cross, any complaints are probably best directed at the cost of the new kit. The ‘authentic’ version of the Nike shirt is priced at £124.99 for adults and £119.99 for the junior version, while the ‘stadium’ version will set you back £84.99 for the adult shirt or £64.99 for children.
St George is not only the patron saint of England, but also of Georgia and Ethiopia, and of the Spanish regions of Aragon and Catalonia, and is venerated in many more countries. It is worth reminding ourselves George never even set foot on English soil. Chroniclers of early Christian history inform us that he was born around 270 AD to Greek parents in Cappadocia, a Roman province in Anatolia- now part of modern-day Türkiye. He achieved martyrdom at Lydda, in the Roman province of Palestine, on 23 April 303 AD, while serving as an officer with the Praetorian Guard, having refused to acknowledge the pagan gods and thereby incurring the wrath of Emperor Diocletian. George was subsequently canonised by Pope Gelasius I in 494 AD. In later years, his name became associated with various myths and legends, including the slaying of a dragon who had taken possession of a Libyan king’s daughter. Crusaders returned to England in the 12th century with embellished stories of his many noble exploits. He further gained in popularity as one of the ‘Fourteen Holy Helpers’, a group of saints who protected people against various epidemic diseases. St George’s Cross was then adopted as a battlefield symbol by King Edward I of England in the 13th century. In 1348, Edward III cemented George’s official standing in England, naming him patron saint of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and including his cross on the Royal Standard.
The English flag may well be a symbol of national pride and unity, but it has no official standing in, and is not protected by law. Furthermore, St George’s Cross has, in recent years, been expropriated by English nationalists on the far-right of the spectrum. Public displays of the English flag are thus largely confined to major sporting events and the typically low-key celebrations of St George’s Day (23 April). What probably matters far more to most fans when it comes to the crunch is how well the England team fares on the pitch during Euro 24. Any silverware to reward their efforts is more than likely to help overcome the pain of a temporarily defaced St George’s Cross.
Ashis Banerjee