In 2024, Casino Kings presented ‘A Tale of Two Shirts,’ a compelling campaign shedding light on the ever-growing issue of counterfeit football kits. As official club merchandise prices continue to rise, the market for counterfeit alternatives has expanded, driven by affordability, accessibility, and fan demand. This page offers an in-depth exploration of the statistics, market size, and fan adoption patterns behind this global phenomenon.
Backed by comprehensive internal and external research, this data hub provides essential insights for football clubs, journalists, industry stakeholders, and fans alike. From the volume of counterfeit kits circulating in the UK to the shifting motivations of fans who purchase them, our analysis uncovers the trends shaping this nearly £200 million-pound shadow industry.
Through clear visualisations, key takeaways, and expert commentary, we aim to present a balanced view of the counterfeit football kit market. Discover how fans are responding to financial challenges, the impact on brand loyalty, and the role of price sensitivity in consumer choices.
This page equips you with a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play. Explore the data and see why ‘A Tale of Two Shirts’ tells a story much bigger than just lower prices— it’s a reflection of modern fan culture, economics, and brand integrity in football today.
Counterfeit Football Shirt Market Size
During 2023, the counterfeit market in Premier League football shirts was estimated to be worth £180 million a year, the equivalent of almost a third of legitimate sales. (Corsearch)
In 2023 sales of official Premier League football shirts reached £489 million. (Corsearch)
The market in counterfeit shirts costs Premier League clubs, kit manufacturers, and brands an estimated £246 million in lost revenue per year (Corsearch)
Online searches for fake football shirts in the UK skyrocketed by 480% between the start of 2020/21 and 2024/25 seasons. (Casino Kings & Google Trends)
It is estimated that 16.2 million counterfeit shirts are sold each year. For every legitimate shirt sold, 1.6 counterfeit shirts are in circulation. (Corsearch)
Counterfeit Football Shirt Prices & Quality
Children’s counterfeit football shirts were found, on average,e to be 79% cheaper than their official counterparts. (Casino Kings, 2024)
Counterfeit shirts were found to be, on average, 5% smaller than their official equivalents. (Casino Kings)
In A/B visual testing with official and counterfeit side-by-side, only 74.6% of fans correctly identified the genuine shirts, but over a quarter mistook counterfeits for the real thing. (Casino Kings, 2024)
In standalone tests, without official versions to compare, 70.6% identified fakes, but nearly a third mistook them for genuine kits. (Casino Kings)
Testing by a kit expert revealed that a single counterfeit Liverpool shirt had 70+ visible quality flaws and design mistakes, including incorrect logos and stitching errors. (Casino Kings, 2024)
In 2024 testing, after ten washes, counterfeit kits showed significant deterioration, particularly those shirts with heat-pressed sponsorship designs and badges. (Casino Kings)
Fans & Parents’ Attitudes To Football Kits
72% of surveyed parents reported buying at least one football kit per season for their children, and 42% purchase kits for two or more children each year. (Casino Kings, 2024)
Factors that matter most to parents when purchasing a football kit.
| Rank | Factor | Average Score (5 = Very Important) |
| 1 | Club Loyalty | 4.63 |
| 2 | Child’s Preference | 4.45 |
| 3 | Quality | 4.39 |
| 4 | Style | 4.21 |
| 5 | Price | 4.13 |
| 6 | Ethical Considerations | 3.71 |
Source: Casino Kings – A Tale of Two Shirts (2024)
82% of parents consider football kits expensive, with 57% rated them as “very expensive.” (Casino Kings)
72% of parents surveyed expressed a neutral or negative view on whether the high price matched the quality provided. (Casino Kings)
61% of fans feel that football clubs release new kits too often. (Casino Kings)
65% reported feeling some degree of pressure for their child to have the latest football kit, and 32% said they often feel pressured. (Casino Kings)
Fan Attitudes To Counterfeit Football Kits
In 2024, 94% of fans knew counterfeit kits were available. (Casino Kings)
36% of parents admitted to buying a counterfeit shirt at some point, with 23% specifically purchasing them for their children. (Casino Kings)
Of those who had bought a counterfeit, the feedback was largely positive; 92% found the quality acceptable, 77% believed it was at least “very similar” to the real thing, and 33% even described it as “nearly identical.” (Casino Kings)
60% of fans surveyed would only ever purchase official football merchandise. (Casino Kings)
39% of parents wouldn’t tell their child if the kit was a fake. 43% of parents said they’d definitely feel concerned if their child knew they were wearing a fake, while 66% were possibly worried about other parents’ perceptions. (Casino Kings)
High-street fashion rated only 1.8% lower in ethical concerns than counterfeit football shirts. (Casino Kings)
A 2024 survey data revealed that higher-income families are more likely to purchase counterfeit football shirts than lower-income households.
Household Income Percentage of Respondents Percentage Who Have Bought Counterfeit Kits
| Household Income | Percentage of Respondents | Percentage Who Have Bought Counterfeit Kits |
| Less than £20,000 | 33% | 30.85% |
| £20,000 – £40,000 | 25% | 36.11% |
| £40,000 – £60,000 | 13% | 38.89% |
| £60,000 – £80,000 | 8% | 50.25% |
| More than £80,000 | 3% | 40.75% |
| Prefer not to say | 18% | 24.53% |
Source: Casino Kings – A Tale of Two Shirts (2024)
Football Kit Price Increases, Inflation & Increased Releases
2024 Casino Kings research found that in 1992, an adult shirt cost around £29.99, and children’s shirts cost approximately £23.99. By 2024, these prices increased to an average of £81.67 for adults and £59 for children. (Casino Kings)
When adjusted for inflation (2024 prices), these 1992 prices equate to £64.18 for adults and £52.05 for children today, revealing a real price increase of 27.25% for adult shirts and 13.41% for children’s shirts over the past three decades. (Casino Kings)
Household incomes in the UK have stagnated since the 2008 financial crisis, with annual growth averaging less than 0.5% between 2007/08 and 2022/23, at just 7.2% in total. (The Institute for Fiscal Studies). Football shirt prices, adjusted for inflation, have increased 29.2% since 2008, 3 times faster than wages. (Casino Kings)
Premier League clubs released 1.42 new kits per year, on a rolling 5-year average, in 1995, By 2013, 3 kit releases per year had become the norm for Top 6 clubs. (Casino Kings)
Annualised Home Kit Price (AHKP)—the annualised cost of owning the latest home shirt, considers increased kit releases and rising prices to work out the average cost fans are now paying yearly to wear their team’s latest home shirt.
Adjusted for inflation, the Annualised Home Kit Price has risen from £42.38 in 1995 to £81.67 in 2024—a 92% increase. For parents buying a new home shirt for their child, the cost has grown from £31.49 to £59, an 87% increase. (Casino Kings)
Piercing forecasting from that study reveals that the first £100 Premier League replica shirt could arrive as early as the 2029/30 season. (Casino Kings, 2024)
Football Shirt Revenue Breakdown
Where does the revenue from Football shirts go?
| Area | Cost (£) | % |
| Retailer Revenue | £26.40 | 33% |
| Manufacturing Brand Mark-up | £23.47 | 29.3% |
| VAT | £13.33 | 16.7% |
| Materials, Labour & Transport | £8 | 10% |
| Club Licensing Fee | £4.80 | 6% |
| Marketing | £2.40 | 3% |
| Local Distribution | £1.60 | 2% |
| Total | £80 |
Source: Dr Peter Rohlmann (PR Marketing Consulting, Germany, 2023)
UK Counterfeit Market Stats
Counterfeit and pirated imports into the UK were valued at £7.1 billion in 2021, representing 1.5% of total UK imports. (OECD)
From 2020 to 2021, Hong Kong was the leading source of counterfeit imports into the United Kingdom, accounting for 89% of customs seizures. The People’s Republic of China ranked second, contributing 10%, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 1%. (OECD)
71% of UK consumers say that they have never purchased counterfeit goods. (Intellectual Property Office – 2020)
Younger consumers are the most likely buyers, with 30% of those aged 18-24 and 31% of those aged 25-34 purchasing counterfeits at least occasionally, compared to much lower rates among older age groups. (IPO)
Respondents to an IPO survey generally considered paying half the price of an authentic product acceptable for a counterfeit. However, a quarter of the price was seen as more realistic for categories like clothing and watches. (IPO)
Football Shirt Photo Gallery
Need photography for your piece? View our gallery of Football shirt photos, available for free use under a Creative Commons licence.