By singingshiver
June 17 2003

The launch of the new Walsall kit has been met with anger by many Walsall fans due to the extortionate selling price. Not only is the kit expensive, it is made by an unattractive manufacturer (Xara) and is not very different to last season’s kit. The price for the new shirt is £40 for adults, with the shorts priced at £18 and the socks at £10. That is a staggering £68 for the full kit! The new England shirt was retailing at £24 at SportsSoccer in town and many Premier Club shirts can be purchased for around £30. It is plain to see that all Walsall fans are being made to pay over the odds, but who is to blame?

It is unknown how much of the pricing is controlled by the Xara. The manufacturer is sure to control the price in which they sell them to the club, but surely the club would control the retail price? Are they exploiting Walsall fans because the kits are only available through the club shops and not any other sports shops? Everyone knows that the more outlets selling an item encourages a competitive pricing market, and this is something the club have prevented.

So what can we do about it? The obvious choice is to boycott buying the kit to shop the club that we are not prepared to pay such ridiculous prices, but is this enough? Should we have a petition running and send it to the club to voice our disgust?
The choice is down to the fans. If the sales are poor the club will have to respond by lowering the prices, that is common business sense.

Vote using the online poll and let us know if you plan on buying the new kit. Also, talk about the idea of a petition or other ideas on the message board.