LongsightM13
Well-Known Member
It's not like they don't have previous for this.
RETAIL giant Sports Direct today apologised after selling a Manchester United shirt containing a vile Hillsborough slur.
The chain, which has five shops on Merseyside, also immediately changed its shirt policy following outrage from Reds fans.
The move came after Manchester United supporter Colm Jackson bragged on social networking site Facebook about buying the shirt at Sports Direct’s Arndale Centre store in Manchester.
Sports Direct today said the "spiteful and abusive" wording, which referred to the 96 Liverpool fans who died at the disaster, was "unknowingly" applied by an assistant who did not appreciate its significance.
The company added only footballer’s names and numbers would be applied to shirts at their 470 stores in future.
Furious Reds fans inundated the ECHO with calls about the top.
Stephen Lea, 30, from Litherland, said: "Different clubs have different ways of getting at people, but what he’s done is going much too far. To get Sports Direct to print this is disgusting."
Dennis Adams added: "It’s absolutely outrageous. I’m a passionate fan but I would never sink to their level.
"He’s probably going round with a smug grin on his face, but Sports Direct should never allow them to put that on their shirts."
Many fans said they would boycott the company’s Liverpool One store.
A spokesman for Sports Direct, which is owned by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, said: "Sports Direct has been notified that an extremely offensive and wholly inappropriate football shirt was printed at one of its stores. The store assistant printed this unknowingly and has been deeply shocked upon being notified of the significance of this and the upset caused.
"As a result, Sports Direct has taken immediate action and changed the administration policy for printing football shirts across its store network. With immediate effect, it will only allow printing of current football players names and numbers on football shirts.
"Sports Direct has contacted Facebook to request the urgent withdrawal of this deeply offensive image from the individual's Facebook page, and is very apologetic for this spiteful and abusive shirt."
Facebook has now removed the offensive page which included a picture of the shirt.
When approached by the ECHO, Jackson apologised and said he would burn the shirt.
RETAIL giant Sports Direct today apologised after selling a Manchester United shirt containing a vile Hillsborough slur.
The chain, which has five shops on Merseyside, also immediately changed its shirt policy following outrage from Reds fans.
The move came after Manchester United supporter Colm Jackson bragged on social networking site Facebook about buying the shirt at Sports Direct’s Arndale Centre store in Manchester.
Sports Direct today said the "spiteful and abusive" wording, which referred to the 96 Liverpool fans who died at the disaster, was "unknowingly" applied by an assistant who did not appreciate its significance.
The company added only footballer’s names and numbers would be applied to shirts at their 470 stores in future.
Furious Reds fans inundated the ECHO with calls about the top.
Stephen Lea, 30, from Litherland, said: "Different clubs have different ways of getting at people, but what he’s done is going much too far. To get Sports Direct to print this is disgusting."
Dennis Adams added: "It’s absolutely outrageous. I’m a passionate fan but I would never sink to their level.
"He’s probably going round with a smug grin on his face, but Sports Direct should never allow them to put that on their shirts."
Many fans said they would boycott the company’s Liverpool One store.
A spokesman for Sports Direct, which is owned by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, said: "Sports Direct has been notified that an extremely offensive and wholly inappropriate football shirt was printed at one of its stores. The store assistant printed this unknowingly and has been deeply shocked upon being notified of the significance of this and the upset caused.
"As a result, Sports Direct has taken immediate action and changed the administration policy for printing football shirts across its store network. With immediate effect, it will only allow printing of current football players names and numbers on football shirts.
"Sports Direct has contacted Facebook to request the urgent withdrawal of this deeply offensive image from the individual's Facebook page, and is very apologetic for this spiteful and abusive shirt."
Facebook has now removed the offensive page which included a picture of the shirt.
When approached by the ECHO, Jackson apologised and said he would burn the shirt.