Every profession on earth has a set of work clothes to protect and distinguish them from their peers. Sports are no different and in professional soccer leagues like the English Premier League (EPL), no item is as important in a player’s attire as a shirt. Shirts not only serve the functional purpose of protecting players against the elements and identifying them as belonging to a specific team but also embody a club’s image and culture and act as a unifying symbol for a club, its players, and its supporters. With their packed schedules and soccer traditions like shirt swapping after games, fans often wonder whether EPL players get a new shirt before every game.
Do Premier League players get a new shirt every game? Yes. Premier League players do get a new shirt every game. EPL clubs usually provide between two to three shirts (and kits as a whole) per game in order to allow players a change of attire in case of an incident like an injury or dirt whenever they play in unfavorable weather conditions. Since EPL games are widely televised, it is always good for players to look their best. Some EPL clubs are known to provide up to four shirts to players per game.
A Brief History of Soccer Shirts
Soccer shirts have a long and equally storied history as the sport itself. Prior to the mid to late 1800s, most soccer clubs in England and indeed around the world had no standard kits. Players merely showed up at games wearing what they had at hand and sought to distinguish themselves from their opponents by donning differently-colored scarves, caps, or sashes.
The above-mentioned items were commonly won under cricket gear since a good number of early football clubs were started by cricket clubs who couldn’t play the sport in their off-season. Cricket gear was also more readily available then. That however changed in the 1870s when select clubs like 1994-95 EPL title winners Blackburn Rovers started wearing unique kits.
Early soccer shirts and kits mostly served a functional purpose since they mostly consisted of a handful of colors that made distinguishing clubs a little challenging. In order to make it easier for both players and spectators, clubs began investing in unique shirts and kits just before the turn of the century thanks to organized competitions like the English Football League and the FA Cup.
Still, most clubs viewed shirts and kits as unnecessary as evidenced by the repeated shooting down of a proposal by EPL powerhouses Liverpool in 1904 and 1906 which sought to have clubs wear designated kits depending on whether they were playing home or away.
The idea nevertheless continued to gain traction with developments like shirt numbers first being introduced in the late 1920s. Shirts have since undergone many changes including the introduction of a variety of fabrics to substitute the classic cotton materials as well as various patterns and collar styles.
Shirts in EPL vs Lower English Leagues
Different from the EPL, players in lower-tier leagues do not necessarily receive new shirts every game. The reason is simple – they do not generate as much revenue. Statistics accumulated over the years show that the EPL makes six times as much revenue as the Championship.
Current projections have the EPL set to surpass the £7 billion mark in their 2022-23 season making the provision of necessary expenses like shirts an expense they can afford to write off. That is not to say that clubs in lower tiers like the Championship cannot afford a new shirt every game since it usually comes down to the financial position of a club.
The popularity of EPL sides also earns them shirt and kit sponsorships that provide additional revenues for income. For context, 13-time EPL champions Manchester United are currently on a five-year deal £235 million shirt sponsorship deal that equates to £47 million a year.
Clubs in the EPL also receive a commission of anywhere from 10% to 20% for every shirt they sell. This makes it easy for clubs to provide multiple shirts for players every game, especially those with popular players. United is also a great example here as they recently sold £187 million worth of Cristiano Ronaldo shirts within the first 10 days of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s return to Old Trafford.
Research also shows that the cost of washing shirts (and kits at large) is equally steep which makes providing new kits an equally viable option. This assertion does not however mean that clubs do not do both in order to minimize their operational expenses.
Other Reasons Why EPL Players Get a New Shirt Every Game
Another reason why EPL players are given a new shirt every game is that they often need one since they rarely retain shirts once they wear them. This is because players and clubs often find other personal and charitable uses for them including:
- Donating them to charities
It is quite common for EPL players and clubs to donate their shirts to charities after matches. Shirts, especially those of popular players who tend to score lots of goals during matches often fetch hefty prices as collectibles with the proceeds being redirected to noble causes of a player’s or club’s choice.
Among the many charities that EPL players have donated their shirts to include NHS Charities Together, Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, Croydon University Hospital, and FareShare, among others. EPL clubs are also known to wear special edition shirts for the same purpose.
- Gifting them to fans
Any sport and league, including soccer and the EPL respectively, are only as great as the fans who support it. It is therefore common for EPL players to give shirts to fans as gifts, especially young ones, as a form of appreciation.
EPL players and clubs have also been known to award shirts to fans who support them and/or their clubs, especially ailing children whose spirits can be uplifted by such gestures. Among the clubs known to give shirts as gifts include Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City, and former top-tier side Sunderland.
- Swapping them with other players
Shirt-swapping is a time-honored tradition in soccer and in the EPL. Players often swap shirts with their opponents at the end of matches as a sign of respect and sportsmanship. Some players also swap shirts in support of the other players’ charities.
Recent interviews by former players have revealed that EPL players often have to reimburse their clubs for every shirt they swap or give away without their prior consent like in the case of a charity. This is yet another reason EPL players can get a new shirt every game since a shirt may be replaced out of their own pocket.