A representative of English football giants Liverpool has said to fans: “If you love the club, buy real shirts.”
This came after two raids in Bangkok netted more than 1,000 fake shirts being sold in two locations.
Fakes sell for just a few hundred baht in Thailand while the real thing costs thousands. A minimum wage employee would have to work for a week to get one.
Kevin Harrington a law firm employee representing Liverpool’s interest in Thailand said:
“True fans should buy real shirts and show their love for the club.”
He said that real merchandise was only available at Central stores and Supersports through the distributor CRC.
Police on Thursday arrested two people in Sukhumvit and Nonthaburi. Thongkham Pholom, 57, in Phrakhanong had 454 fakes but said she was just an employee paid 8,000 baht a month. She blamed Right Collective Co Ltd.
Forty year old Sahachart Nuchwan in Bang Kruay had 700 fakes and admitted to being a distributor.
Police put losses for Liverpool at 2 million baht. (BT:- Liverpool have lost nothing because most Thais can’t afford real shirts so wouldn’t buy one.)
Liverpool’s Thai website lists shirts for sale starting at more than 2,700 baht.
Liverpool remain one of the most popular clubs for Thai fans despite the fact they have never won the English Premier League since it began in 1992.
(Source:-Manager)
BT comment:- Until football clubs stop being so greedy by charging ridiculous sums for their shirts, there will always be a market for fakes. The sponsors are getting advertizing from the shirts and the quality of the material does not justify the price.
I have not bought a replica shirt (apart from retros with no advertzing on them) for over 40 years and will not be doing so ever again. To expect most football-crazy Thais to be able to afford genuine shirts borders on the insane. It simply shows complete indifference to global supporters in less-affluent countries.