Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways by dismantling Newcastle United 4-1. The match had several topics that made the headlines. Brennan Johnson is one of them. Interestingly, it is not because of his game performance but because of his match shirt.
Tottenham got off to a flying start in their clash against the Magpies at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Whilst fans were soaking up Ange Postecoglou‘s side’s impressive first-half performance, some eagle-eyed fans spotted something bizarre about Johnson’s shirts.
Brennan Johnson started the game for Spurs in their attack. Johnson wore the white home kit by Nike that notably lacked one important feature – the club’s iconic cockerel logo. While other elements like the Nike swoosh, the sponsor logo, the shirt number, and the name on the back were intact, the space reserved for the badge on the shirt’s right-hand side was noticeably blank.
Images captured during the match depicted the Welsh international wearing the badge on his shirt during the initial phases of the game.
It appears that the explanation behind the missing badge was simply because it fell off sometime during the contest, probably after he was fouled in the first half. Unlike certain clubs that stitch their badges onto the shirt, Tottenham employs a heat-sealed method.
Johnson’s kit mishap is believed to be the result of an ironing failure. However, in the second half, Johnson came back wearing a new shirt that displayed the usual cockerel emblem.
This unexpected omission drew immediate reactions with fans expressing confusion and amusement on social media. The incident sparked widespread criticism and ridicule, highlighting the importance of quality control and attention to detail in sports apparel manufacturing.
This incident evokes memories of Castore’s infamous kit failures. In the 2022/23 season, Ivan Rakitić was captured wearing the Castore Sevilla away kit against Real Betis that similarly had the Sevilla logo go completely missing. Castore had a similar issue earlier this year during a game when Wolverhampton Wanderers faced Aston Villa.
Images during the match captured Nelson Somedo wearing his Castore home kit having the Wolves emblem printed upside down. There have been numerous complaints against Castore that questioned their quality and production control. Aston Villa players have reportedly complained against Castore highlighting their poor quality kits. Recently, Newcastle terminated their contract with Castore as well.
Recently, Nike has been brought into the limelight on multiple occasions because of their football kit. Fans have tagged their kit designs as ‘boring’ and ‘lazy’. Moreover, several fingers have been pointed towards Nike’s production issues as well.
Reports suggest F.C. Barcelona is contemplating changing sponsors due to issues with Nike’s problem of complying with their kit stocking regulations. A similar complaint arose from England Women’s World Cup goalkeeper Mary Earps regarding Nike’s failure to offer replica goalkeeper jerseys for sale. Amidst these speculations, Johnson’s crest mishap is surely something Nike should be concerned about.
The crest mishap did not stop Tottenham from securing all 3 points against the Magpies. However, Nike should be careful. These kinds of issues can damage not only Nike’s reputation but also affect the team’s image and professionalism.
