Wales

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Poland will view Wales as a "big threat" in their Euro 2024 play-off final on Tuesday, says David Brooks.

The attacking midfielder scored Wales' opening goal as they defeated Finland 4-1 in Thursday's semi-final.

Robert Page's side will face Poland, who thrashed Estonia 5-1 in the other semi-final, in Cardiff for a place at this summer's European Championship.

"We're halfway there. The aim was to get to the Euros and we have another big game," said Brooks.

"Poland are a good team with good players but we're a good team with good players.

"They'll be looking at us as a big threat as well. We'll be putting a game-plan together.

"Hopefully it's another special night. Everyone in there wants to play at the Euros again and we'll be all pulling in the same direction."

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Thanks for your views on England's kit. The debate will probably rumble on for a little while yet.

However, we're now going to turn our attention to this evening's games involving Scotland and Northern Ireland and look ahead to England's fixture with Brazil tomorrow.

We will, of course, reflect on Wales' win over Finland last night, too.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport

The FA stands by the England kit and won’t be recalling or changing it because of the reaction to the St George's flag on the collar.

The FA also stands by the Nike-issued statement. The FA says the flag on the back of the collar is in tribute to the 1966 training kit.

The suggestion that the FA wants to change or does not want to display the St George's flag is wrong. It will be on display everywhere at Wembley as usual.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Presenter Nicky Campbell has been chatting away to football kit designer Ed on BBC Radio 5 Live as the fallout around England's controversial kit and Nike's decision to alter the St George's Cross on the collar of the shirt continues.

"The St George's Cross has probably only appeared on about six kits as a distinct graphic element. The way it has been written that it is an update of the St George's Cross is probably the wrong way to have delivered this. I see it more as a graphic element around where the kit colours have come from," said Ed.

"I can understand people being upset. I think if you had said it was a nod to it or said something more subtle it would have been less upsetting.

"Interestingly the player version was sold out on the Nike website this morning. They are pricey. I remember when I first fell in love with football, you got a home kit one year and an away kit the other and they hung around for a couple of years and I think it would be great if that came back because it would help with sustainability as well as helping people's wallets."

You can listen back to the debate on BBC Sounds here...

Anon: Where are the England players on this issue? Standing with the fans or worried about their sponsorship deals with Nike? If they are proud to wear the shirt the should be shoulder to shoulder with the supporters.

Daniel: I don't care about the flag, actually I think its quite nice. I can't believe I'm siding with Nike. Don't buy it if you feel so strongly, the £125 would put me off more.

Image source, Getty Images

Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton is not a happy man. The Three Lions most-capped player took to X, formerly known ,as Twitter about the change to the St George's Cross on the collar of he team's new kit.

"Sorry but this is wrong on every level I’m totally against it! Including the price that Nike are going to charge," he wrote.

The 74-year-old, whose 125 caps included the 1990 World Cup semi-final defeat to West Germany, also says the price of the shirt is ripping fans off.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme he added: "I don't agree with it. I am a traditionalist. We have so many changes to kits these days so it really makes fans buy fresh kits to stay up to date and it is very expensive. It is a colour difference and I think it is significant.

"Once you start changing colours there is no end to it. There is no need to change the colour of the flag. Maybe it is the start of introducing new colours to the strip."

BBC Radio 5 Live

More callers to Nicky Campbell's phone-in have been sounding off about England's new kit. Mark in Sheffield said he was "bemused by the change" and adds "it's absurd. The St George's flag brings people together. People at the top of the FA have agreed to this but they don't understand what it is be to English".

Bill in Cwmbran says he has found the whole imbroglio "utterly hilarious". He says "why people are getting so upset a change of a shirt I don't know. England is a country without its own national anthem, so why are people so worked up over a flag?"

Meanwhile, Katie in Clitheroe says the "debate should be about how much the kit costs. It’s getting beyond a joke now".

You can listen to the debate on BBC Sounds here...

Image source, Getty Images

Just for reference a Nike-made Liverpool home-match jersey cost around £115 this season, with their stadium version of the shirt priced at £75.

The player version of Chelsea's home shirt also made by the same manufacturer is £125.

A Manchester City (authentic) home shirt made by Puma comes in at around £110 (although you get a nice wrapping box with it) and a Manchester United match shirt (made by Adidas) was priced at £110 until it went on sale.

Amazing what people charge for a shirt that has a lifespan of a solitary season!

BBC Radio 5 Live

Some more callers to Nicky Campbell's phone-in on England's controversial kit have expressed their views on the change to the St George's Cross on the collar of the shirt.

Phil in Arundel said, "The colours of a flag aren't something you can just change. I'm not an overly patriotic person but you can't just change it.

He adds: "If you changed the Dutch colours you could end up with a Luxembourg flag and I'm sure the Swedes wouldn't be keen if theirs was white and blue and it became the Finland flag. There is flexibility with a kit colour but we are talking about a flag not a kit."

Alison from Harrogate says, "My family think it is really cool and very modern. In this day and age it is probably the way to go. It sends out a strong anti-racism message. We feel the red cross can look a little nationalistic."

Nicky Campbell responds by asking why changing the colours mean it is taking a stand against racism?

Mark from the North East says, "imagine if Newcastle adopted red, which is the colour of our rivals Sunderland, there would be riots. We are all accepting of different cultures but you don't need to change the colour of the shirt or flag. It is a red cross, we are England."

You can listen to the debate on BBC Sounds here...

No such thing as bad publicity?

"I imagine that there will be some whooping and hollering in the Nike marketing department," says BBC 5 live presenter Nicky Campbell during his phone-in on the new England kit.

You can listen to the debate on BBC Sounds here...

BBC Radio 5 Live

More from Adrian Bevington, who was Club England managing director at the Football Association from 2010 to 2015, on England's controversial kit change.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: "I would be astounded if Nike has not done focus groups to assess the reaction other kit from a sample of the England football fanbase. They must feel confident to have gone with this.

"They should be gauging public opinion. When you change something as symbolic as the St George's Cross on an England national shirt, there’s going to be conjecture, it’s going to be a highly emotional subject.

"My instinct would’ve been to say no. reading the public room at this moment I personally wouldn’t have signed it off. The George Cross that flies above Wembley is good enough for me."

BBC Radio 5 Live

Some callers to Nicky Campbell's phone-in on England's controversial kit have expressed their frustration with the change to the St George's Cross on the collar of the shirt.

Chris in Chelmsford said "you don’t put different colours on flags" and that at "£125 for a shirt it's not for me as it costs about £10 to make." He adds that he is "all for inclusivity" but "don’t touch the St George’s Cross"

Meanwhile PJ in Leicester is "furious" and said the "flag represents England. We should pull together under that flag. Everybody should boycott this kit".

You can listen to the debate on BBC Sounds here...

Image source, Getty Images

Nike is not planning to recall or change a new England football shirt featuring different colours in the cross of St George.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is among prominent voices calling on the company to change the design.

Nike says the shirt, launched ahead of Euro 2024, includes a "playful update" to the cross "to unite and inspire".

But it has been criticised for featuring navy, light blue and purple in a flag on the back of the collar.

The US firm said the colours were inspired by the training kit worn by England's 1966 World Cup winners.

Some football pundits, politicians and fans have criticised the shirt's design and price after it launched earlier this week.

Going on sale on 21 March, the "authentic" version is priced at £124.99 for adults and £119.99 for children, while a "stadium" version costs £84.99 and £64.99 for children.

Read the full story here...

Image source, Stuart Manley/The FA

BBC Radio 5 Live

Adrian Bevington, who was Club England managing director at the Football Association from 2010 to 2015, spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast on the controversy about England's kit.

He said: "The kit process is a long process. It’s a big ticket for the manufacturer, in this case Nike. I would suggest they have been discussion this particular kit for one to two years. During that process they would’ve presented initial designs to the FA.

"Ultimately the chief commercial and marketing person and the chief exectuive at the FA…must’ve signed it off before it went forward.".

Image source, Nike

The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says sport manufacturers Nike should change the new England football shirt which features different colours in the cross of St George.

Nike says the shirt, launched ahead of Euro 2024, includes a "playful update" to the cross "to unite and inspire".

But it has been criticised for featuring navy, light blue and purple in a flag on the back of the collar instead of the traditional red.

The US firm said the colours were inspired by the training kit worn by England's 1966 World Cup winners.

Some football pundits, politicians and fans have criticised the shirt's design and price after it launched earlier this week.

Going on sale on 21 March, the "authentic" version is priced at £124.99 for adults and £119.99 for children, while a "stadium" version costs £84.99 and £64.99 for children.

In an interview with the Sun newspaper Sir Keir told The Sun, external that the "flag is used by everybody, it is a unifier, it doesn't need to be changed".

"We just need to be proud of it. So I think they should just reconsider this and change it back. I'm not even sure they properly can explain why they thought they needed to change in the first place."

The Labour leader also called on Nike to reduce the price of the shirts, albeit BBC News understands there are no plans to change or recall the shirt.

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