British Prime Minister David Cameron has given his support to calls for a "rethink" regarding the 90 pound ($150) cost of the new replica England soccer shirt.
The price of the shirt, identical to the one that will be worn by the England team at June's World Cup finals, proved controversial immediately following its launch earlier this week.
Sports minister Helen Grant had already gone on Twitter to say, "On £90 England #football shirts for fans, it's not right. Loyal supporters are the bedrock of our national game - pricing needs a rethink."
And Cameron's spokesman, at a regular media briefing on Wednesday, said, "He [Cameron] does agree with Helen Grant." However, the spokesman added the government could not order a reduction in price.
"It is a matter for the manufacturers and the FA [England's governing Football Association], but does he agree with Helen Grant that 90 pounds is a great deal of money for a replica shirt? Absolutely," the spokesman said.
"Would a rethink by the manufacturer be welcomed by all fans? I'm sure that would be the case."
An adult "stadium" England shirt is priced at 60 pounds, while shirts for children aged between 8 and 15 cost 42 pounds with mini-kits priced at 40 pounds.
The previous Nike kit had only been available since May - for a mere seven England matches - after the company took over from rival manufacturer Umbro.
This week the FA issued a statement insisting it had never interfered with its kit suppliers when it came to the issue of pricing replica strips.
"The FA is a not-for-profit organization that puts 100 million pounds back into the game every year," the statement said. "It is through relationships with partners such as Nike that we are able to maintain that level of investment in football."
AFP - Global Times