Company 'gutted' after pre-releasing 18,000 England World Cup winner shirts

A company is facing a massive loss after it was left with 18,000 football shirts celebrating England as the 2022 World Cup winners.

Dorset-based Wholesale Clearance UK had been so confident with Gareth Southgate's squad they had a winners kit made before the quarter-finals.

The blue and white shirts even featured the words 'it's finally home' on the back.

England were beaten 2-1 by the reigning world champions France on Saturday, after outplaying Les Bleus during parts of the game - and with captain Harry Kane missing a penalty in the 84th minute.

The manner of the defeat may have come as a shock to some, but more so to Wholesale Clearance UK managing director Karl Baxter, who had pre-released the winners shirts with a prediction that there would be "no stopping the English juggernaut".

The shirts, printed with the words England Cup Winners 2022, were originally listed for £29.99 each but have since been reduced to £9.99.

A post published on their website had read: "We are so confident that England will win the Cup this time round, we are pre-releasing our unique winners shirts!

"In true never give up English style, we have taken the gamble the boys will bring football home! We can hear it now...The Champions of the World...ENGLAND!"

Andy White, head of sales at Wholesale Clearance UK, said the plan had been to be the first ones to produce the winning kit but this did not go he has hoped.

Mr White told ITV News: "We were quite confident England were going to win, but obviously that didn't work out.

"I genuinely thought we had a massive chance this year and I was gutted when we didn't.

"At least we can say these shirts are certainly unique and a one-off."

Mr White added that the company have now decided to market the shirts as unisex in a tribute to the England Women's Euro win over the summer.

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