Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service compared counterfeit football shirts with official kits and found the fakes were far more flammable. Watch manager Dave Jackson, who tested pairs of shirts by suspending them from an iron bar and applying blowtorches, said the counterfeit shirt melted almost immediately on contact with the flame, whereas the genuine one was difficult to ignite or melt. He warned the risk is severe, with the potential for serious injuries to children, and said any savings aren’t worth it.
Kate Caffrey, head of intelligence at the Intellectual Property Office, cautioned that counterfeit shirts fall outside health and safety regulations, including British and EU standards. She told BBC Sport there is evidence many are made in poor conditions, with unknown materials and no safety assurances.
Caffrey added that counterfeiting is a criminal enterprise. Organized networks target periods of high demand—such as the World Cup and the start of the Premier League season—to flood the market with fake shirts. Buyers, she said, cannot be sure what their money is funding when they purchase counterfeits.