Racist football shirt sale condemned

Tipton Boilers' new strip bears no "political message"

Controversial football strips worn by a pub team in the Black Country, are being sold over the internet to raise money for the British National Party, it has been claimed.

The Tipton Boilers were sponsored by the BNP until the Football Association threatened the team with expulsion from the Sandwell Premier and District Football Leagues.

The BNP denied the sponsorship deal was aimed at stirring up racial tension in the town and insisted the team had approached the party for funding.

Asian businessmann George Singh then stepped in to provide a new strip for the team.

Condemned sale

Now copies of the distinctive red, white and blue strip with the BNP logo on the front is being sold for £35 over the internet and on market stalls.

The BNP say the orginal shirts are selling well

West Midlands BNP organiser Simon Darby said it was ironic that shirts which had been banned in Tipton, were now selling well.

"We are selling loads of the shirts off at the moment," he said.

"Everybody wants to buy them."

But the sale has been condemned by MP for West Bromwich west, Adrian Bailey.

Multi-cultural community

He told BBC Radio WM: "It's quite obvious this has everything to do with promoting racist political agenda and absolutely nothing to do with the good of football.

"My advice to any football fan who may be unaware of the implications of buying any shirt, is not to touch them with a barge pole."

The BNP gained 24% of the vote in the Tipton Green ward in the May 2000 local elections - although in the 2002 vote it polled only 334 votes.