Controversy over T-shirt slogan

The complaint was made about the product which has been on sale at Sports Soccer in the Chequers shopping centre in Maidstone, Kent.

Shopper John Miles called the T-shirt irresponsible and said it could encourage violence at the World Cup.

The store said it should be taken in a light-hearted manner, not literally.

A Sports Soccer statement said the product was on sale nationwide and was actually targeted at a rugby audience.

Mr Miles complained: "When they rely on the good names of other sports people and their clubs and their associations for their trading, and they set out to undermine all those principles - the mind boggles."

Paul Alcock, a former referee in top flight football and now manager of the Chequers centre, said: "Can you imagine people turning up for the World Cup in Germany with T-shirts like that on?"

Mr Alcock added: "I personally feel, putting my football hat on, that they are deeply offensive and there are two ways of reading them."