I was talking to a mate the other day, and he mentioned that Man Utd Christmas Jumpers were already on sale. The club have been selling these for ages now, as well as decorations, wrapping paper, baubles for the tree, etc. My friend had a dim view of this and I agreed with him at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I changed my mind.
It’s easy to roll your eyes and moan about how commercial the club – and football more generally – has become, but I’m not sure. Maybe that view is too narrow nowadays.
I buy a new Christmas jumper every year. Usually from Sainsbury’s. It’s generic and costs about £25. If I’m buying one anyway, why would I not give that money to the club I love instead? Alright, they cost a little more, but only about a tenner, and the jumper will actually mean something to me.
It’s not a rubbish novelty product either. It won’t fall apart in the washing machine. It’s well made and well designed. Plus, it would help me survive the Stretford End when the wind kicks up! Yes, it’s another example of how commercial the club is now, but is that really so bad?
Big Clubs are Now Brands – We Have to Accept That
You might think that football clubs becoming commercial brands is a relatively new thing. It’s not really. Club merchandise goes back decades. Yes, the scale of it has changed, but the concept has existed since the 1960s.
Think about it. Scarves, pin badges, beanie hats, mugs, replica kits – this stuff has been around for a very long time. I remember my first trip to Old Trafford in the 90s: they were selling little medals, stationery, ‘signed’ postcards, there was all sorts of tat. Even a matchday programme is a money making endeavour.
Man Utd Christmas jumpers aren’t exactly a giant leap from that sort of thing.
Big clubs are brands now. They sell identity in the same way Levi, or Adidas, or Apple do. It’s not just the product, it’s what that product represents and what it says about you to the outside world. Manchester United’s name, crest, and iconic images such as the United Trinity, are instantly recognisable around the world. The club would be mad not to capitalise on that.
What’s more, people obviously want this stuff or it wouldn’t be produced each year.
All that has really changed, is that clubs no longer sell merch that is purely about performance or matchday culture. It’s home wear, it’s business attire, it’s Christmas jumpers. It’s Manchester United woven into daily life, and I don’t see what’s wrong with that?
Branding vs Belonging
The other side of the argument is that commercialisation kills the soul of the club. I would counter that actually, all of this merchandise helps fans feel like they belong to the United tribe.
A Man united fan in Poland (yes, there is a Polish Man Utd supporters club) can’t exactly get the 256 bus to Flixton and hop off at Old Trafford. But they can buy the jersey, use a Man Utd coffee mug in the morning, and wear a Man Utd Christmas jumper in December.
The brand belongs to the fans, because nobody who doesn’t support the club is going to be buying these products, are they? And the club are smart to give them these products to buy in the first place. It’s a great way to reach people and get them invested.
So if the summer can be all about buying the latest home or away kit, why can’t December be about buying the latest Christmas jumper?
Even if none of this had convinced you, the Man Utd Christmas jumper is red, and red is festive, so get over it.
Best Man Utd Christmas Jumpers
To end, let’s have a look at some of the options available to those fans who want to wear United jumper at Christmas.
It’s not just the club who produce them of course. You can get them all over the internet. However, most of the unofficial ones are pretty ropey, so I would stick to the real deal.
I know it’s barely November but I have already been shopping for mine, and I think I know which one I’m going for.
This is an official Man Utd Christmas jumper for their store, showing the United trinity plus the name of the club.
I like this one because it’s not immediately obvious that it is Man Utd themed at all, not at a quick glance. It look pretty classy if you ask me, very festive with the red and white, and could equally be worn on a Christmas works do or on the morning of the big day itself.
I will almost certainly be choosing this option this Christmas.
I like this one too, but it’s very busy – even for a Christmas jumper.
It reminds me of a few of our away kits over the years, and with the Black and Yellow kit back for this season I was tempted, but I think the Santa faces were too much for me. I preferred the subtlety of the United trilogy one.
If I was looking for something funny that might make people smile, I would go for this one – Santa sliding on his knees in front of the Stretford End.
But I’m not, so I won’t.
I like it though. “Sliding Home for Christmas”. Very good. The back is a bit boring though it has to be said.
Fred the Red!
This one is only actually available in junior sizes so it’s not even an option for me. It feels pretty retro and reminds me of supporting the club in the 90s, so I would have seriously considered it if it had been available in larger sizes.
I suppose I could buy it for my lad. Get him started on the new Man Utd Christmas jumper tradition.