JD Sports removes ‘sexist’ Scotland football kit photo after Twitter backlash

A Twitter user accused the sports retailer of #everydaysexism

JD Sports has removed a photograph of a woman wearing Scotland’s official football kit after a father accused the brand of sexism.

The image on the sports retail company website showed a female model wearing jeans with rips on the thighs and sitting with her legs apart while photos of men’s and children’s kits presented the models in a more traditional pose.

Twitter user Simon Kemp spotted the image while shopping for kits for his children and made a complaint to the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and JD Sports, who is the official retailer for the kit.

“So please explain why the official seller @JDSports has presented the boys and men as athletes, yet the female model is more “traditional” #everydaysexism,” Kemp tweeted.

He added: “@ScottishFA And by the way, my daughter plays football too, as do thousands of girls. What kind of example does this set for them? @JDSports”

Kemp said he is planning to take his children to France to watch Scotland v England at the Women’s World Cup in June and was looking forward to buying news football shirts for his family.

He also complained the kits on the retailer’s website are currently sold for men, women and “boys”, not “children”.

As a result of the backlash, the SFA asked JD Sports to remove the image. The retailer have replaced the image with a more traditional style picture of a woman wearing the kit.

“We apologise for any offence that this image caused,” said a spokesman from the SFA in a statement.

“As soon as this was brought to our attention we contacted JD Sports to request its removal, which JD Sports immediately acted upon.

(JD Sport (JD Sport)

They added that the association is “committed to further strengthening equality and diversity in Scottish football and promoting the girls’ and women’s game across the nation”.

A spokesman for JD Sports explained the retailer tests a variety of product styles online “to appeal to the full range of customers” who visit its website.

They added: “We remain committed to promoting and supporting the Scotland Women’s teams in the build-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer, and apologise for any upset this has caused.”