Lincoln City Kit Best Value In The Championship – But DHGate Still a Problem

The new Lincoln City home shirt is the joint – cheapest adult replica kit in the Championship ahead of the 2026/27 season, according to the Bolton News.

Kits seem to be going up every season, but City’s price has held around the £40-£50 mark for a while now. This season there is a rise, and it feels quite pricey, but actually, it’s not. In a world where money is ridiculous, Lincoln City are still the best of a bad business, if that makes sense.

The Imps have priced the adult shirt at £55, level with Millwall and below every other club in the division to have released their home kit so far. It is a welcome decision at a time when football shirts are becoming increasingly expensive, particularly for families trying to buy kits for more than one child.

Stoke City are the next-cheapest at £58, with Charlton Athletic charging £59. Queens Park Rangers and West Bromwich Albion are both just below £60, while Bolton Wanderers, Bristol City, Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers have set their adult shirts at £60.

The current Championship average is £62.90, although that figure may change once Birmingham City, Swansea City and Wrexham have released their kits and confirmed prices.

At the opposite end of the list, Preston North End and West Ham United are charging £75 for an adult home shirt. West Ham are also offering an elite version, designed to resemble the shirts worn by the players, for £110. A hundred and ten bloody pounds!

Burnley, Cardiff City, Derby County, Norwich City, Sheffield United, Southampton and Watford have all settled on a £65 price point. Portsmouth are charging £63.95, with Blackburn Rovers just below £65 at £64.99.

City’s decision to remain at £55 deserves recognition, especially following promotion to the Championship. It would have been easy to justify a more significant increase by pointing to the higher level, increased demand and the excitement surrounding the club’s return to the second tier, but our shirt remains cheaper than those of several clubs with larger commercial operations.

That does not mean £55 is cheap in everyday terms. Add a child’s kit, shorts, socks, printing, and perhaps shirts for more than one family member, and the cost of wearing the new colours can quickly run into hundreds of pounds. Football clubs are aware that replica shirts are emotional purchases rather than ordinary items of clothing, and prices across the game increasingly reflect that.

DHGate and Counterfeit Shirts

The rising cost of official merchandise also explains the popularity of counterfeit shirts sold through overseas marketplaces. A copy can sometimes cost a fraction of the official price and, at first glance, may look remarkably similar. For parents whose children want several shirts every season, the temptation is obvious.

It’s something a League Two club probably don’t worry about, but our recent 1975/76 commemoration kit has been aped in China, and our new kit was available there almost as soon as it came out. We are basically massive now, and this is one of the issues we have to deal with as a club. It’s usually a problem around major tournaments, when England shirts, priced at £134 at the top end, can be bought for 10% of that price and stained in the inevitable beer shower as morons in pubs celebrate goals.

The lower price usually comes with compromises. The material can feel thinner or less comfortable, the sizing is inconsistent and printed badges, sponsors or names may begin peeling after only a few washes. Some copies look convincing when they arrive but deteriorate far more quickly than an official shirt, particularly if they are worn regularly rather than displayed or used occasionally.

There are also wider concerns around counterfeit manufacturing. Buyers rarely know where the shirts have been produced, who has made them or what conditions exist within the supply chain. Purchasing an unofficial shirt also means none of the money reaches the club, whereas sales through City’s own channels contribute directly to Lincoln’s commercial income.

Official manufacturers do not have flawless records, and the industry’s pricing means it is sometimes difficult to criticise supporters who search for cheaper alternatives. £100 for a football shirt? Even £70 seems a lot. However, I remember back in 1995 buying a Lincoln shirt for me and my Dad, and I think that ran into the £25 per top bracket. Buying an England shirt I can just about accept, but wearing a Lincoln City jersey isn’t about having the shirt. It’s about showing your support for the club, and if you’ve sent £15 to China, rather than £55 to the club, then it’s a false statement.

There are other options, including waiting for end-of-season reductions (or in previous years, November reductions which I am told won’t be the case this season), buying second-hand shirts (often more expensive than the original these days) or choosing an older kit instead of purchasing every new release.

Keeping the adult shirt at £55 does not solve the broader problem of replica-kit affordability, but it gives City supporters one of the better deals in the division. In a Championship where several clubs are charging £65 or £75, City have resisted the opportunity to push their price towards the league average.