Brentford have announced the integration of microchips into their match-worn shirts to combat the growing counterfeit market in football kits. Starting with their Premier League fixture against Everton on Wednesday, the club will be the first in English football to use digital verification to authenticate match-day shirts, which often fetch high prices at auction.
The microchip technology, developed by Fabricks, will be heat-pressed onto the bottom of each shirt before kick-off. It utilizes near-field communication (NFC), similar to contactless payment cards, allowing smartphones to scan the chip and confirm details such as who wore the shirt and when it was used.
With football shirts becoming increasingly popular as fashion and collector’s items, their value has risen significantly in recent years. Match-worn shirts from top players are frequently sold for £1,000 or more on various online platforms. However, the high demand has also led to a surge in counterfeit merchandise.
Authorities have been cracking down on this issue, as seen during last year’s European Championship when a joint operation led to the seizure of nearly half a million pounds’ worth of fake football apparel. Industry experts estimate that the sale of counterfeit Premier League shirts generates up to £180 million annually, while official sales in a recent season totaled £480 million.
The microchip technology has already been adopted by European clubs such as PSV, Feyenoord, and Anderlecht. It is produced by Fabricks, a sister company of MatchWornShirt, the platform where Brentford auction off their game-worn kits.
Proceeds from these auctions are donated to Heart of West London, a charity that funds heart disease research and raises awareness of CPR. While the microchip technology enhances the legitimacy of initial sales, it will also ensure authenticity for future transactions should the shirts be resold.
Brentford’s head of partnerships expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, emphasizing its role in safeguarding the authenticity of match-worn kits while continuing to support charitable causes.
