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Chips in strips: Brentford move to stop counterfeit market in match-worn shirts

Microchips are aimed at proving authenticity of match-worn shirts, with their first use coming in the visit of Everton on Wednesday

Beginning with the Premier League fixture against Everton on Wednesday night, Brentford will become the first English side to wear shirts that provide a digital guarantee of their provenance, crucial for merchandise often sold for substantial sums at auction. The increasing popularity of replica football shirts as fashion and collector’s items has led to a substantial rise in prices in recent years, with the match-worn variety commanding the highest premiums. Last year the City of London police and the Intellectual Property Office conducted a joint operation during the men’s European Championship that led to £446,681 of “fake football apparel” being seized by authorities.

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