Everton has had a challenging few hours following the collapse of its much-anticipated takeover by the Friedkin Group. Unfortunately, the situation worsened during a friendly match against Sligo Rovers on the evening of July 19 when they unveiled their new kit.
The new Castore jersey, priced at an eye-watering £110, quickly became the subject of ridicule among rival fans. The mockery began after footage emerged showing the club’s iconic badge falling off one of the players’ shirts during the game.
Midfielder Idrissa Gueye experienced the malfunction firsthand. While he was focused on the ball, the stitching of his crest suddenly gave way, detaching from his shirt.
An account on X, named They Think Kits All Over, commented on the incident: “Everton debut with Castore. The badge has fallen off. Can’t make this up.”
Another response echoed the sentiment: “Castore are the worst brand I have ever seen for football shirts…yet clubs still run with them.” Further criticism came from another account, stating: “Badge is falling off Gueye’s shirt already. 110 quid for that pro shirt.”
The account No Context Everton added to the criticism: “Everton’s first run out in their new kit by manufacturer Castore tonight… 30 minutes in and the badges started falling off. By halftime, Gueye’s badge had fallen off completely. Sean Dyche and the kit man had to glue them back on at halftime. These small clubs.”
An Everton supporter named Mike also voiced his frustration: “The only thing flapping more than Gueye’s badge is our whole fan base about who’s buying the club. The most Everton thing ever.” Another fan humorously added: “I can confirm that Gueye’s badge is fully flapping off his shirt. This is glorious.”
Despite the badge debacle, Everton manager Sean Dyche found a silver lining in the team’s performance. His side managed to come back from a 3-1 deficit to secure a 3-3 draw against the Irish Division One club. After the match, Dyche praised his team’s efforts, stating, “The lads have put a real shift in this week and I can’t fault them because there’s been a lot of work done – particularly yesterday.”
