Portsmouth faithful dealt kit blow over Nike shirts days before Christmas following shortage

Pompey have been dashed in their efforts to put home kits back on sale before Christmas.

The Blues have today confirmed they will not be able to restock their blue Nike shirts until after December 25, with 'phenomenal' sales sparking a shortage.

The club had moved to secure 2,000 adult replica shirts after huge interest led to a whopping 14,000 being moved, but the shipment is stuck in Belgium and won’t arrive in time for the big day.

It means no home shirts under the Christmas tree this year for many adults and children this year, but the club have taken steps to offer an alternative to a situation which is out of their hands,

Pompey will offer frustrated fans a gift token to present to friends and family on Christmas Day, if they purchase a shirt. They will then be able to exchange a sales receipt when the shipment arrives - which is anticipated to be in early January.

The figure of 14,000 shirts being sold far outstrips the 9,000 total figure for the entire 2022-23 campaign - sales acknowledged as ‘phenomenal’ by chief executive Andy Cullen - as excitement grows following the table-topping form of John Mousinho’s men.

A club statement released today confirmed the latest development - and plan moving forward.

It read: ‘There have been phenomenal sales of the Pompey home kit this season, with an increase of more than 55 per cent compared to the whole of the 2022-23 campaign. With stock recently selling out, the club have worked hard to secure an additional supply of 2,000 adult shirts.

‘Kits are ordered more than a year in advance, so this an unprecedented development and we are grateful to both our retail partner Just Sport and official kit supplier Nike for their support. Unfortunately, the shipment is currently stuck in transit in Belgium, due to European border delays and will not arrive in this country before Christmas.

‘Fans who wish to purchase a home shirt can visit the club shop in Anson Road from 9am on Friday (December 22) until 6pm the following day. They will receive a sales receipt and if the shirt is being ordered for someone else, they will also receive a pre-order token that can be presented as a gift.

‘An online pre-order option will then be available from the online store from 9pm on Saturday through to early January (subject to availability). The club will update supporters when shirts are ready to be collected, which is expected to be in early January. They can only be redeemed with a valid sales receipt from the dates of the pre-order campaign.’