Doncaster Rovers insist shirt design contest was 'above board'
One Direction star Louis Tomlinson has won a competition to design the away shirt of his home club, and fans aren't happy.
One Direction star Louis Tomlinson has won a competition to design the away shirt of his home-club Doncaster Rovers - and fans aren’t happy.
The club announced on Monday that "local lad" Louis had won the competition after his design - an all-black shirt - was voted the best in an online public poll on its website.
The 1D star tweeted to say he designed the shirt with his grandad.
Fans have, however, questioned whether the win was a publicity stunt.
“You kidding me, the away shirt was coincidently designed by Louis Tomlinson and it coincidently won?! Awful, just awful!!!!” Twitter user Jake Laughton wrote.
Thomas Bailey wrote: Lad from One Direction wins a competition to design the Doncaster away kit. Definitely not an attempt at improving shirt sales...”
The club said Louis’ design had won a majority 33.7% of the public vote and, while acknowledging “mixed feedback” to the result, a spokesman said the voting process was fair and legal.
“The process for receiving kit designs, shortlisting and the public voting for our kit design competition followed strict legal guidance to ensure that the club adhered to competition law and that all processes were fair”, the spokesman said.
“We are aware that the result of the competition has attracted some mixed feedback, but we can assure our fans that the voting process for the 2016/17 shirt designs was all was fair and above board.”
“The club will make no further comment at this time.”
As a part of his competition prize, the 24-year-old set to travel to Thailand to see the kit being manufactured.
“I designed the kit with my granddad when I was home a few weeks ago,” Tomlinson said in a statement from the club.
“We used to go to Belle Vue together so it has always been a family affair with us and to now have a hand in next season’s away shirt is brilliant. I can’t wait to see my team wearing it.”
Doncaster have also revealed that fans who pre-order the away kit before June 10 could win one of 20 shirts signed by Tomlinson.
Doncaster fan Shaun Smith won the competition to design the home shirt.