‘Shameful, hurtful and devaluing’ – Mary Earps petition reaches 150k people as Nike row heads to parliament

Mary Earps' shirt row will be heard in parliament after a petition reached was signed by almost 150,000 people.

The England goalkeeper is one of the country's top footballers but had been in the headlines this week for Nike's decision not to sell her goalkeeping jersey.

The 30-year-old was told her kit was not sold last summer for England's Euros triumph due to manufacturing issues and that the issue would not happen again.

But despite Earps being one of the Lionesses' top performers at the World Cup in Australia and Nike insisting that they're 'working towards a solution', that stance hasn't changed with fans furious that they can buy an outfield top, but not the goalkeeper version.

As a result of the outrage, a petition was set up with the aim of surpassing 100,000 signatures — a total that means the case must be heard in parliament.

With almost 150,000 signatures at the time of writing, it means that Earps' dispute with Nike will be heard on the biggest stage in the UK.

Tracey Crouch threw her support behind Earps' case in her column for the Independent, writing: «The Lionesses kit for the Women’s World Cup is beautiful in so many ways and even though it is £80 a pop I am not surprised that they were flying off the shelves in the run-up to the final and even despite the defeat will continue to do so with the names of heroes on the back.

»Except of course if you happen to be a fan of Mary Earps also known as the Queen of Stops, the Fifa Women’s World Cup Golden Glove winner, our brave, strong, passionate England No 1.

«You cannot buy her shirt because Nike decided not to sell it. You can go and buy the England Men’s goalkeeper jersey if you wish but not the women’s; all those little girls that saw Mary, and immediately went