Furious Geordies have slammed Team GB‘s ‘offensive’ new supporter flag after the colours of the Union Jack flag were changed to pink and purple.
Bath-based design agency Thisaway got rid of the iconic red, white and blue on the controversial merchandise after describing the colours as ‘not unique’.
It comes after England fans slammed the team’s shirt when it changed the colours of the St George’s Cross to purple and pink.
Shoppers on busy Northumberland Street dubbed the shirt ‘offensive’ and claim it doesn’t represent England, Scotland and Wales.
Daniel Aldridge, 48, who is unemployed, from Newcastle, said: ‘It doesn’t look like England, Scotland and Wales, which is the whole point of the flag. It doesn’t represent anyone.
‘They say the colours aren’t unique enough but it’s about the colours and the shape of the flag and what it means to people.
‘They clearly haven’t put any thought into it.
‘After the row over the England shirt, they could have easily gauged people’s opinions on this but they just didn’t think.
‘They seem to have dug the hole deeper and deeper. It’s a step too far.’
John Ireland, 70, a retired laborer from Workington, Cumbria, said: ‘They should leave the flag alone, especially after the row over the St George’s flag on the England shirt.
‘I don’t like what they’ve done with it. It’s offensive. It’s been changed for the sake of it.
‘They aren’t bringing people together with this flag under these colours. They are causing more division.’
Norma Clark, 69, a retired physio from Gateshead said: ‘It doesn’t represent the countries it’s supposed to.
‘They’ve commercialised the flag.
‘It doesn’t make any difference to me but they should’ve left it the way it was. It means so much to people.’
The changed emblem is on this year’s supporters flags and they are priced at £12 at the Team GB shop ahead of this year’s Paris games.
Martha Brook, 22, an architecture student at Northumbria University, said: ‘It doesn’t offend me but I don’t like it. I don’t know why they’ve done it, it’s just a bit much.
‘It’s a bit chaotic. I wouldn’t buy that flag. It seems meaningless. There’s not a hint of red, white and blue.’
Nathan, 22, a law student at Sheffield University said: ‘I don’t know if I really care about it that much. It just looks like they’re trying to monetise off it.
‘It’s something people will complain about now but they will still buy it.’