Official Arsenal, Celtic and Liverpool shirts made by workers paid under £1 an hour

Workers at two factories in Cambodia make official football shirts for some of the sport's biggest clubs while earning a basic wage of less than one pound an hour. The production covers authentic replica kits for teams including Arsenal, Celtic, Liverpool and Real Madrid. Employees describe demanding shifts, extreme heat and a daily struggle to cover basic living costs.

• Production of Celtic, Arsenal, Liverpool and other club shirts was traced to two factories in Cambodia.
• Basic monthly salaries range from $210 to $220, the equivalent of under £1 an hour.
• Workers report daily group targets of 300 to 700 garments, intense heat and constant pressure.
• Adidas does not own the plants, but both are primary suppliers subject to its workplace standards.
• The average price of an adult replica Premier League shirt has risen by 50.7% in a decade.

Tracing official shirt production to two factories in Cambodia

The supply chain was followed after fans voiced frustration over steadily rising kit prices, a trend that pushes many towards cheaper counterfeits. The trail led to Bowker Garment Factory and Trax Apparel, two plants on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Photographs obtained inside show kits for clubs including Arsenal, Celtic, Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Around 3,400 people, most of them women, work at Bowker, while another 3,200 are employed at Trax Apparel ten miles to the east. Fabric is imported from Thailand and Vietnam before a specialist tailor creates a sample for the rest of the workforce to follow. Sewing, ironing and packaging all take place largely inside these facilities.

Basic pay under £1 an hour and six-day working weeks

According to five payslips reviewed, basic monthly salaries range from $210 to $220, the equivalent of less than £1 an hour across standard eight-hour shifts. Staff typically work six shifts a week. Three of the payslips show total monthly earnings of roughly $300 once overtime and allowances are included, though reaching that figure requires substantial additional hours.

I want international customers to hear that one shirt they buy costs more than two weeks' salary for a worker. Every one of these shirts contains the sweat of Cambodian workers.

The basic salary complies with local minimum-wage laws. Trax Apparel says average monthly employee earnings range from $305 to $342 this year. Adidas states that average net wages across a sample of its Cambodian suppliers were 34% above the Anker Research Institute's living-wage benchmark, adding that staff are usually paid considerably more than the local minimum.

35-degree heat, daily quotas and reports of abuse

Inside Bowker, a photograph shows a thermometer reading 35.2C with humidity at 57.6%. An employee on the ironing line says heat stress is taking a real toll on workers' health. Employees at both plants describe pressure to hit group production targets of between 300 and 700 garments per day.

Some workers say missed quotas lead to shouting, scolding and threats of resignation. A Bowker employee also reported receiving two electric shocks from an exposed wire, claiming management only acted after the second incident. Adidas said both factories have heat-management measures, that its standards prohibit any form of harassment, and that Bowker's records show no electrical-related accidents. Trax acknowledged periods of elevated temperature but said cooling systems are in place and denied basing its approach on enforced output targets.

The problem extends beyond these two sites. A 2024 International Labour Organization report found that 69% of Cambodian garment factories had heat issues and 84% had worker protection problems.

Where the money goes when you buy a football shirt

Official kits have become steadily more expensive. The average price of an adult replica Premier League shirt has climbed 50.7% over the past decade. Arsenal's home shirt retails at £85, rising to £120 for the same specification worn by players. Research published last year estimated that, for a typical £85 shirt, £8.50 covers fabric, sewing and shipping, £37.45 goes to the retailer, £16.25 to the manufacturer, £9.50 to marketing and £13.60 to VAT.

Various studies value the global official teamwear market at several billion pounds. Rob Warner, a former kit designer for Puma and Umbro, points out that the economics are more complex than they appear: retailers take much of the margin because of the risk involved, while brands must recover the money they pay elite clubs in sponsorship deals.

Cheap counterfeits and clubs that stay silent

Rising official prices have boosted demand for counterfeits, which can be found for as little as £12 and mostly originate from China. Police and Trading Standards have repeatedly warned against buying fakes, saying they can be manufactured without regard for safety standards or workers' rights. The Premier League expects clubs to carry out due diligence on kit manufacturers and supply chains, but none of the clubs named responded to requests for comment.

The Clean Clothes Campaign, a global workers' rights network, described the findings as a very grim picture. Anna Bryher of the UK campaign group Labour Behind the Label called for clubs to take a stronger stance, arguing that no team should put its name on a shirt unless workers are treated with respect.