‘1D’ singer Louis Tomlinson’s win in football club shirt design competition draws flak

LONDON, United Kingdom – Fans of English lower-league football club Doncaster Rovers reacted angrily on Tuesday, April 5 after One Direction star Louis Tomlinson won an online competition to design their new away shirt.

Tomlinson, who hails from Doncaster, entered the competition on the club’s website and his all-black design topped a public poll with 33.7 percent of votes.

Supporter Shaun Smith designed our home shirt… Here’s who designed our away shirt https://t.co/hR2uwKm44c #DRFC pic.twitter.com/DhXBzaguVJ

— Doncaster Rovers FC (@drfc_official) April 4, 2016

The singer reacted on Twitter by writing: “Soooooo me and my Grandad Len won the competition of designing the new Donny away shirt. Pretty sick.”

Soooooo me and my Grandad Len won the competition of designing the new Donny away shirt. Pretty sick

— Louis Tomlinson (@Louis_Tomlinson) April 4, 2016

But supporters claimed a fix, with Twitter user Jake Laughton complaining: “You kidding me, the away shirt was coincidently designed by Louis Tomlinson and it coincidently won?! Awful, just awful!!!!!”

You kidding me, the away shirt was coincidently designed by Louis Tomlinson and it coincidently won?! Awful, just awful!!!!!

— Jake Laughton (@Jake_laughton) April 4, 2016

Thomas Bailey tweeted: “Lad from One Direction wins a competition to design the Doncaster away kit. Definitely not an attempt at improving shirt sales…”

But a spokesman for third-tier ‘Donny’ said that while feedback had been “mixed”, the voting process had been “fair and above board”.

Tomlinson, 24, made a much-publicized appearance for Doncaster’s reserve team two years ago, generating a crowd of over 5,000.

Part of his prize for winning the shirt competition will see him travel to Thailand to see his design being made. – Rappler.com