Irish Tailor Loses Out To UK Fashion Label For Euro 2012 Suits

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed that for Euro 2012 the ‘Boys in Green’ will be wearing suits supplied by new UK fashion label Chess London.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) selected the newly launched British label, which Irish midfielder Keith Andrews is involved with, to supply the team suits for the European Championships, mainly, because it’s free.

Confirming it had spoken to a number of companies in relation to supplying the official attire, an FAI spokesman said: "The company was chosen because their offer was free of charge... and had the full backing of all of the players."

Dublin-based tailors Louis Copeland provided the suits for players and officials at the World Cup in the US in 1994 and in Korea and Japan in 2002, and the company said they were "very disappointed" not to have been appointed the tailor for Euro 2012.

"They've selected a UK-based company to do them this year," Neville Murphy, assistant manager at Louis Copeland.

"We did quote for it but unfortunately we didn't get it this time. We were very disappointed, obviously.

"We've done it before and we've done it for the Ryder Cup, so we've a lot of experience doing big events like that," he added.

Midfield player and West Brom star Mr Andrews, who helped kit out the squad, revealed they would most likely be wearing grey suits with white shirts.

"We had the tailor over to measure up the lads for the last trip so I was involved in that side of things -- asking them what they wanted and talking with the captain Robbie Keane and the manager (Giovanni Trapattoni)," Andrews said.

"We were showing them what sort of fabrics and suits they could have. I know there's a bit of a contradiction there -- an Irishman showing an Italian how to dress.

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