CASH-strapped Premier League fans are fuelling a boom in fake team shirts for Christmas gifts.
Data shows supporters have made 48,510 online searches for counterfeit top-flight club clobber from September to the beginning of December.
In comparison, there were just 4,230 searches from January to August, before the festive shopping season began.
Fake Manchester Utd shirts topped the table, with 17,730 searches.
The team’s official adult home shirt costs £80, and £55 for children, while both go for £12 on knock-off websites.
Betting site Footy Accumulators, which analysed the search data, said: “It is sad to see that clubs have priced many loyal fans out of being able to afford a shirt which is leading them to use websites selling fakes to buy gifts for loved ones this Christmas.
“Rising prices mean that a family of four who want new shirts will have to fork out around £370 from club shops whereas if they go to knock off sites the price will be more like £50.
“We hope that clubs across the UK take note of these alarming figures and try to make merchandise more affordable in the future to help supporters not have to turn to counterfeit merchandise.”
Demand for Arsenal fake shirts soared by 191 per cent over the beginning of the year from just 680 to 5,940 in the run up to Christmas making fake Gooners tops the second most in demand.
Newcastle knock offs were third highest in demand with 4,830 searches compared to just earlier in the year – an incredible 419 per cent rise.
Tottenham Hotspurs came fourth with demand up from 440 to 3,750 – a 184 per cent rise.
Liverpool came fifth on a 169 per cent increase from 460 to 3,720.
In sixth place came Manchester City on 3,150 knock off searches – up from 420 and a 150 per cent increase.
