Ayr United kit launch criticised after club release images of topless model with new strip painted on her

Ayr United have launched their kits using topless models since 2012

Jack de Menezes
Thursday 26 May 2016 10:56 BST
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Sabine Jemeljanova unveiled the Ayr United kit by posing topless with body paint on
Sabine Jemeljanova unveiled the Ayr United kit by posing topless with body paint on (REX)

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Ayr United have continued their trend of unveiling the club’s latest kit by painting it onto a topless model, risking outrage at the move despite facing criticism over the past five years for similar unveilings.

The club gained promotion to the Scottish Championship this season, but despite the increase in profile that playing in the second tier of Scottish tier will generate, the club have continued to unveil their new kit by painting it onto the body of a topless model – this time with Sabine Jemeljanova featuring in the photoshoot.

Some users on Twitter have criticised the club for using the ploy to try and sell club shirts, while the decision to unveil the kit in such a way must raise serious questions of the club’s morals given young children will be looking to these pictures in order to see what next season’s strip looks like.

Sabine Jemeljanova unveiled the Ayr United kit by posing topless with body paint on
Sabine Jemeljanova unveiled the Ayr United kit by posing topless with body paint on (REX)

Since 2012, Ayr United have elected to use topless models to unveil new kits, and it appears that 2016/17 will be no exception.

But it hasn’t gone down well with some people.

As quoted by the Daily Mail, Calvin Ayre, the founder of Ayr United’s main kit sponsor Bodog, joked that the shirts “look a bit tight” given the images released this week.

“The Ayr United shirts are of a very high quality but it would be unfair to say they are any different from the other teams in that respect,” said Ayre.

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“In fact, from what I can see from the latest photoshoot they look a bit tight to me.”

When contacted by the Independent, the club said that they will release a statement addressing criticism of the kit launch.

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