AS A few readers know, I had my first child a few months ago. As a football fan, I wanted to get him a little kit and looked at buying the Manchester United Adidas kit for him.

His mum was happy with the idea and so were her parents, being as they are all fans of the Red Devils.

However, at £35 I had to stop and rethink. I knew it was going to be expensive but this is taking the biscuit. Kids grow out of clothes so quickly, especially the first few years.

My son isn’t even 12 weeks old yet but is wearing clothes aged three-six months and has been for the past few weeks.

Why would I get him something that within days may not fit? It’s not like he can lose weight and put it back on. It would be a total waste.

So why charge so much for a child’s kit? It’s because Premier League sides can get away with it and no-one holds them to account.

The season kicks off this weekend and children will want to be kitted out in the latest shirt.

Parents will want to bring their sons and daughters with them and have them all wearing the latest home strip.

I want to be able to do that with my son but at such a ridiculous price, it will have to wait.

It is yet more proof of fans being priced out of the game. Swansea, who are usually excellent at listening to their supporters, have their mini kit priced at £40.

Star subeditor Suzanne Beishon looked at getting her son the full Arsenal strip but that is £40, £35 for infants. She too was disgusted.

Newly promoted Norwich have their kids’ home shirt available for £28 which is a bit better.

Beishon suggested kids’ kits should be £15, £20 at an absolute maximum and thre is little reason to disagree with her.

Sports Direct are a lot cheaper than clubs’ official stores but they are able to do this only because of the continued exploitation of their workers.

As always, it is the teams lower down the football pyramid who are setting the example.

FC United of Manchester have their adult shirt on sale for £36. Not only is it immediately cheaper than Premier League clubs, it lasts for two seasons.

FC United will wear the same shirt until 2017 and that is the way it should be.

All these prices are without a name and number on the back. Kids want to be like the players they idolise on television so want to have the likes of Eden Hazard or Wayne Rooney on the back.

So if I wanted to get my son a squad player’s name on the back or his own, that’s an extra £11.95. So £46.95.

Add the delivery charge and the total is £51.90. For something he will likely wear twice, spit out milk on and be confined to the back of the closet a few days later as it no longer fits him.

Beishon worked out that if he was to wear it every day for three months, it works out to 57p a day. For £52 he would wear it at his baptism — I want to get value for my money.

Things really do need to change. No more new home, away and third kits every season, with the only difference being a white stripe down the side or a collar added.

Why is it so difficult for teams to wear the same kit two years in a row? Or even three.

When I was growing up my mum would get me the latest kit for my birthday and not worry about getting a new one for a few years. That’s the way it should be.

I want to be able to buy my son the United shirt (he has no choice what team he will support) and not be forced into getting another one 12 months later. Who knows how much they will cost in a decade?

Kids already do cost a lot to clothe but football teams must live on another planet.