´óÏó´«Ã½

Linfield Football Club has defended its new kit design after claims that it resembled the colours used by the loyalist paramilitary group the UVF.

In a statement, the club said any comparison was "totally coincidental and entirely unintentional".

The away-kit was launched on Wednesday and was widely debated on social media.

A club spokesperson said the design had been met with approval from large numbers of supporters.

But they added suggestions from a small number outside the club cannot be ignored.

"For the avoidance of all doubt, the design is of a football kit for a football club and any similarity/likeness/resemblance with any other design used by any other entity is totally coincidental and entirely unintentional," the club said.

The spokesperson added that "any allegation or inference to the contrary is robustly and vigorously rejected by this club which prides itself on being inclusive, open to all and representative of all".

"Linfield FC is totally opposed to all forms of bigotry, prejudice, violence and discrimination."

Alliance MP Stephen Farry raised the issue on Twitter and called for the kit to be redesigned.

"This may well be purely coincidental and unintentional, but I do think a rethink would be appropriate," he tweeted.

"The similarity to UVF colours is too striking. Many other colours and designs are available. Why leave any ambiguity and risk offence to so many?"

Mr Farry's comments provoked a critical response from Linfield's chairman Roy McGivern.

"Is this where we are as a society when an elected MP thinks that ordinary every day colours can be owned or monopolised by a paramilitary organisation?" he tweeted.

The chairman described Mr Farry's remarks as "truly staggering" and assured him "there will be no rethink".

But the Alliance MP was not the only politician to question the kit design.

SDLP MLA Justin McNulty said if it was "just a genuine oversight, they should change the colours".

"Linfield is a proud club, with a long history, and should avoid causing any offence, inadvertently or otherwise, to any sections of the community," he added.

However, DUP MLA William Humphrey, who is a Linfield fan, backed the club's position.

"I fully endorse the statement that the club have put out," he said.