Legal action has been lodged on behalf of football fans who paid “rip-off” prices for England and Manchester United replica shirts.

The consumer watchdog Which? has decided to proceed with a multimillion-pound legal claim against the high street chain JJB Sports after hundreds of people came forward demanding cash compensation. Each claimant may get at least £20, half of what they paid.

In a move that attempts to bring American-style consumer justice to Britain, papers have been laid at the Competition Appeals Tribunal. The company now has until April 8 to file its defence before a case-management conference in mid-April. This is the first time that Which? has used its powers under the Enterprise Act 2002, which allows it to bring a class action against a company that has been convicted of price fixing or any other anticompetitive practice. It is acting on a “no-win, no-fee” basis.

JJB Sports was found guilty of price-fixing shirts between 2000 and 2001 by the Office of Fair Trading. It has already paid £6.7 million in fines to the Treasury but football fans have not received a penny. A spokes-woman at the company’s Wigan headquarters yesterday declined to comment. She said: “We will not be saying anything now until the tribunal.”

However, Which? is still appealing to any disgruntled consumers to register their claims. Ingrid Gubbay, the organisation’s campaigns lawyer, said: “We have already heard from hundreds of people and are sifting through the material sent to us. But it is not too late to join the action.”

If a receipt is lost, transaction details may be obtained from credit card companies or even JJB itself. People can also prove purchase by providing a photograph of someone wearing one of the shirts. A signed legal declaration may also be sufficient.

Malcolm Coles, online editor at Which?, said: “This case is as much about justice and fairness as anything else. We want to teach companies that rip off their consumers a lesson — Which? has new legal powers and we will come after you.”

Some one million shirts went on sale with prices fixed by a cartel that included Allsports Ltd, Blacks Leisure Group plc, Manchester United plc, Sports Soccer Ltd, JD Sports and Umbro Holdings Ltd.

Any compensation awarded will be divided between the number of consumers signed up to the action. Consumers can register their claim on www. which.co.uk/football-shirts.

Team sheet

The claim will apply to anyone who bought:

-England white home shirts 1999-2001

-England red away shirts 1999-2001

-Man Utd reversible white/gold centenary shirts 2000-01

-Man Utd red home shirts 2000-01, 2001-02

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