FOOTBALL fans were celebrating last night after the Office of Fair Trading signalled the end of deals which fix the price of replica shirts.

The OFT yesterday handed out fines totalling £18.6m to a group of leading sports retailers, Manchester United and the Football Association.

The penalties clear the way for a fall in the price of shirts as shops compete for the multi-million pound business.

Sheila McKechnie, director of the Consumers' Association, said: "The fact that the OFT has handed out such a sizeable fine shows that it means business.

"It is also particularly cynical that sports businesses have been exploiting one of the key family markets and have been, in effect, taking advantage of parents under pressure from children eager to get their hands on the latest kit."

The OFT undertook a two-year investigation following complaints from retailers which wanted to sell shirts at discounted prices.

It said most of the price-fixing agreements covered key selling periods such as the launch of new kits and England's participation in Euro 2000.

Both Manchester United and retailer JJB Sports vehemently denied doing anything illegal and are considering appeals.

United was fined £1.65m, JJB was fined £8.3m, one of the largest ever imposed by the OFT, and Umbro was fined £6.6m.

Other businesses fined were retailers Allsports (£1.35m), Blacks (£197,000), Sports Soccer (£123,000), JD Sports (£73,000) Sports Connection (£20,000) and the Football Association (£158,000).

The probe also discovered price agreements were made among some retailers for the short-sleeved adult and junior shirts for Chelsea, Celtic and Nottingham Forest.

A spokesman for JJB said: "JJB is very disappointed that the OFT have found it to be guilty of price-fixing; a charge which it believes is totally unfounded.

"JJB reiterates that it has never been involved in any form of price-fixing and will launch an immediate appeal."

In a statement, the Football Association said: "The FA has sought to co-operate at all times with the OFT and has made it clear that it only entered into a very limited arrangement in order to increase the availability of England kit, which had previously not been available over the Internet or all year round."

The investigation was sparked by complaints from retailers which wanted to sell the replica shirts at discounted prices that manufacturers had refused to supply them.

Officials shopped around and found that most replica kits were priced at about £40. On Thursday, supermarket chain Asda said it would sell Manchester United shirts for less than £25.

At the time the deals were in place, most retailers were selling the England shirt in adult sizes for £39.99 and £29.99 for juniors.

Since then prices have fallen and research by the OFT discovered the new England shirt available for as little as £24 for an adult and £18 for a child.

John Vickers, chairman of the OFT, said: "The fines imposed reflect the seriousness of the price-fixing in this case."

Mrs McKechnie added: "These fines are great news for consumers across the country and it is an added bonus as the new football season is about to kick off."