Bury-based firm JD Sports has been fined close to £1.5m after breaking competition law by fixing retail prices of Scottish football club Rangers' replica kits.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found that the business, along with Elite Sports, fixed the sale prices of a number of the Glasgow club's kits and other clothing goods from September 2018 to July 2019.

Rangers FC also took part in the collusion but only to the extent of fixing the retail price of adult home short-sleeved replica shirts from September 2018 to mid-November 2018.

All three firms colluded to stop JD Sports undercutting the retail price of the shirt on Elite’s Gers Online store.

During the time of the infringement, Elite was the manufacturer of Rangers-branded clothing and also sold Rangers-branded products directly through its Gers Online store and later in bricks-and-mortar shops in Glasgow and Belfast.

The only UK-wide major retailer selling those products at the time was JD Sports.

The CMA’s investigation found that Rangers FC became concerned about the fact that, at the start of the 2018 to 2019 football season, JD Sports was selling the Rangers replica top at a lower price than Elite, which was seen at the time as the club’s "retail partner".

This resulted in an understanding between the three parties that JD Sports would increase its retail price of the Rangers adult short-sleeved home replica shirt by nearly 10 per cent, from £55 to £60, to bring it in line with the prices being charged by Elite on Gers Online.

The CMA also found that Elite and JD Sports – without involvement from Rangers – colluded to fix the retail prices of Rangers-branded clothing, including training wear and replica kit, over a longer period.

This included aligning the level and timing of discounts towards the end of the football season in 2019, to avoid competition between them and protect their profit margins.

Heavy fines have been handed out to JD Sports, which must pay £1,485,000, Elite Sports need to fork out £459,000 and Rangers must hand over £225,000.

The penalties include a settlement discount, reflecting resource savings to the CMA as a result of all three parties admitting to acting illegally and helping bring a swifter resolution to the CMA’s investigation.

Elite Sports’ and JD Sports’ penalties also include a discount for coming forward with information about their participation in the illegal conduct and cooperating with the investigation under the CMA’s Leniency Programme.

Executive director of enforcement at the CMA, Michael Grenfell, said: "At a time when many people are worried about the rising cost of living, it is important that football fans are able to benefit from competitively priced merchandise."

"Instead, Elite, JD Sports and, to some extent, Rangers, worked together to keep prices high.

"Today’s decision sends a clear message to football clubs and other businesses that illegal anti-competitive collusion will not be tolerated."