A SURGE in demand for replica football shirts during England's Euro 2004 campaign helped give a much-needed boost to sales figures at JJB Sports today.

The Wigan-based retailer said turnover in replica products was 36 per cent higher in the 23 weeks to Sunday, July 4 - helping to reduce the company's overall sales decline for the period to 1.1 per cent from the 4.7 per cent reported in the 10 weeks to Sunday, April 4.

But the rush for replica kit products came at the expense of other parts of the business as JJB said turnover in non-replica clothing categories fell.