Named: The one Premier League captain who REFUSED to wear rainbow armband because of his Muslim faith, while rest of league backed LGBT awareness weekend

Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy refused to wear a rainbow armband during his side’s 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest for religious reasons.

The weekend’s action had a little more color than usual as the work for LGBT+ inclusion and the ongoing fight against homophobia was recognized with the return of the Rainbow Laces campaign, run by the charity Stonewall.

The campaign was first launched in 2013 and now sees clubs using rainbow corner flags, while captains wear both rainbow armbands and laces. The occasion was almost universally observed except by the Ipswich skipper.

According to The Mirror, the newly promoted party confirmed that the 33-year-old, a practicing Muslim, declined to take part in the initiative due to his faith. Nevertheless, the club wanted to emphasize their commitment to LGBT+ inclusion.

The Tractor Boys’ special Rainbow Laces matches will take place on Tuesday evening when they welcome Crystal Palace to Portman Road. In a statement to the outlet, a spokesperson emphasized that the club “proudly supports” the campaign.

‘Ipswich Town Football Club strives to be a fully inclusive club that welcomes everyone. “We are proud to support the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign and stand with the LGBTQ+ community in promoting equality and acceptance,” the spokesperson told The Mirror.

This weekend’s program saw the return of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign to the Premier League

The Premier League captains wore rainbow armbands, while corner flags were painted the same colour

‘During this year’s campaign, members of the club’s first men’s and women’s teams attended our Foundation’s weekly LGBTQ+ football session, while the club took a joint pledge of solidarity and inclusivity with Nottingham Forest ahead of Saturday’s match.

‘A range of further initiatives are planned around Tuesday’s home match with Crystal Palace, including a takeover of the stadium’s big screen just before kick-off.

“At the same time, we respect the decision of our captain Sam Morsy, who has chosen not to wear the rainbow captain’s armband due to his religious beliefs. We will continue to create an environment where everyone is valued and respected, both on and off the field.”

Morsy may be the only captain to abstain from this gesture this season, but he is not the first to object to taking part in the campaign. Some clubs even reacted furiously to attempts to make their players wear colored laces when the campaign began 11 years ago.

Last season, Sheffield United captain Anel Ahmedhodzic became the first skipper in seven years to refuse to wear a rainbow armband.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina star did not give an official answer to why he was not wearing it, but Swedish outlet SVT Sport claimed that when questioned he contacted them via text message, as the defender cryptically said: “Guess what,” before saying failed. to answer further questions.

There are also notable examples on the continent, with Orkun Kokcu and Idrissa Gueye – then of Feyenoord and PSG respectively – citing religious grounds for their objection.

Research published by Stonewall shows that 27 percent of LGBTQ+ people do not feel welcome in community sports groups or community team sports, while 22 percent who attended a fitness club or sports group in the past year have experienced discrimination because of their sexual orientation and/or sexual orientation . or gender identity. When it comes to watching live sports, there are still huge obstacles to overcome.

Additionally, one in five LGBTQ+ people who attended a live sporting event in the past year felt discriminated against because they are LGBTQ+. that figure rises to 34 percent of Black, Asian and LGBTQ+ ethnic people who attended a live sporting event in the past year.