Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy chose not to wear a rainbow armband during Saturday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest due to his religious beliefs.
The 33-year-old midfielder was the only captain in the Premier League not wearing a rainbow armband across Rainbow Laces weekend, an…
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Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy refused to wear a rainbow armband during his side’s 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest for religious reasons, a report has claimed.
The weekend’s action came with a little more colour than usual as the work towards LGBT+ inclusion and the ongoing fight against homophobia was recognised with the return of the Rainbow Laces campaign, run by the charity Stonewall.
First launched in 2013, the campaign now sees clubs use rainbow corner flags, while captains wear rainbow armbands as well as laces. The occasion was almost universally observed, save for the Ipswich skipper.
According to The Mirror, the newly-promoted side confirmed that the 33-year-old, who is a practising Muslim, refused to partake in the initiative due to his faith. The club were nevertheless keen to stress their commitment to LGBT+ inclusion.
The Tractor Boys’ dedicated Rainbow Laces fixtures will take place on Tuesday night when they welcome Crystal Palace to Portman Road. In a statement to the outlet, a spokesperson insisted that the club ‘proudly supports’ the campaign.
‘Ipswich Town Football Club is committed to being a fully inclusive club that welcomes everyone. We proudly support the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign and stand with the LGBTQ+ community in promoting equality and acceptance,’ the spokesperson told The Mirror.
Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy refused to wear a rainbow armband during his side’s 1-0defeat by Nottingham Forest on religious grounds
The weekend’s slate of fixtures saw the return of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign in Premier League
Premier League captains wore rainbow armbands, while corner flags were given the same colour
‘During this year’s campaign, members of the club’s men’s and women’s first-teams visited our Foundation’s weekly LGBTQ+ football session, while the club also made a joint pledge of solidarity and inclusivity alongside Nottingham Forest ahead of Saturday’s game.
‘A range of further initiatives are planned around Tuesday’s home game with Crystal Palace, including a takeover of the stadium’s big screen in the moments prior to 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 grow an environment where all are valued and respected, both on and off the pitch.’
Morsy may be the only captain to abstain from the gesture this season but he is not the first to object to participating in the campaign. Indeed, some clubs reacted with fury to attempts to make their players wear coloured laces when the campaign first started 11 years.
