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 recognized with the return of the Rainbow Laces campaign, run by the charity Stonewall.
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’ second dedicated Rainbow Laces fixture will take place on Tuesday night when they welcome Crystal Palace to Portman Road. In a statement, 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 said.
