The suits who run football in this country can always be relied upon to make a pig’s ear of things. The latest example of their capacity to cock up matters is the farce over this week’s return of the rainbow laces campaign in the Premier League. This campaign, now in its eleventh year, is an initiative backed by the charity Stonewall, in which team captains wear rainbow armbands and laces to signal support for LGBT+ inclusion and the fight against homophobia.
It would be fair to say that things have not exactly gone to plan. The England and Crystal Palace defender, Marc Guehi, chose not to play ball at the weekend, writing ‘I love Jesus’ – with a love heart drawn instead of the word ‘love’ – on his rainbow-coloured captain’s armband during his team’s match against Newcastle.
The game’s governing bodies have only themselves to blame for this mess
Cue horror and panic from those in charge of the game.
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