Latest news with #NoRoomForRacism
RTÉ News
08-08-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Premier League rainbow armbands campaign ends
Premier League captains will not wear rainbow armbands this season after the league is understood to have ended its partnership with LGBTQ+ inclusion charity Stonewall, which has run for 10 years. As part of that campaign, captains were asked to wear rainbow-coloured armbands and all players given the option to wear rainbow-coloured bootlaces. As first reported by the Daily Telegraph, the partnership has now concluded and the league will instead develop its own campaign during LGBTQ+ history month in February, drawing on the increased in-house expertise of the league and its clubs. It is understood captain's armbands will not play a part in any new campaign, or on campaigns around other topics either. During last season's Rainbow Laces campaign, the Football Association issued a reminder to Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi about kit regulations after he wore a rainbow armband that had the words 'I love Jesus' written on it. The FA did not take further action when he wore a similar armband in a subsequent match. The FA did not get involved at all in the case of Ipswich captain Sam Morsy, who chose to wear a standard captain's armband in the two matches covered by last season's campaign owing to his religious beliefs. It is understood Stonewall's campaign will continue via the charity's other Rainbow Laces partners. Top-flight captains have also agreed they and their team-mates will continue to take the knee, but only for the two fixtures designated for the 'No Room For Racism' campaign during Black History Month in October. England's women's team said before their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy that they would no longer take the knee. They said stopping the gesture was intended to be seen as a signal that more needed to be done to tackle racism, in the wake of abuse directed towards England player Jess Carter during the tournament.
Telegraph
07-08-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Premier League players will keep taking the knee despite Lionesses scrapping gesture
Premier League players have agreed to continue taking the knee this season, just weeks after England Women scrapped the anti-racism gesture, claiming it had lost its impact. But top-flight stars will perform the controversial gesture on only two occasions during October's Black History Month in a further cut in the number of times it gets an airing. The decision to persist with taking the knee before specific matches linked to the Premier League's No Room for Racism campaign was made during a meeting of club captains on Thursday. It came two and a half weeks after the Lionesses announced they would stop performing the gesture following the racist abuse of defender Jess Carter at this summer's European Championship. That left the Premier League as one of the only competitions in which it remained ongoing five years after it was first introduced to English football during the coronavirus crisis. It was performed at every top-flight match for two seasons following the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by a police officer in the United States. But it had a questionable impact on racism in football and became increasingly controversial due to its links to the Black Lives Matter movement and calls within it to defund the police. Three years ago, the Premier League announced players would only take the knee on the first and last match rounds of the season, the Boxing Day round of fixtures, two dedicated No Room For Racism match rounds, and at the FA Cup and League Cup finals. That was further scaled back to five match rounds the following season and four last term. Women's Super League players began taking the knee before every game at the start of the 2021-22 season. England's men's team stopped performing the gesture after the last World Cup in 2022 but their female counterparts continued to do so until the semi-finals and final of Euro 2025. They announced they would stop after Carter was inundated with racist abuse during the tournament, much of which Telegraph Sport has been told was posted to the team's social media channels. Players remained standing before their extra-time victory over Italy and the penalty-shoot-out triumph over Spain that saw them become the first senior England side to retain a major trophy. In a collective statement prior to the former fixture, the Lionesses said: 'Representing our country is the greatest honour. It is not right that while we are doing that, some of us are treated differently simply because of the colour of our skin. Until now, we have chosen to take the knee before matches. It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism. We have agreed as a squad to remain standing before kick‑off on Tuesday.' The statement added: 'Those behind this online poison must be held accountable.' Explaining the team's decision, star defender Lucy Bronze said: 'We feel as a collective, is the message as strong as it used to be? Is the message really hitting hard?. 'Because, to us, it feels like it's not, if these things are still happening to our players in the biggest tournaments of their lives. 'It's about putting another statement out there to say it's something that still is a problem, it's something that still needs to be put right. More needs to be done in football, more needs to be done in society. What that is right now as an individual, I don't exactly know. But it's something that us collectively as a team and as a federation want to work towards, we want to make changes. This is a small step trying to create another change. 'We know the people higher up are the ones who can ultimately put in things to make change. But I think we know we're never helpless as players and our voices are loud enough to be heard by people around the world, whether that is social media platforms or federations like Uefa and Fifa. I think that's something we're very proud of as a Lionesses team, that we've created this voice and a platform and we can reach the highest of heights. 'We're willing to use that platform and that voice to make differences. The sentiment of taking a knee and then standing, as small as that might seem to some people, I think noise will be reached around the world.' The decision divided opinion among ex-players, politicians and anti-racism campaigners. ITV pundit Ian Wright said: 'I think the decision to take the knee should always have been a personal thing. 'If you want to take the knee, take it. It was almost forced on people. If I was playing now and with everything the knee represents – if you go back to Colin Kaepernick and injustice and inequality and everything that goes with it – I would still take the knee. Even if I had to do it on my own.' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: 'Thank goodness the crazy gesture is over.' Kick It Out said in a statement: 'We support players in whatever actions they choose to take to signify their support in the fight against racism, but the focus should be on the reason behind those actions rather than the actions themselves. 'Social media companies have failed to prevent exposure to this toxicity, and football must continue to use its collective power to hold them to account. We have been working with the government and the regulator, but we know that more urgency is needed from everyone involved.' But Piara Powar, the executive director of European anti-discrimination body Fare, said: 'The taking of the knee is a powerful anti-racist act and England Lionesses have shown leadership across Europe in taking it for so long. 'Powerful actions are needed right now to deal with issues that are being played out as we speak.'
Fashion Network
12-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Avery Dennison and the Premier League extend licensing partnership
Global materials science and digital ID company Avery Dennison has extended its licensing partnership with the English football Premier League for an additional five years. It said the milestone agreement 'strengthens [its] role' as the exclusive licensee for names, numbers and embellishments for the league's 20 clubs, supporting both matchday and retail operations 'with high-quality, consistent branding'. Since first becoming official supplier in the 2019/20 season, Avery Dennison said it has supported the league with 'innovative, sustainable and technologically advanced kit branding solutions'. Steve Mason, VP/GM Commercial & Embelex, Avery Dennison, said: 'The Premier League's global reach is a powerful reminder of football's ability to unite fans from every corner of the world. As we extend our partnership, we remain committed to harnessing the latest technologies to create immersive experiences that bring fans closer to the game. He added: 'From personalised jerseys to connected apparel, we're pushing the boundaries of what's possible in sports branding, ensuring that every fan feels a deeper connection to their favourite teams and players.' Avery Dennison also supports key Premier League initiatives, such as the No Room For Racism anti-discrimination campaign, Premier League Hall of Fame, and key events such as Premier League Mornings Live and the Premier League Summer Series.
Fashion Network
12-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Avery Dennison and the Premier League extend licensing partnership
Global materials science and digital ID company Avery Dennison has extended its licensing partnership with the English football Premier League for an additional five years. It said the milestone agreement 'strengthens [its] role' as the exclusive licensee for names, numbers and embellishments for the league's 20 clubs, supporting both matchday and retail operations 'with high-quality, consistent branding'. Since first becoming official supplier in the 2019/20 season, Avery Dennison said it has supported the league with 'innovative, sustainable and technologically advanced kit branding solutions'. Steve Mason, VP/GM Commercial & Embelex, Avery Dennison, said: 'The Premier League's global reach is a powerful reminder of football's ability to unite fans from every corner of the world. As we extend our partnership, we remain committed to harnessing the latest technologies to create immersive experiences that bring fans closer to the game. He added: 'From personalised jerseys to connected apparel, we're pushing the boundaries of what's possible in sports branding, ensuring that every fan feels a deeper connection to their favourite teams and players.' Avery Dennison also supports key Premier League initiatives, such as the No Room For Racism anti-discrimination campaign, Premier League Hall of Fame, and key events such as Premier League Mornings Live and the Premier League Summer Series.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Manchester City reiterates there is no room for racism and encourage fans to challenge and report discrimination
Manchester City reiterates there is no room for racism and encourage fans to challenge and report discrimination Manchester City reiterates there is no room for racism and encourage fans to challenge and report discrimination All Premier League matches between 5 and 14 April will be dedicated to No Room For Racism, as the Club reiterates its call for fans to challenge and report discrimination, wherever they see it. Everybody has a role to play in ensuring football is inclusive for all. Advertisement Manchester City, alongside the rest of the Premier League, EFL and the Football Association, will not tolerate discrimination of any kind. Any fans who see or hear abusive behaviour at the Etihad Stadium can report it by texting 0770 015 1894 to make our dedicated security team aware of what they have witnessed. Feedback can be shared anonymously by texting your block, row, seat number and a short description of the incident to the number. Fans can also report incidents by talking to a steward or the police at the stadium. Meanwhile, fans can report online discriminatory abuse they see targeted at Premier League players, managers, coaches, match officials and their families directly at Advertisement The Premier League and clubs are committed to working with the authorities to bring offenders to justice and have introduced tougher sanctions. Anybody found to be committing discriminatory abuse of any kind will be reported to the police and will face punishment, including automatic stadium bans and legal prosecution.
