Latest news with #RainbowLaces
Boston Globe
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Transgender women banned from women's cricket in England and Wales
The announcement comes a day after transgender athletes were banned from playing on women's soccer teams in England and Scotland by the Football Association. Transgender women were already banned from the top two tiers of elite women's cricket from the start of this year but had been permitted to compete in the women's game at lower levels including recreational cricket. Advertisement No longer. The U.K.'s highest court issued a ruling two weeks ago that defined a woman for anti-discrimination purposes as someone born biologically female. The head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission said after the ruling that transgender women would be excluded from women's toilets, hospital wards and sports teams. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up While the ruling was cheered by some feminist groups, it has been condemned by trans-rights groups who said it would have a broad and detrimental impact on daily life. The issue has been polarizing in the U.K. and beyond, particularly in the United States, where President Donald Trump has signed executive orders to prohibit participation of transgender athletes in sports and to use a rigid definition of the sexes, rather than gender, for federal government purposes. The orders are being challenged in court. Advertisement Reactions to cricket ban Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at Sex Matters charity, said: 'The ECB's two-tier policy was never coherent. Restricting the top end of the women's game to female-only showed that it understood men's size and strength confer an unfair advantage in women's sport. 'But protecting around 300 women in England and Wales while leaving the other 33,000 female cricketers to face male bowling and batting was indefensible.' A spokesperson for Stonewall, the LGBTQ+ charity, said: 'The recent decisions of sporting bodies to ban trans women from women's sport have been made too soon, before the implications of the Supreme Court's ruling have been worked through by lawyers and politicians or before statutory guidance has been issued. 'It is very disappointing as several of them have been long term and vocal supporters of our Rainbow Laces campaign, advocating for inclusion in sport for all ages and at all levels.'
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Cody Gakpo to be sent a FA warning for unveiling 'I belong to Jesus' vest after scoring in Liverpool's thumping 5-1 title-sealing win over Tottenham
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo is set to be reminded of the Football Association's rules after his goal celebration in their 5-1 win over Tottenham. The 25-year-old scored the Reds' third of the afternoon at Anfield as they sealed the Premier League title. Upon scoring, the Netherlands international took off his shirt to reveal a vest that bore the message 'I belong to Jesus'. He also displayed it at full-time amid the jubilant title-winning scenes. The vest's message and its font resembled that of AC Milan legend Kaka when he celebrated the Italian giant's triumph over Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final. Gakpo was booked for removing his jersey and will now be warned by the FA too. As per the International Football Association Board (IFAB) laws of the game - which the FA follows - one rule states: 'Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. 'Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer's logo. 'For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA.' The warning comes five months after Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi faced no formal action from the Football Association despite wearing an adapted rainbow armband for the second time. The player and the club had been reminded of FA kit regulations after he wore an armband saying 'I love Jesus' against Newcastle on November 30. He then wore one stating 'Jesus loves you' against Ipswich on Tuesday night, but the FA will still not take action on December 3. The club and the player were again reminded of kit regulations, which state that the appearance on, or incorporation in, any item of clothing, football boots or other equipment, of any religious message is prohibited under Rule A4. Captains had been wearing rainbow armbands in those two rounds of Premier League matches as part of the Rainbow Laces campaign, which offers support to the LGBTQ+ community in football and beyond. The Portman Road clash was also notable for the decision of Ipswich Town skipper Sam Morsy to refuse to wear the rainbow armband altogether - who had done the same the previous weekend too.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Cody Gakpo could face FA punishment for celebration during Liverpool title win
Cody Gakpo scored one of five Liverpool goals as the Reds sealed the title in style against Tottenham Hotspur but may have landed himself in hot water for his celebrations Dutch forward Cody Gakpo is at risk of punishment from the FA in relation to a "religious message" during Liverpool's title celebrations. The potential punishment relates to his goal celebration during the victory over Tottenham which saw Liverpool crowned champions. After scoring a first-half goal against Spurs, Gakpo took off his shirt to reveal a vest bearing the words "I belong to Jesus". The same message was revealed by Brazil and AC Milan star Kaka back in 2007 when he helped the Rossoneri beat Liverpool in the Champions League final. Gakpo was shown a yellow card by referee Thomas Bramall - the standard punishment for a player removing their shirt in celebration, regardless of any message revealed. However, as reported by The Athletic, the religious nature of the message could be interpreted as going against the International Football Association Board's laws of the game. "Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer's logo," IFAB's laws of the gane document states. "For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned." Back in December, Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi wore the message "I love Jesus" on his captain's armband during Rainbow Laces week. He and his club were formally reminded of the laws of the game, but no further punishment was issued. Gakpo has spoken publicly about his Christian faith in the past. "When I read scripture and study the Bible, it's like a lifestyle," he told GQ in 2024. "As a football player, when you're home, you're not done because you have to eat good, sleep good, so you're always busy with that and involved with being a better player. "For me, my faith is the same. It's all day, every day. Everywhere you can become a better person and in my opinion you can become closer to God through that guidance." The 25-year-old's goal against Tottenham was his 17th of the campaign, taking him one clear of his tally from last season. However, it was his first club goal since February, when he netted against the same opponents in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup. Dominic Solanke opened the scoring for the visitors at Anfield, but it was 3-1 by half-time as Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister netted before Gakpo. Mohamed Salah added a fourth during the second half, and the scoring was completed via a Destiny Udogie own goal. "I think from the moment we arrived on the bus everyone could feel that we were never going to lose this game," manager Arne Slot told Match of the Day. "The fans were so supportive before and during the game. Even at 1-0 down you felt this team and the fans could get it over the line. "Conceding from a set piece is always difficult but from that moment we were outstanding. We could have scored a few more. Tottenham's focus was probably more on Thursday but you still have to win it and we did." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Telegraph
15-02-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
FA's LGBT rainbow laces used to ‘strong arm' trans women into female sport, High Court hears
A Newcastle United fan has accused the Football Association's (FA) Rainbow Laces campaign of trying to 'strong arm' the public into accepting biological males in women's sport. Linzi Smith has launched legal action against football's governing body to force it to scrap the campaign, which she claims goes against its own ban on political activity. The 34-year-old has told the High Court that the wearing of rainbow armbands and laces on the pitch effectively endorses the contested notion of gender ideology – the belief a person's gender can differ from their biological sex. Ms Smith, who launched a crowd-funding drive to finance her case, says the FA's annual Rainbow Laces show of support for the LGBTQ+ community serves to pressure women to accept biological males into their separate activities. In a writ lodged with the court on Tuesday, her legal team states: 'The colours generate significant objection from many quarters. 'The movement with which they are associated is controversial because it is considered by many to embrace what is sometimes called gender ideology; to present a serious threat to free speech; and to seek to strong arm its opponents into permitting biological males into women's spaces or activities. 'These disputes have played out in areas such as policing, education … rape crisis centres, the medical treatment of children … and sport – in the latter case particularly in connection with the issue of participation of natal males in women's sport.' The FA's Rainbow Laces campaign was launched in 2013 as a joint initiative with the Premier league and Stonewall, the controversial LGBTQ+ charity which has campaigned for self-identification of gender, including among young children, and for children to compete against the opposite sex in sport. In her writ Ms Smith, a self-proclaimed LGB advocate and member of the Free Speech Union, told the High Court: 'The Rainbow Laces campaign may be presented in an innocuous way as being 'inclusive'. But the reality is that the colours that underpin the FA/Stonewall campaign signal support for a political movement seeking policy or legal changes and which is based on the contested viewpoint of gender ideology. 'The result is that gender-critical people like me feel firmly excluded where these insignia are displayed.' Ms Smith's battle comes amid recent controversy over the Rainbow Laces campaign. During last year's Rainbow Laces week Marc Guehi, the Crystal Palace captain, was reminded about the FA's rules against messaging on kits after he wrote the words 'Jesus loves you' on his captain's rainbow armband in a match against Ipswich Town. At the same time, Manchester United scrapped plans for players to wear a rainbow-themed jacket after defender Noussair Mazraoui refused to do so. Ms Smith has previously been banned from attending Newcastle United matches after expressing gender-critical views on social media. She was accused of being transphobic by a complainant who told the football club that trans people would not feel safe sitting near her. Although Northumbria Police informed Ms Smith that she had not committed an offence, the club revoked her membership and banned her from games until 2026. She told The Telegraph: 'The FA rules explicitly forbid any expression of religious or political beliefs from anyone involved in the game. 'However, it has become apparent that the FA don't believe their rules extend to themselves, because year after year they impose this highly controversial and contested ideology onto players, staff and fans, and if you refuse to participate, you then find yourself the target of harassment and abuse from activists.' Paul Conrathe of SinclairsLaw, Ms Smith's solicitor, said: 'By partnering with Stonewall the FA has lost its way and is using its monopolistic unaccountable powerful platform to advocate for a controversial toxic ideology. 'This is oppressive for fans and players alike. So many are fearful of raising concerns.' The FA has defended the Rainbow Laces campaign. A spokesman for the FA said: 'We believe that football should be for all, and we have supported the Rainbow Laces campaign for over ten years. 'Together with our partners and the leagues across English football, we have helped to promote this inclusive and voluntary campaign to provide allyship to the LGBTQ+ community across all levels of our game, and we do not consider the campaign to breach any of our rules. We are not in a position to comment further at this time.'
The Guardian
31-01-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘We're not blind': Richard Masters on the pyramid, ticket prices and the Premier League's soft power
It is 5pm in Brighton, the sun has set, but the skies are still teeming with rain. On a five-a-side pitch at the top of one of the city's many inclines, a group of determined girls are being put through their paces by a coach from Albion in the Community. They're running hard, working through passing exercises, keeping warm. And at the side of the pitch is the Premier League's chief executive, Richard Masters, standing under an umbrella looking happy. Masters describes the community and social programmes his competition supports as 'the other half of the Premier League'. His trip to Brighton commemorates the beginning of a process that will anoint 100 'community captains', celebrating the work of individuals in clubs up and down the football pyramid. He says: 'I've always said if other stuff might be getting you down and you need an injection of enthusiasm, just go to a community programme and you'll feel better about what you're involved in.' Since taking the top job at the world's biggest domestic football league in 2019, Masters will have likely needed the odd injection. Called 'The Master of Corruption' by one Everton banner aggrieved at the club's profitability and sustainability punishments, he is also regularly labelled as a puppet, either of the so-called big six, or maybe the red cartel, or the collection of clubs that feature on the mobile hoarding regularly parked outside Premier League shareholder meetings reading 'Richard's Masters'. He is the face of opposition to the football regulator and the man who puts noses out of joint when he doesn't congratulate Erling Haaland on getting a new contract. He gets it in the neck most days. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, therefore, he feels the Premier League's work in the community does not receive the credit it deserves. 'I think that Premier League football is part of British culture,' Masters says. 'It doesn't define it, but it's part of it. There are more than 6,000 people employed by community foundations across the country, the Primary Stars [educational] programme is active in 19,000 schools. So yes, I do think we're culturally relevant.' He also stands by the social values the league looks to articulate across the season. No Room for Racism, Rainbow Laces, the mental health campaign Inside Matters – all share a thread of inclusion, and the league's support for equality and diversity comes at a time when such values are under direct attack from politicians. 'The message that football is for everyone is non- negotiable,' says Masters, who rejects any claims of politicising sport. 'I would just ask the question: 'To what extent is making clear statements about discrimination, about racism, political?' I don't believe it is political. We are an apolitical, politically neutral organisation with multi-faith. Everybody is welcome. So to me these are not political statements.' This season the Rainbow Laces campaign was the subject of pushback from some players, including Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui and the Ipswich captain Sam Morsy, who objected on religious grounds. Masters says the protest had 'made us think about [the campaign] again' but not to change position. 'It's a very simple message of inclusion,' he says. 'Everyone should feel like they are welcome at Premier League matches. It's not enforced on players, it never has been, and to some extent it's a shame that it's been mildly politicised during that period. So whether it's that message or another message we'll continue to make sure that the LGBTQ+ community know that they're welcome at Premier League football matches and Premier League grounds, whether that's on the pitch, in the stands or in the employment chains.' Masters says the modern Premier League is 'four things together'. Not only 'a fantastic football competition, it's also an amazing story of soft power around the world, of inward investment and community social impact [which] make it unique. I can't think of anyone else or anything else that does it in quite the same way. Of course we're immensely proud of that and we'd like to keep all four of those things spinning at the same time in a positive direction.' The task of spinning plates usually ends with at least one smashing to the floor, and Masters does acknowledge some tensions between his four pillars. Such as the increase in ticket pricing which has caused outrage and organisation among match-going fans. Masters cites stats that show average ticket prices across the league are £39, and the £30 away ticket rule. However, with season tickets going up and concessions under threat he acknowledges clubs have work to do. 'So our clubs, in my view, fully understand their fanbase,' he says. 'We are 99% sold out at matches, that is a great thing and our clubs know the value of that. I think they will get it right in the end and ensure that football remains affordable to a broad cross-section of people.' As for the regulator, Masters remains unwaveringly sceptical, suspicious of mission creep and the throttling of the jeopardy he says is the key ingredient behind the Premier League's success. 'The essential theory is that in the interest of trying to do good in football, the regulator may come in and affect that ability to invest, that ability to inspire and the ability to deliver jeopardy,' he says. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion When it is suggested that such jeopardy is already challenged, with Manchester City champions for the past four seasons and all three promoted clubs in danger of being relegated – just as they were last season – despite a net transfer spend of about £230m between them, Masters does not buy the analysis. 'I'm not blind to these things, but also we shouldn't overreact to one or two seasons,' he says. 'City have won the league four times in a row, but two of those were final-day finishes, and every single one was a massive mountain to climb. Whilst we have got the same name scratched on the trophy, it's incredibly competitive still to win the Premier League. We're not blind to long-term trends, and we do understand that we have a responsibility to the rest of the pyramid.' Masters has clearly grown into his role, more confident and relaxed than the man who had to hold the tiller as football was thrown around by the crises of Covid. Read between the lines of some of his remarks and there also appears to be more flexibility than previously. There are bigger challenges to come, Manchester City's 130 charges foremost among them, a topic Masters says he doesn't want to discuss. It's an unrelenting job but one that has its benefits, and sometimes they can be found as the rain bounces off the astroturf.
