Top English football teams plan to boycott rainbow lace campaign

September 20, 2013 · found by

Since the campaign to get professional footballers to wear rainbow shoe laces during this weekend’s games launched on Monday, top English teams (a group of teams known as the Premiere League) have announced they have instructed their players not to participate due to technical reasons. Manchester United is the latest team to join the boycott against the anti-homophobia campaign which also includes Tottenham Hotspurs, Liverpool and Norwich.

High street betting shop chain Paddy Power launched the campaign on billboards and social media to get footballers wearing the rainbow laces to show they support their closeted gay teammates. The campaign, Right Behind Gay Footballers, was a positive move in the direction to rid professional football of homophobia.

In the statement London team Tottenham Hotspurs released, they pointed to the lack of prior warning for banning the laces: “Whilst the campaign message is positive and one we support, there was unfortunately no prior consultation with ourselves, the Premier League or other clubs.”

The statement further read, ‘Such consultation would have enabled us to avoid issues in respect of associated third-party commercial entities. We have contacted Stonewall directly and let them know that we are supportive and keen to discuss ways in which we can work together going forward.’

Professional footballer Joey Barton has been one player who’s come out in support of the campaign. Already he’s worn the rainbow laces, so he took Twitter to criticize teams who are using the technicality to get out of showing their support.

So far no professional footballers have come out since the campaign launched, not surprising with so little support from team management. Norwich, which has joined the boycott is also the club where Britain’s only openly gay professional footballer to date, Justing Fashanu, started his playing career.