sportskeeda
Do you recall two years back during the World Cup in Qatar?
At that time, the FA and Harry Kane declared that the England captain would don a rainbow armband in support of the LGBTQ+ community, especially after FIFA awarded hosting rights to a nation where homosexuality is illegal.
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Additionally, six other Western European nations were set to express the same sentiment.
However, FIFA quickly made it apparent that captains participating in this “political” demonstration would incur penalties.
As soon as it became apparent that such actions might result in actual sporting consequences—heightening the stakes—
the FA and their six counterparts did an about-face. They retreated.
This illustrates the reality of English football and its claimed “support” for the LGBTQ+ community.
They seem prepared to convey their backing through symbolic yet hollow gestures, while genuine meaningful actions are conspicuously absent.
Fast forward two years, and the FA finds itself in yet another scandal, permitting Ipswich captain Sam Morsy—a practicing Muslim—not to wear a rainbow armband, while admonishing Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi—a devout Christian—for writing on his armband ‘I love Jesus’ and frequently declaring, “Jesus Loves You.”
This situation is evidently absurd. It conflates discrimination with the rationale of “rules are rules.”
English football aimed to protest the World Cup being held in Qatar.
Yet when it comes to the funding of Newcastle by the Saudi regime—which represses women and punishes homosexuality—or the Abu Dhabi government’s backing of Manchester City, they conveniently overlook it.
England star Marc Guéhi speaks about his father’s faith and his absences from church on Sundays
When England defender Guehi, who is the son of a Christian minister, made his stance known during the Saturday 1-1 match against Newcastle, the visiting captain Bruno Guimaraes wore his rainbow armband appropriately.
However, the regime employing him apparently does not uphold the values that this armband is meant to represent.
By mere coincidence in the fixture schedule, Guehi and Morsy—both born in Britain, with one being an internationally recognized Egyptian player—battled against each other on Tuesday, underlining the absurdity of allowing one player to not wear the armband, while reprimanding the other for writing on his.
Moreover, Manchester United’s Muslim defender Noussair Mazraoui refused to wear a specially designed pre-match warm-up jacket for the club’s Rainbow Laces match against Everton.
As a result, United opted not to have any players wear the jackets to maintain team cohesion.
Thus, their intent to support LGBTQ+ rights diminished when it became challenging.
A Significant Amount of Work Remains
I consider myself fortunate to have been raised without any religious constraints, fundamentally believing that organized religion often brings more harm than good.
Nonetheless, I recognize that individuals like Guehi, Morsy, Mazraoui, and anyone of faith have every right to practice as they see fit.
I also endorse the fundamental tenet of the rainbow campaign.
That everyone should have the liberty to love whom they choose without the fear of being judged.
In an increasingly secular world, this simple notion resonates with the majority.
Inclusivity should not be a controversial term. LGBTQ+ individuals justifiably feel excluded from participating in football and attending matches.
At Times It’s Inconsequential
The fact that there are still no openly gay footballers in the Premier League underscores that much work still needs to be completed.
However, when campaigns become muddled due to the FA’s retreat in Qatar and the double standards surrounding Guehi and Morsy, they inadvertently amplify the biases of intolerant individuals and undermine their own goals.
They lend weight to the belief that the FA is excessively “woke,” even when that’s not entirely accurate.
The FA, along with English football at large, is simply eager to embrace everyone and everything at every opportunity.
It’s rare to attend an England match without a minute’s silence, which usually ends with applause.
This often honors a recently deceased former England player or manager, alongside victims of some tragedy or natural disaster abroad, rendering it essentially meaningless.
The Antithesis of ‘Wokeness’
It also seems peculiar that before each England match, around 100 active military personnel grace the pitch.
Even more bizarre was last month’s match against the Republic of Ireland, where the local population understandably doesn’t appreciate the sight of British soldiers in uniform.
This experience is genuinely contrary to the notion of “wokeness”—however one defines it—and quite jarring in its contrast.
Then we have Remembrance Day. Personally, I wear a poppy—or rather, I buy several and then misplace them—out of respect for my relatives who served and perished, reflecting on my own good fortune in avoiding such horrors that my grandfather and great-grandfather faced.
Yet football has taken Remembrance Day to extreme lengths, with The Last Post being played, and moments of silence observed as early as October.
Moreover, it even allows James McClean, an open supporter of IRA terrorism, to voice his opinions—views that are abhorrent to most.
Gesture politics in football have morphed into a perplexing moral maze, exemplified by the absurdities surrounding Guehi and Morsy.
In a country rife with anger and division, the logical conclusion is that football should serve as a sanctuary—distanced from politics, religion, the military, and any other agendas.
