Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna comments on Sam Morsy armband controversy

Ipswich Town skipper Sam Morsy chose not to deterioration a rainbow armband against Crystal Palace and manager Kieran McKenna has explained the club's presumption connected the midfielder's decision

Ipswich Town brag Kieran McKenna has claimed his broadside are moving hard to beryllium an inclusive nine aft skipper Sam Morsy did not deterioration a Rainbow captain's armband against Crystal Palace.

It is the 2nd crippled successful succession that Morsy has declined to athletics the armband aft avoiding the amusement of enactment for the Rainbow Laces run against Nottingham Forest. The midfielder's decision is owed to spiritual reasons.

The Rainbow Laces run seeks to amusement enactment for the LGBT+ assemblage wrong football. Research from Stonewall has recovered 1 successful 5 LGBTQ+ radical who attended a unrecorded sporting lawsuit successful the past 12 months felt discriminated against due to the fact that of being LGBTQ+.

Morsy, a practising Muslim, has faced accusations of hypocrisy having antecedently worn shirts sponsored by gambling companies. Gambling is forbidden successful Islamic law.

Following decision to Crystal Palace, McKenna outlined the club's positon.

"We privation to beryllium inclusive nine and are moving truly hard connected that," helium said. "At the aforesaid clip the nine has respected Sammy's idiosyncratic determination based connected his spiritual beliefs."

The Premier League and FA confirmed connected Tuesday that they would instrumentality nary enactment against Morsy implicit his decision. The Egypt planetary was the lone skipper successful the part to deterioration the accustomed captain's armband.

In a connection to Mirror Football, an Ipswich Town spokesperson explained Morsy's stance pursuing the archetypal lawsuit against Forest. They said: "Ipswich Town Football Club is committed to being a afloat inclusive nine that welcomes everyone. We proudly enactment the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces run and basal with the LGBTQ+ assemblage successful promoting equality and acceptance.

"During this year’s campaign, members of the club’s men’s and women’s first-teams visited our Foundation’s play LGBTQ+ shot session, portion the nine besides made a associated pledge of solidarity and inclusivity alongside Nottingham Forest up of Saturday’s game.

"A scope of further initiatives are planned astir Tuesday’s location crippled with Crystal Palace, including a takeover of the stadium's large surface successful the moments anterior to kick-off.

"At the aforesaid time, we respect the determination of our skipper Sam Morsy, who has chosen not to deterioration the rainbow captain’s armband, owed to his spiritual beliefs. We volition proceed to turn an situation wherever each are valued and respected, some connected and disconnected the pitch."

The crippled astatine Portman Road saw Palace skipper Marc Guehi erstwhile again deterioration a rainbow armband referencing his religion. The England planetary received a ceremonial reprimand aft modifying his armband against Newcastle with the penning 'I emotion Jesus', against Ipswich the penning 'Jesus [heart] you' was used.

The FA contacted Palace and Guehi to 'formally remind' them the quality on, oregon incorporation in, immoderate point of clothing, shot boots oregon different instrumentality of immoderate spiritual connection is prohibited arsenic stated successful Rule A4 of the kit and advertizing regulations, aft Saturday's game.

Law 4 of the FA's Laws of the Game let 'initiative slogans/emblems promoting the crippled of football, respect and integrity,' specified arsenic Rainbow Laces, but forbid 'political, spiritual oregon idiosyncratic slogans, statements oregon images;.

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