#THE RAINBOW CAPTAIN'S ARMBAND WITH ALL THE FLAGS

[stargirlsfc]

happy pride month from captain canada 🏳️‍🌈

[yorkshire-rockchick]

Loved your new fic so much! Personally think new members absolutely need a list of all the team's stuffed animals. I feel like some like the likes of Reynolds, Colin and Sam had ones they had from childhood whereas the likes of Isaac, Jamie and Jan were talked into buying or were gifted ones. They probably have rules about not having the same species of animal toys as well because they're all insane...Richard's and Jan argue that their toys are actually a mountain goat and a domesticated goat despite that literally still being the same species and them literally having the same toy. I have so many thoughts on this would love to hear yours

So I've thought about it and this is what I have:

Tom O’Brien - A sheep, because his granddad was a sheep farmer.

Arlo Dixon - A cuddly corgi, which his now ex-wife maintains he loves more than her.

Tommy Winchester - A bear knitted by his nan. It is lopsided and only vaguely resembles a bear but he loves it.

Isaac McAdoo - A Build-A-Bear given to him by Colin as a joke. Neither of them can remember the joke but Isaac loves the bear as much as he loves Colin. He asked his mum to make the bear a little captain's armband after he became captain.

Sasha Kukoč - A frog, because he likes Kermit the frog.

Richard Montlaur - A mountain goat given to him by his nephew before he left for England. He actually hates goats but he loves his nephew so the goat stays.

Jamie Tartt - A shark, given to him by the team after the Dubai Air protest. He will never admit it but the shark means a lot to him. When he was at Richmond the first time he didn’t have anything and laughed at the immaturity of the rest of the team.

Colin Hughes - A dragon. After he comes out the team buys him a rainbow dragon and he takes both of them to games.

Jan Maas - An Octopus. Jan was going to be a marine biologist if he wasn’t a footballer. When he first joins Richmond he maintains he does not have a cuddly toy so Colin and Jeff steal the octopus, Jan didn’t speak to them for a month despite no harm being done.

Dani Rojas - When he first moves to England, nothing, because he didn’t want to lose an old friend on the journey over, until the comment about being a raven haired golden retriever results in Isaac getting him a golden retriever.

Robbie Roberts - A cat, because he is allergic to cats and his sister thought it was funny when they were kids.

Jeff Goodman - A highland cow, because they are both ginger. He has to keep reminding people he is from Yorkshire, not Scotland.

Babatunde - A raccoon, because he thinks they are cute and fun to watch

Declan Cockburn - A cuddly plant because he can not keep plants alive to save his life.

Paul Reynolds - Originally a Leprechaun he bought over from Ireland with him, however he ends up with a cuddly olive given to him by O’Brien after his daughter, Olivia, is born.

Moe Bumbercatch - A one eyed sloth he won on a claw machine when he was a teenager

Martin De Maat - Misunderstood and actually has a cushion with a picture of a donkey on it.

Sam Obisanya - A dog he has had since he was a baby. When he was with Rebecca the poor thing got hidden in the wardrobe but now it is back on his bed.

Kyle McCraken - A squid, which in part led to being called Squid Game. He is still upset that you can’t get a cuddly kraken.

Bhargava - A peacock, he shrugs when asked questions about it.

Anders Rosenfeldt - A rag doll because his girlfriend got it for him when he said he needed a cuddly friend for away games.

Thierry Zoreaux - A moose holding the canadian flag. If Paul and Colin can have something from their home countries, so can he.

Will Kitman - A very tired looking elephant that he has had since he was a baby. If it can survive university it can survive a football team.

Bonus:

Roy - A very grumpy unicorn given to him by Phoebe for his first ever Uncle's day. No one had ever seen it until they were in the championship and they played away at Rotherham when the fire alarm in the hotel went off, Roy grabbed the unicorn and took it with him outside. Jamie and Colin laughed, resulting in them having to run laps once they were back in Richmond and they both had to apologise to the unicorn in front of the whole team.

Beard - A hedgehog. No one knows why and he refuses to answer questions.

[devotioncrater]

something I'd really like but don't know if they'd do is imitate things that have happened in real life football where there are rainbow corner flags or the rainbow laces or rainbow captains armbands. it's made me feel really good when that's happened and I think it's a realistic way all the clubs in the ted lasso universe could show solidarity after colin comes out. i just. think it'd be so neat and fit the show so well

hard agree!!! it would be really sweet to see this happen

[rootingfordorks]

okay I couldn't help myself... another Trent POV following chapter 3.

...

Trent closed his front door, slid his shoes off, and put his work bag away in a familiar routine. He changed out of his slacks, re-hanging them with his suit jacket carefully. Comfy in track pants, he grabbed his journal.

Why had it struck him so strongly that Ted was going to have his players wear a pride jersey? The whole league had observed pride night for a handful of years now. Yet, when Ted had mentioned the honest-to-god pride jerseys for an independent pride night, Trent had felt a jolt of awe and surprise. He admired Ted's approach to coming out. Like everything the man did, it was designed to bring as many people along as possible. Not just recognizing the queer fans, but making them proud. Not just shoelaces and captains armbands, but an actual jersey covered in a specific flag.

That might be it, he thought. Though the existing pride nights were fundraisers for Stonewall, and genuinely supported by a number of people in the League, they went the generic-rainbow route. It was fine, it was good. Trent himself had written a somewhat complementary article after the first year of the program. This was different.

This was typical Ted, bringing kindness and love in the world. Going all in. Trent had identified that character trait of Ted's long ago -- the man was intense and dedicated.

What would it be like to date someone that enthusiastic and steadfast? Trent wondered. He couldn't write that down, even in his own journal. Thinking about Ted as a partner was too painful. He would be so supportive and genuine, comforting when Trent was upset. He thought Ted would be a brilliant partner for him, specifically. He understood about a career being important to a person, and for all his positive qualities was far from perfect so there wouldn't be a pressure to be perfect himself.

He shut down the train of thought that wanted to picture them together, happily cohabitating and enmeshed in each other's lives. He had effectively ruined any possibility of them ending up together, he thought, crush or not. Ted was clearly hurt over the end of their fling; dating other people would only erode his feelings for Trent. Trent returned to the refrain that had gotten him through so far, I fucked up, but at least I still have a promising career.

To that end, he put his personal journal aside. Pulling out his current notebook for the book, he noted: Lasso has not yet come out publicly, and is already planning what he will do as a public queer figure. The first openly queer manager of a PL team?

Trent stared at his writing for a long moment, heart swelling. That was something about Ted he was allowed to be impressed with, he thought.

[somedaytakethetime]

I can 100% confirm this about Flo (Kohfeldt, the new WOB coach), he got really unlucky with Bremen last season but he's a great coach. Very loud on the sideline 😅 but also very polite and friendly, knowledgeable, close to his players, and he's cute indeed. Wolfsburg actually seems like quite a cool club right now, with all the rainbow stuff too 😍🏳️‍🌈

He seems extremely sweet, bless him! I'm feeling very endeared to Wolfsburg because of all the rainbow stuff. 🥺

[alexbkrieger13]

It is fair to say that I have been following off-the-field events at the World Cup just as closely as the football on it. I got asked during the last international break whether I would be watching the tournament and my answer probably applies to a lot of the girls at Chelsea – we talk about some of the games and the football aspect but equally we talk about the other things that are happening around the tournament. And this week, that means the situation with the “OneLove” armbands – and the decision was taken not to wear them.

I am a bit wary of saying, “Well, I would have worn it”. I have never been put in a similar situation but, ultimately, I would like to think that – in their shoes –I really would have pushed and tried to call Fifa’s bluff. It would have been inspiring if they’d gone ahead and done it anyway and said, “OK, what are you going to do now?”. Different players could have rotated the armband to share out the yellow cards that each would get for wearing it.

If you are the captain of a national team, as I have been with Sweden, you are experienced and have been at this level a long time. You do not have much to lose because you have got such a big platform and such influence – particularly in the men’s game. I was disappointed, therefore, not to see the captains wearing those armbands after all.

I do not want to sound like the moral police here and I can appreciate that players picking up bans would be a concern for the national federations involved. Indeed the main problem for me was not the players, but Fifa’s handling of the situation in the first place. They have known about this plan to wear the armbands for months but waited until the day before England’s first game to threaten teams with sporting sanctions, which is unfair.

The Germany players’ response before their match against Japanwas fantastic. They are really showing unity and true allyship with their brave decision to say that this situation is not OK. Something so simple as just covering their mouths sent out a very powerful message alongside the statement released by the German FA. With no Sweden at the World Cup, they have just gained a new fan in me.

Another team that I have felt so much admiration for this week is Iran for their decision not to sing their national anthem before the England match. It was extremely powerful and brave. I was so impressed by that.

I know how powerful football can be and I would like it to be a force for good. Instead I’ve seen on my social media these clips of people over in Qatar being asked to remove items with rainbows on them. I think it is insane to describe the rainbow flag as a political statement. I understand they have to be wary about ideological messages but for me the rainbow represents human rights and respect for one another rather than politics. Instead we have had Fifa and Qatar deciding what is political. The fact that Fifa are saying rainbow-coloured items are now allowed in stadiums is a positive sign. If we raise our voices loudly enough, change can happen.

Of course, it does not help that there are other big reasons for frustration over Qatar as hosts, starting with the voting process when this World Cup was awarded. The fact that there were bribes opened a lot of questions. Perhaps those of us who love football are naive but I do not want to think money will rule football forever. A lot of people – players, fans, media – genuinely think this has gone too far and when I hear Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, defend that decision so robustly, it does undermine his credibility. It was a ridiculous speech that he gave last week about feeling gay and disabled. I cannot believe they thought it was a good idea. I just thought, “Wow, you are really not reading the room”.

That said, I did understand his point about the hypocrisy of western societies giving out moral lessons given our history of colonisation. I can appreciate that change happens at different speeds in different places. I am all for discussion and it may be that things are changing in Qatar. Each country has its context and comparisons are not always easy. Yet it still leaves me outraged that being gay in a country can put you in prison and seeing how migrant workers have been treated.

Going back to my first point about my interest in this World Cup, I have certainly learned so much about that part of the world because of it. Journalists have done a great job of using Qatar 2022 as an opportunity to educate people about the situation in that region and I really do believe that anybody who follows this tournament should try to know something about the context. Personally, I have enjoyed reading about it and am much better informed now. Hopefully that goes for others too

[highlifestyleindia]

The "OneLove" armbands that FIFA banned during the World Cup in Qatar are again flying off the shelves.

Since FIFA threatened several European team captains with yellow cards if they wore them to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, the armbands, which are meant to send a message of tolerance, connection, and opposition to all forms of discrimination, have gained international attention.

After sending 10,000, largely in the last two weeks, the Utrecht, Netherlands-based company that manufactures the bands now claims to be sold out.

"The big boom came actually with the World Cup coming up and for sure the statement of FIFA to not allow these captain bands on the field", said Badge Direct BV CEO Roland Heerkens in an interview.

Demand for the bands, which were originally launched in 2020 as part of an inclusiveness campaign by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), had been only "so-so" until this summer, Heerkens said.

The design features a rainbow flag in the shape of a heart with a number 1 in the middle, surrounded by the text "One Love" on either side and the words that "football connects" in cursive below.

The KNVB campaign opposes discrimination on the basis of race, skin colour, sexual orientation, culture, faith, nationality, gender, age and "all other forms of discrimination."

When team captains from Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Norway, Wales, Sweden, and Switzerland opted to use them, it gave the initiative a push.

Customers are already placing orders from all over the world because they want the band and to make a statement, all the way up to the European Parliament, who just ordered 500 pieces," according to Heerkens.

The bands are priced at 4.99 euros ($5.15) per band, which is little above the cost of production. When a new batch of 10,000 becomes available, it will be offered on the KNVB website shop and Voetbalshop.nl.

[calacuspr]

This England team has shown us all what the power of sport really means

There have been a few times in recent years where the entire nation has appeared united and optimistic – and almost all of them have been connected to sport.

The World Cup in Italy in 1990, the EURO 96 in England and the London 2012 Olympic Games all come to mind as moments that will endure as epochs that transcend everything else going on in the world.

England has been particularly divided in recent years as the Leave and Remain factions argue; the challenges facing the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic; and the economic struggles that so many have encountered pretty much since the financial collapse a decade ago.

At Calacus, we work with organisations who see the value of sport to positively transform society and the England team has shown that throughout the build-up to EURO 2020 and beyond, they have brought the nation together in a way little else can.

Granted, it helped that England did so well, reaching the final of the tournament. It is hardly a new phenomenon that the squad is so multi-cultural, with players with family heritage from around the world.

While the aftermath of the defeat to Italy has shown the unpalatable side of society, the way in which the England manager and players have conducted themselves has been a masterclass in authentic communications.

STAY TRUE TO YOUR VALUES

Taking the knee has been part of football tradition in England for more than a year now, highlighting inequality and promoting diversity.

The England team have been criticised by many, with the Conservative MP for Ashfield, Lee Anderson, announcing that he would not watch “his beloved England team” while the players took the knee; Home Secretary Priti Patel suggesting that it was nothing more than “gesture politics.” and Prime Minister Boris Johnson refusing to criticise those who booed the team.

Given the racism that the likes of Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and others have suffered, particularly from online trolls, it’s remarkable that politicians sought to condemn them and accuse the team of Marxist tendencies and BLM affiliation rather than a compassionate plea for solidarity and equality over division.

England defender Tyrone Mings said: “Everyone’s entitled to their opinions. The home secretary is one of many, many people who oppose us taking the knee or refuse to defend it . . . we [have tried] to educate and inform the minority who refuse to acknowledge why we take the knee and want to boo it.”

Notably, the boos faded as the EURO 2020 tournament progressed and the team got to the later stages and it speaks volumes that many of those politicians who criticised the team then tried to associate themselves with them through staged photography that fooled no one.

CELEBRATE INCLUSION

This England team are no strangers to speaking up for those who don’t have a voice.

Marcus Rashford has campaigned for an end to child hunger and has twice forced the government to make u-turns over free school meals.

Raheem Sterling, one of the stars of the tournament for England and who has been vilified himself by media and fans alike, has fought hard to call out bigotry in the fight against racism.

EURO 2020 started during Pride month and saw players wear rainbow laces and captains use rainbow armbands, despite some mixed messaging from UEFA.

When England played Germany in the round of 16, captain Harry Kane joined his counterpart Manuel Neuer in wearing a rainbow armband with England's official Twitter account saying: “@HKane will join @DFB_Team 's Manuel Neuer in wearing a rainbow captain’s armband for tomorrow’s game at @wembleystadium to mark the end of Pride month, as the #ThreeLions stand in allyship with LGBTQ+ communities around the world.”

Kane himself explained: “From our point of view, it is a show of solidarity with the German national team from all of us at the England national team to be united in trying to kick out all inequalities there are. We’re on a huge platform on a big stage so it is obviously a great opportunity to do so.”

Jordan Henderson has shown himself to be a captain on and off the field, supporting local charities during lockdown as well as leading his Liverpool team to success over recent years.

He is thought to be one of the main drivers behind the team planning to donate its EURO 2020 prize money to good causes.

Their donation – which could be in the millions – will be made to NHS charities now that the football tournament has concluded.

The team made a statement last May which said: “Following positive discussions with the FA, the England senior men's squad are pleased to confirm that a significant donation from their international match fees will be made to NHS Charities Together via the #PlayersTogether initiative.

“This contribution will be taken from a fund already set aside to support a variety of worthy causes using all match fees collated since September 2018.”

While England supporters still let themselves down by booing national anthems at times during the tournament, it shows the progress that this England team has prompted that Joe White, an England fan who co-chairs Gay Gooners, Arsenal’s LGBT+ supporters group, attended the England v Germany match at Wembley Stadium “in full makeup.”

They wore red lipstick, shimmery eyeshadow and mascara along with a rainbow flag and England flag painted on their face to complete the look.

They tweeted: “This is a really small and personal point but today was my first game at Wembley in full makeup and overtly queer (as opposed to just camp). Absolutely no issues from fans and some lovely chats.

“Despite being absolutely petrified pre game, really proud of our fans”

Henderson responded: “Hi Joe great to hear you enjoyed the game as you should. No one should be afraid to go and support their club or country because football is for everyone no matter what. Thanks for your support, enjoy the rest of the Euros.”

How refreshing that the LGBTQ+ community can now support the national team with no fear of abuse or intimidation and that the Three Lions Pride can display positive banners – understandably celebrating Henderson’s goal against Ukraine.

ENCOURAGE TEAMWORK

England manager Gareth Southgate arguably had one of the most talented England squads in recent memory.

The team’s headquarters at St George’s Park became a centre of fun with photocalls featuring the likes of Bukayo Saka jumping into a pool on a flying unicorn inflatable and Ed Sheeran playing a special concert for the team not to mention a preview showing of Top Gun Maverick and call with its star Tom Cruise.

While early on, there was uproar among fans over players who had been left out of the starting XI or even the squad, with flair giving way to pragmatism, Southgate showed how much the team ethic mattered to him.

After the 4-0 victory over Ukraine, Southgate paid tribute to the members of his squad who had not featured much during the tournament.

He said: “I am thinking about the players who I had to leave out of the 23 because they have been such a massive part of what we’re doing. It is so difficult to keep a group of this size feeling valued and yet those guys have been phenomenal about how they have sacrificed themselves for the group.

"I feel the responsibility keenly. But it is these challenges that make us."

Not once during the tournament did any stories leak of disgruntled players, while the players reflected the afore-mentioned values by resisting well-trodden paths of nationalism that previous encounters with the likes of Germany may have engendered.

In fact, this England team have shown dignity in the face of criticism and the very definition of what it means to be a team – there are no egos, no vested interests.

Where once supporting England meant violence and xenophobia, this England team has inspired a new identity with a commitment to diversity, inclusion and a more tolerant society, which is a credit to them all.

SHOW REAL LEADERSHIP

It was quite telling when, during the celebrations following England’s win over Denmark, former international Gary Neville said: “The standard of the leaders in the past couple of years in this country has been poor but look at that man there... he’s everything a leader should be: respectful, humble, tells the truth, genuine. He’s fantastic, Gareth Southgate.”

Southgate has been humble, engaging, honest and resolute that he knew what he wanted to do and would not waver, even when senior politicians criticised some of the decisions made by him and his management team.

Ahead of the tournament, in an essay on patriotism, titled Dear England, Southgate linked football and national identity and underlined why the game means so much more than just sporting excellence.

“I have a responsibility to the wider community to use my voice, and so do the players. It’s their duty to continue to interact with the public on matters such as equality, inclusivity and racial injustice, while using the power of their voices to help put debates on the table, raise awareness and educate.

“On this island, we have a desire to protect our values and traditions – as we should – but that shouldn’t come at the expense of introspection and progress.”

Southgate has been calm and assured throughout his tenure, ensuring that he and the team are consistent in their focus, messaging and conduct. There have been no scandals, no drama and every press conference or media opportunity has been assured and engaging.

FACE ADVERSITY HEAD-ON

Losing on penalties is part of football, but it’s also something that England have encountered at a number of major tournaments.

The backlash after England’s defeat was brutal, with the three players who missed penalties, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka all targets of racist abuse.

Some MPs also used the defeat as an opportunity to tell players to keep out of politics, such as Andrew Rosindell, who tweeted: “We are all proud of our England team, who have had the support of the whole country over recent weeks, but please focus of football, not politics. If you win for England, you win for everyone!”

Home Secretary Priti Patel expressed her outrage at the racism, prompting Mings to again address her double standards.

He said: “You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘Gesture Politics’ & then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens.”

Soon after the game, the mural in tribute to Rashford was vandalised, prompting hundreds of positive messages and fans voicing their support for the Manchester United forward.

Rashford tweeted: ““I’ve grown into a sport where I expected to read things written about myself. Whether it be the colour of my skin, where I grew up, or, most recently, how I decide to spend my time off the pitch.

“I dreamt of days like this. The messages I’ve received today have been positively overwhelming and seeing the response in Withington had me on the verge of tears. The communities that always wrapped their arms around me continue to hold me up.

“I’m Marcus Rashford, 23-year-old black man from Withington and Wythenshawe, South Manchester. If I have nothing else I have that. For all the kind messages thank you. I’ll be back stronger. We’ll be back stronger.”

CONCLUSION

The England team have shown without doubt the power of sport to unify – and while EURO 2020 is now over, we have the Olympic Games coming up where athletes will come together in the spirit of competition and camaraderie.

As Southgate put it: “The reality is that the result is just a small part of it. When England play, there’s much more at stake than that.

“It’s about how we conduct ourselves on and off the pitch, how we bring people together, how we inspire and unite, how we create memories that last beyond the 90 minutes. That last beyond the summer. That last forever.”

While the positivity has proved to be a brief moment in time, the England squad showed society how to empathise, respect and engage in a way that has been in short supply for so long.

[youaresympatico]

Ye but football is not about politics or causes, it's about fun , Chill out ! Besides teams are using it to be well regarded or to say they are doing something when in fact it shouldn't be enough .

Football is not about politics or causes, but it should be, that's what I'm talking about. Teams could use their visibility for causes or to show their angst against oppressive governments. The teams are probably not fully supportive of the cause and are also likely not doing enough, I know that.

But what I'm saying is, if you've been a fan of football long enough, you know it's the most homophobic sport in the world, the sexist and prejudiced straights with fragile masculinity still use gay and fag words to curse players. So seeing the teams AND THE PLAYERS raising the flag, showing support is the best thing I've ever seen on my favourite sport.

Manuel Neuer has been wearing the rainbow-colored captain's armband since day one of Euro, I don't think he has done it for engagement. The German national team surprised this year with the support it has given even though UEFA has barred them.

Also, have you seen what German Cano did? He is from Argentina but plays for Vasco in Brazil

If you have a look on his social medias he's showing support on Instagram, on Twitter, EVERYWHERE! And also he's the best center forward Vasco has. The team have been relegated to the second division last year, they are one of the four biggest teams from Rio de Janeiro but they've been doing very poorly for a while, and Cano has been the best on the team so far. How much visibility does it have? If you look at Vasco's fans, they're supporting the cause so much because of Cano that it's beautiful to see. And I think that's about it, we need to get all the support they directs us, especially support as big as these.

I never thought I would see such a thing on football but I'm seeing. It used to be homophobic as hell, it needs to change, people should feel free and comfortable to support their teams.

[chipthekeeper]

this is so random im sorry!!!! but i just saw the pictures of the pride football game and im SO intrigued!!!!! what happened? why did they decide to make it a pride game? was it just because?? was it planned because of pride month? who are people showing their middle fingers to? btw obviously i LOVED it and teared up a bit, i can’t imagine how it felt for the queer german fans <3 the stadium looked magnificent

So basically what happened was that the Germans wanted to be able to light up the stadium in rainbow colors for their last group stage game of the Euro competition, but the federation in charge of the tournament (UEFA) told them they couldn't, for totally bullshit reasons. And in response, all the other German stadiums went rainbow themselves and a ton of the fans came out with rainbow stuff for the match and the captain kept flashing his rainbow armband and it was just a fun, gay experience. Plus a pitch invader waved a pride flag in front of the Hungary team (which was, I think, the reason the stadium couldn't be lit in the first place because they complained)

so yeah it wasn't really supposed to be a pride game but then it just was because we can't be stopped

[shannybasar]

England reach Euro 2020 final

Our first final of a major tournament since 1966 - although Italy will be really hard to beat.

Phillipp Lahm writes in The Guardian that Mancini and Southgate set the example other countries should follow:

Gareth Southgate has given his team a lot but two things stand out. First, with his letter to the nation, in which he addresses racism among other things, he showed that he sees his role as national team coach as a social one as well as a football one. Second, he has made his team believe in his plan, which is: nobody will score against us easily or quickly. England have conceded only one goal this tournament, in the semi‑final against Denmark.

Up front, Southgate can rely on many talents, but above all Raheem Sterling. It is also worth pointing out that he is happy to use many players from clubs not part of the so-called Big Six, ie Leeds, Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton. This also strengthens England’s identity.

Another big winner of this tournament are Italy. Since kick-off in the opening match in Rome, Roberto Mancini’s team have showed they are a very solid unit with a clear approach. The team are combining that old Italian virtue of defending, which was particularly needed in the semi-final against Spain, with international components higher up the pitch.

Lovely piece on how the England team's effort to combat racist abuse is profound for fans from minority backgrounds:

The children dressed in traditional robes huddle around the small screen at a Muslim boarding school in Blackburn. They gasp momentarily before the room erupts into cheers as the England captain, Harry Kane, scores his winning goal.

The heartwarming video, which went viral after England’s Euro 2020 semi-final victory over Denmark, is one of many videos and photographs of people from minority backgrounds celebrating the team’s success – a symbol of the strides that have been made in making English football more inclusive.

A new report by British Future, “Beyond a 90-minute nation”, found that two-thirds of white and ethnic minority citizens agree that the England football team is a symbol of England that “belongs to people of every race and ethnic background”. Just one in 13 people disagreed.

The Atlantic on What Euro 2020 Has Revealed About Englishness:

Throughout the tournament, the English team has put its values quite literally at the center of the stadium. Before every kickoff, England’s players have taken a knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, replicating the gesture made popular by the American football player Colin Kaepernick. The team’s captain, Harry Kane, wore a rainbow armband to mark Pride month—a gesture that took on even greater significance after European soccer’s governing body blocked the city of Munich from illuminating its stadium in the rainbow colors of the Pride flag. Other members of the squad also expressed their support. Off the field, England’s players have advocated on issues ranging from racial equality in sports to the government supplying free school meals for underprivileged children during the pandemic.

Daniel Storey on how the team are a collective personification of a better England

This team feels different and is treated differently because it is different. This tournament - and 2018 too - has been a triumph of unity. As an antidote to the deliberately divisive politics of our time, a group of young men from disparate backgrounds have sacrificed individual achievement and club rivalry to form a team that matches every definition of that word. They have used their position to fight against social injustice and inequality and they have made those who sought to denigrate that aim look spectacularly dim. One football team cannot change society, perhaps they cannot even make a difference.

Within that collective, individuals have established themselves as de facto cultural leaders. Raheem Sterling has railed against the racist abuse targeted at players of colour and become a leader of the team after being subject to unfair media victimisation. Marcus Rashford campaigned tirelessly against child hunger and poverty. Jordan Henderson was awarded an MBE for his services to charity. On Friday morning, it was revealed that England’s players will donate their prize money from the tournament to the NHS.

From Penguin's 11 literary quotes about the beautiful game:

“All that I know most surely about morality and obligations I owe to football.” - Albert Camus

James Horncastle in The Athletic on how Mancini brought the Azzurri came back from the brink after they failed to qualify for the last World Cup:

Mancini has built his team around the quality of Verratti, Insigne and Jorginho, all of whom were available to Ventura but were either played out of position or called up sparingly. Two-thirds of that trio has experience of recent Champions League finals with PSG and Chelsea and as their twenties draw to a close they have reached a maturity that shows on the international stage.

Mancini also wanted to send a message to coaches in Serie A that it was time to put faith in the country’s youngsters. He called up Nicolo Zaniolo before the dynamic Roma midfielder had even played a single minute for his club. The move set the tone for his tenure and the next thing Mancini knew Zaniolo was starting at the Bernabeu in the Champions League.

The team has come together on and off the pitch too, mirroring the band of brothers that is Mancini’s staff with Vialli, Alberigo Evani, Attilio Lombardo and Fausto Salsano reunited 30 years after Samp’s Scudetto and presumably hoping that, in the event they do make it to Wembley, they will be able to put the ghosts of 1992 to bed. As the head of Italy’s delegation, Vialli in particular wants to inspire those around him after coming through 17 months of chemotherapy following his diagnosis with pancreatic cancer.

“Winning isn’t important,” Vialli said. “Thinking like a winner is. Ten per cent of life is what happens to you. The other 90 per cent is your approach to it. I hope my story can help others take on what life throws at them in the right way.”

On how Giorgio Chiellini gives Italy the psychological edge:

Before the Belgium game, Chiellini said a captain’s role was to “sdrammatizzare” – to diminish and ease the tension in important moments for the rest of his team. “There’s no need to raise anxieties higher than they already are,” he said. “Adrenaline will come on its own.”

In his biography Io, Giorgio, Chiellini describes the psychological aspect of anticipating a striker’s thoughts as “the most important part of my game”, but he has always sought to impose himself on opponents. Spain’s Álvaro Morata likened training against him to trying to steal food from a gorilla’s cage, but the great ape persona was the defender’s own creation, cultivated with a chest-beating celebration and a cartoon image that used to appear on his website.

[worldticketsandhospitality]

Football World Cup - Qatar to allow rainbow flags at Qatar Football World Cup 2022

FIFA said it was resolved to push Qatar on organizing a competition that is far-reaching when the FIFA World Cup heads to the Middle East interestingly. Rainbow banners will be permitted in arenas at the Qatar Football World Cup 2022 as Qatar said anti-LGBTQ laws would not be upheld at matches to follow FIFA guidelines advancing resilience and incorporation.

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With not exactly a one and half year until the competition, however, concerns persevere about the treatment confronting gay fans in Qatar due to the ordinary strict code disallowing same-sex relations that contention with FIFA's position against homophobia.

FIFA said it was resolved to push Qatar on organizing a competition that is comprehensive when the FIFA World Cup heads to the Middle East interestingly.

"I'm a straightforwardly gay lady in football, so this is by and by, as far as I might be concerned, something I'm almost also, FIFA chief social obligation and schooling official Joyce Cook revealed to The Associated Press. We will see a reformist change altogether of those viewpoints and rainbow banners, shirts will all be welcome in the arena that is guaranteed. They see very well that is our position."

Qatar's Football World Cup 2022 administration has offered FIFA the confirmations that presentations advancing LGBTQ rights won't be eliminated. With regards to the rainbow banners in the arenas, FIFA have their own rules, they have their principles and guidelines, Qatar Football World Cup 2022 chief leader Nasser Al-Khater told the AP. Whatever they might be, we will regard them.

The US State Department's latest human rights report on Qatar features how LGBTQ individuals there to a great extent concealed their sexual direction, sex personality, or sex attributes because of a hidden example of discrimination. In front of the organizing Club World Cup a year ago, Qatar brought an individual from Liverpool's Kop Outs allies' gathering and his better half to the nation to offer confirmations that gay fans would be gladly received. For more information about Qatar football world cup final tickets visit our website.

“We have a moderate nation, anyway we are an inviting country, Al-Khater said from Doha. We are open and inviting hospitable. We comprehend the distinction in individuals' societies. We comprehend the distinction in individuals' convictions thus I think, once more, everyone will be gladly received and everyone will be treated with deference. “

"Very much like our way of life is a culture of this world, we additionally anticipate that people should regard our way of life. I believe there's an equilibrium and there's an inclination that individuals will regard individuals from all over the place."

Anti-discrimination activists need Qatar to go further by changing the laws.

"What it doesn't do is help the LGBTQ and Qatari people group, said Chris Paouros, an individual from the English Football Association's incorporation warning board. It's extraordinary for us to have the option to proceed to put our banners up in the arena, and that is magnificent during a Qatar Football World Cup 2022. You need it to be the celebration of football. At the end of the day, we accomplish this work since we need to ensure that everyone can be allowed to be what their identity is, and assuming you're a Qatari and you're not ready to, it seems like window dressing. “

Pressure will be intensified on Qatar in front of the World Cup opening in November 2022.

"What I trust is there's a real discourse with the Qatari LGBTQ and local area and that they are not condemned or criticized and that really, we can make genuine enduring social change for Qataris, said Paouros, wearing a face cover highlighting a rainbow banner and the crest of Premier League pioneer Tottenham. “

Paouros is a co-seat of Proud Lilywhites, an allies' gathering for the London club. Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who additionally plays for World Cup champion France, was among the captains to wear armbands with a rainbow banner on throughout the end of the week as a feature of the Premier League's Rainbow Lace's crusade.

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[outrunningthedark]

I just spotted a rainbow flag pin on the staff member next to Jose in the teamtalk pre burnley in the 3rd episode! It was during the rainbow captains armband campaign but still REPRESENTATION!! (I it's a tiny bit less performative compared to the laces and the armband imo!)

Hey, nonnie! This completely slipped my mind so I got a screenshot:

Mou also wore his for a press conference: 

Other “nice” things Spurs have done to support their LGBTQ+ fanbase: Serge gave the Proud Lilywhites his rainbow laces Captain Hugo wishing fans a happy pride Hugo + Ledley King attend the unveiling of Spurs #RainbowStadium Mou was manager for all of two weeks before recording this

(The one time kiddo’s been involved...)

The players/coaches hearts appear to be in the right place (they try). It’s the ones who make the most money that stand in the way. It’d be much easier for me in fandom if I weren’t gay, lemme tell ya. "Shippers” have all the fun because nothing is real. 

[fredthered]

Manchester United is proud to show our support for the 2019/20 Rainbow Laces campaign in our upcoming Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur. The initiative by Stonewall and the Premier League aims to promote equality and diversity for all LGBT people in football and beyond.

Old Trafford will don Rainbow Laces corner flags, ball plinths, handshake boards and substitute boards. Our skipper for Wednesday’s match will also wear a rainbow captain’s armband. During the game, LED boards around the ground will continue to highlight the campaign. Later this week, Manchester United Women’s game against Everton Women at Leigh Sports Village will also see the club supporting the Rainbow Laces campaign.

There is extra significance behind this year's campaign, as it will be the first since the formation of United's LGBT+ supporters group, Rainbow Devils. Founded in February this year, group lead Eric Najib provided an insight into how the group was formed. “When we were doing the Rainbow Laces campaign last year it was obvious to myself and United that we needed to set up our own LGBT+ supporters group. We did this in February, which tied in with the beginning of LGBT+ History Month, and we invited a few people to Old Trafford and basically came up with the idea of the name, the logo and everything else.“

As the group approaches one year since it's formation, Eric is hoping to increase the exposure in the months ahead, which includes getting the group exposure at next year's Manchester Pride festival. “We’ve been around less than a year now and we’re making progress. We’ve got a committee in place now, which is really good, and we’re getting some good help from Manchester United, the club. The #allredallequal campaign I think has gained some really good traction, not just in terms of the LGBT+ work, but other initiatives, and we’re proud to be a part of that.”

[theroleofimagination]

Did any team actually wear rainbow laces this weekend? I know Brighton & Hove Albion even had rainbow coloured numbers which is awesome! And some of their players had rainbow coloured laces. But I did not notice much with any of the other teams?

I think different teams have chosen particular games to wear them - I know that Reading have chosen this coming Sunday’s match against Arsenal as their Rainbow Laces match but don’t know about any others. I was a bit surprised that Arsenal didn’t wear them yesterday but maybe they’ll either wear them on Sunday at Reading or maybe their final Home game against London Bees. Or they may not wear them at all, but with so many gay players it would be a bit of a surprise. If I remember correctly they had a match last year with a rainbow Captain’s armband, which I think was tied in with the Rainbow Laces campaign - I think it was when both Kim and Jordan were injured so Mitch wore it and then when she subbed out Lia did (but I may be misremembering).

Brighton’s was great - rainbow laces, numbers on their shirts and massive rainbow flags. Hopefully we’ll see some more like it. Although if anywhere was going to fully go for it for a Pride campaign it would definitely be Brighton!

[bundeslihaha]

Bundeslihaha Redux - The Josip Brekalo Issue

More old news... still sadly relevant... why aren’t football fans tired of being bigoted fucks? There’s so many chances to become a better, more accepting and respectful person, mate. Use them!

Captions under cut. How is an armband “special treatment” again? Also, Mr. Brekalo, you’re not even the fucking captain. You won’t be wearing that gay armband anytime soon.

{ID: First image: Digital art of VfL Wolfsburg's captain, Josuha Guilavogui, a black person with a buzz cut and a black beard and sideburns. He is wearing Wolfsburg's home jersey and is smiling at a camera on his bottom right. He is also wearing an armband with the colors of the gay pride flag. The camera shows an image of him. On the bottom right corner, besides the camera, is white text in black outline that says. "Bundes / lihaha / Redux / 18/19" in all caps. The background is a lightened, blurred dark green tribune with lighter green, blue, and white blobs meant to represent people watching in the stands, a light purple LCD for a Wolfsburg jersey advertisements, and yellowish green grass. On the right of Guilavogui is white text with a black outline that says, "AugustusFeuer presents:" (in small text), "The / Josip / Brekalo / Issue" (in large text), and "TW: homophobia" (in smaller text). They are in all caps.

Second image: Two people in Wolfsburg jerseys standing on the same (but less blurred and lightened) background. The left one is Josip Brekalo, a white man with side-parted brown hair with an undercut and blue eyes. He is looking and pointing left with his thumb (at Guilavogui's direction) with a condescending expression, saying, "I totally respect gays, they can live their lifestyle however they want!" ("totally" and "lifestyle" are in bold) / "But I don't support the armband because it's special treatment!" ("special treatment!" is in bold) / "Because being considered "abnormal" by Christians like me is special treatment, lmaoooo)" (in smaller text than the rest). Facing him in side profile is the personification of VfL Wolfsburg, a white person with wavy, shoulder-length blond hair tied back with a thin, light green headband. He is also wearing a rainbow armband, but with a black capital "P" on it (short for "personification"). He has an "is this guy serious?" expression with a tiny blue sweat drop on his cheek. On the bottom right corner is "Bundes / lihaha / Redux / 2018/19" in all caps and dark green. Above Brekalo's left shoulder is the artist's (my) username, "AugustusFeuer" in black handwriting and all caps, while above Wolfsburg's right shoulder is the date "27.8.18".

Third image: Same picture, except Brekalo is looking at Wolfsburg now, and Wolfsburg is saying, "You know I have a boyfriend, right?" ("boyfriend" is bolded). All the words are in a comic-style font and all-caps black text, inside a white speech bubble. On the shoulders and bottom right corners are the same text as the second image. End ID.}