The English Premier League will unveil a new LGBTQ+ inclusion campaign in February, confirming a new direction after ending its partnership with Stonewall last year.
League officials have informed clubs that captains will no longer wear pride or rainbow-themed armbands during designated matchweeks. Players will also not wear pride-themed warm-up tops or rainbow laces as part of any league-led action.
As revealed in a report by The Athletic, the English top flight has worked with all 20 clubs in recent months to redesign how it presents inclusion messaging. Executives held discussions with club captains, senior football staff, and commercial partners for a new framework ahead of its launch in the LGBTQ+ History Month coming up in February.
Under the new plan, the league will control visibility through broadcast graphics, stadium messaging, and online content released across its platforms. Club foundations will do their bit with community-based programmes, including education projects and outreaches connected to academy teams and supporter groups.
League officials want the campaign to remain visible without creating situations where players feel singled out or placed under public pressure.
As part of the revised plan, the Premier League has explored the use of a pride-themed match ball for selected fixtures, holding early talks with kit suppliers and referees. However, February’s games will come too soon for approval and testing, but league sources expect the ball to feature from next season.
The decision to remove armbands followed several incidents in recent seasons that drew attention to individual players. England defender and former Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi added a personal religious message to his armband, while Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy refused to wear one. Both situations were part of an internal review by league officials.
The Premier League formally ended its eight-year partnership with Stonewall during meetings held last year, bringing to a close a collaboration that began in the late 2010s. League executives told clubs that future equality campaigns would operate entirely under Premier League oversight.
