Ipswich ‘proudly support’ LGBTQ+ but ‘respect decision’ of Sam Morsy to snub rainbow armband
Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy will not wear a rainbow armband against Crystal Palace on Tuesday, “due to his religious beliefs”.
Premier League clubs are showing their support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport by participating in charity Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign between 29 November and 5 December.
Egypt international Morsy opted not to wear the rainbow captain’s armband as Ipswich were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest on Saturday – and will snub the armband again when the Tractor Boys host Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening.
Ipswich insisted they are committed to “being a fully inclusive club that welcomes everyone” but “respect the decision” of their skipper.
“We proudly support the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign and stand with the LGBTQ+ community in promoting equality and acceptance,” the club said in a statement on Monday.
“During this year’ campaign, members of the club’s men’s and women’s first-teams visited our Foundation’s weekly LGBTQ+ football session, while the club also made a joint pledge of solidarity and inclusivity alongside Nottingham Forest ahead of Saturday’s game.
“A range of further initiatives are planned around Tuesday’s home game with Crystal Palace, including a takeover of the stadium’s big screen in the moments prior to kick-off.
“At the same time, we respect the decision of our captain Sam Morsy, who has chosen not to wear the rainbow captain’s armband, due to his religious beliefs.”
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Ipswich are without a win at home in the Premier League this season having won once in 2024/25 – away to Tottenham.
Head coach Kieran McKenna has been boosted by Kalvin Phillips and Ben Johnson’s return to training. Both are very much expected to play against Bournemouth on Sunday and could return v Palace.
It will be a busy December for Ipswich but McKenna is ready for it.
“We’re looking forward to it,” he said. “We’re used to busier spells like this.
“We’d love to have a full clean bill of health, but that hasn’t been the case. We hope to have as many fit and available throughout this next spell. We’re going into the period positive.”
McKenna added: “Palace have a lot of top players, are picking up some form and we fully respect them. But it’s about us trying to deliver a performance we can get behind.
“We’ll approach it with a positive mindset like we do every home game. We’ll try and start fast and score early. We believe we’ve got the qualities to go and win the game.”
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