PREMIER LEAGUE captains will not wear rainbow armbands this season, the PA news agency reported today.

The league is understood to have ended its partnership with LGBTQ+ inclusion charity Stonewall which has run for 10 years. As part of that campaign, captains were asked to wear rainbow-coloured armbands and all players given the option to wear rainbow-coloured bootlaces.

As first reported by the Daily Telegraph, the partnership has now concluded and the league will instead develop its own campaign during LGBTQ+ history month in February, drawing on the increased in-house expertise of the league and its clubs.

It is understood captain’s armbands will not play a part in any new campaign, or on campaigns around other topics either.

During last season’s Rainbow Laces campaign, the FA issued a reminder to Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi about kit regulations after he wore a rainbow armband that had the words “I love Jesus” written on it.

The FA did not take further action when he wore a similar armband in a subsequent match.

The FA did not get involved at all in the case of Ipswich captain Sam Morsy, who chose to wear a standard captain’s armband in the two matches covered by last season’s campaign owing to his religious beliefs.

It is understood Stonewall’s campaign will continue via the charity’s other Rainbow Laces partners.

Top-flight captains have also agreed they and their team-mates will continue to take the knee, but only for the two fixtures designated for the “No Room For Racism” campaign during Black History Month in October.

England’s women’s team said before their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy that they would no longer take the knee.

They said stopping the gesture was intended to be seen as a signal that more needed to be done to tackle racism, in the wake of abuse directed towards England player Jess Carter during the tournament.