FA issues apology to female Muslim footballer over ban over wearing tracksuit football bottoms while playing.
FA has expressed regret to a Muslim football player who was disqualified from a game because she refused to wear shorts because of her religious convictions.
Iqra Ismail was supposed to join the field of play as a halftime substitute for United Dragons in Sunday’s Greater London Women’s Football League match against Tower Hamlets, but the referee stopped her from doing so.
Ismail has now received assurances from the FA that she would be permitted to wear tracksuit bottoms to games going forward.
In a video posted on social media, Ismail said: “The Greater London Women’s Football League have stopped me from playing because of my religious beliefs, because I refused to wear shorts with my playing kit.
“I have been playing in this league for almost five years now, wearing tracksuit bottoms, and every year they have made it more and more difficult for women like me to play.
“This year they have drawn the line and banned me from playing until I compromise my beliefs.
“The Middlesex FA referee for yesterday’s [Sunday’s] game said that the league had told him strictly not to allow women like me to wear tracksuit bottoms, regardless of the colour or whether it was matching our kit or not.”
A spokesperson for the FA told Sky Sports News: “We are aware of this matter and we are in contact with Middlesex FA to ensure that it is quickly resolved.
“We proactively wrote to all county FAs and match officials across the women’s grassroots game earlier this year to confirm that women and girls should be allowed to wear clothing that ensures their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised.
“We remain deeply committed to ensuring that English football is an inclusive and welcoming environment for everybody.”
Ismail, who was added to the Football Black List five years ago, gave a speech at Brentford FC this year at the FA’s Your Game Your Way event.
She said: “They ask me why women’s football lacks diversity and why it is difficult to find women who look like me in the competitive game. Things like this are the reason.”