RAINBOX CAPTAIN BAND EXPLAINED - MANUTD - WEST HAM

SOURCE manutd.com
Manchester United is launching a club-wide initiative this weekend as it strives to be at the forefront of equality, both on and off the pitch.

The #allredallequal campaign will kick off when United face West Ham on Sunday afternoon, with the club working closely with LGBT rights charity Stonewall and their Make Sport Everybody’s Game campaign.

On Sunday afternoon both United and West Ham will be welcomed on to the pitch by a giant flag demonstrating the charity’s equality work and high-profile campaign. Both United players and players around the country will don #rainbowlaces (in reference to the rainbow flag of the LGBT movement), while the Reds’ captain on the day will also represent the club's commitment to Stonewall by wearing a captain's armband sporting the same colour scheme (see picture above).

Messages of support will also light up on advertising hoardings around the pitch which will be broadcast to fans around the world, in a display that will be the first of its kind during a Premier League fixture at the Theatre of Dreams.

United has been instrumental in aiding Stonewall’s work over the past 12 months, as part of the club’s commitment to highlighting equality both in football and society as a whole. There was a day to remember during the summer when the UK’s first gay football team, Stonewall FC, were welcomed to the Aon Training Complex to mark the 25th anniversary of their formation in 1991. In their first clash against top-flight opposition, the world’s most successful gay team took on a United XI which featured a number of former Reds.

Directors at Old Trafford have also delivered speeches at annual Team Pride events, in which leading organisations have shared best practice on equality and how to eradicate discrimination in sport. Last season, United became the first club to exchange giant rainbow laces before a Premier League fixture, in a public show of support for the work by Stonewall, creating a powerful and iconic image that continues to be used throughout LGBT in sport.

The charity is just one of many organisations working alongside the club and the Manchester United Foundation in support of equality and inclusion. Among other campaigns, the Reds also actively back Kick It Out, Show Racism the Red Card and Level Playing Field. Further information on United’s equality initiative and future support and work can be found using #allredallequal on social media.