Adelaide United have announced both the club’s men’s and women’s teams will wear its Pride Progress Captains’ armband for the remainder of the 2022-23 seasons – and all other clubs in the Liberty A-League Women are set to follow suit for Round 2.
The captains of all 10 teams in action in the Liberty A-League this weekend will wear the Pride Progress Captains’ Armband this weekend, commissioned by Adelaide United and designed by artists Troy-Anthony Baylis and Dylan Pimm.
Adelaide United’s Liberty A-League captain Isabel Hodgson will then wear the armband throughout the rest of the season, with Reds Isuzu UTE A-League captain Craig Goodwin set to do the same once he returns from the FIFA Men’s World Cup and the A-League Men action resumes.
Hodgson says the initiative, which carries on from the success of the club’s Pride Progress Captains’ Armband last season and the 2022 Pride Game, continues the significant efforts of the club to unite “a world that feels severely divided.”
Hodgson added: “The steps we, as Adelaide United, took last season were incredibly significant for football in this country, but also sport in general… to be part of a club, this amazing community, which values inclusivity and visibility for marginalised individuals, means the world to me.
“I will wear this armband with immense pride, and I am sure Craig (Goodwin) will do the same for our men’s team, as will any other club captain’s we have in the future.
“We are only at the beginning of our journey into this space and I am looking forward to playing my part in shining a light on these valuable causes.”
Adelaide United and Pride Cup will be selling the armbands online via the Pride Cup website, with 100% of the proceedings going to LGBTI+ inclusion in sport initiatives.
Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) co-chief executive Kathryn Gill said: “The players want to send a clear message that football is for everyone.
“We’re very proud of the players showing solidarity and allyship with the LGBTI+ community and their continued leadership in relation to human rights.
“Their courage to use their platform to speak publicly on issues that affect not just them but those within our broader community is testament to what they value and who they are as people.”
Adelaide United’s initiative and the commitment of clubs around the Liberty A-League in Round 2 comes after immense scrutiny was directed at FIFA for threatening six UEFA nations with severe sanctions for wearing the ‘OneLove’ captain’s armband at the Men’s World Cup in Qatar.
Pride Cup chief executive officer James Lolicato said: “At a time where we are seeing public displays of inclusion being sanctioned in international communities, it is so heartening to see Adelaide United and the PFA take on this extremely personal project.
“Research shows us that 75 per cent of LGBTI+ people don’t feel safe as spectators at a sporting event and by wearing visible displays of support for our community, our captains can help change that.
“It’s incredible to know that Adelaide United has worked with members of our community to create a visible symbol of inclusion for our community.
“The development and research that went into this armband means so much more to LGBTI+ fans than having the captains just wear something they could buy off the shelf.”
Featured image credit: Adelaide United.
