Support for Rainbow Laces Grows in the Premier League

Premier League becoming more inclusive thanks to Rainbow Laces

LGBT has long been a taboo topic in English football with there being rumours of gay or bisexual players, however they harbour fears of coming out. LGTB’s equality charity Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces movement is intended to bring more light to the subject in efforts to make sports, and especially football, more inclusive.

The issue now is that there’s a perceived ‘obsession’ by some to see Premier League players come out publicly and identify as gay or bisexual just to bring out about more awareness to the topic, according to online sportsbook news. But Daily Mail’s Adam Crafton lamented to the Sunday Supplement that this move is simply a distraction from what the rainbow Laces initiative is focusing on.

“I think we need to drop this obsession with who is going to be the first footballer to come out,” commented Crafton. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t really care if someone doesn’t come out for the next 10 or 15 years. The focus has to be on creating the best possible environment, so that means going into academies, better inclusion training going into schools.”

“It’s about understanding the different communities in football. The campaign sets out to create the best possible environment for people to feel comfortable to be themselves. I think it’s succeeding at that, to a certain extent. But I think there are things that can be improved by football clubs and by people in football.”

Bet on Premier League outright winner

Premier League defending champions Man city are still leading the table with 38 points, not having conceded a defeat since the start of the campaign. Their current record stands at 12 wins, 2 draws and 0 losses, while also being the side with the best goal difference, having scored 43 into the oppositions’ net and letting in only 6 goals into their own.

Online sportsbooks in UK are favouring them to seal another title and therefore make it back-to-back Premier League triumphs; their odds to be the outright winner are 5/1 (6.00), per Bet365 Sportsbook.

(Check out Bet365 Sportsbook review for more info about the online betting site.)

It seems that Liverpool are the only side that can challenge Pep Guardiola’s impeccable team this season, as the Reds themselves have been undefeated so far as well, finding themselves in second place with only 5 points less than the Sky Blues. Liverpool’s chances to lifting the league title at the end of the campaign are 14/1 (15.00), but that may change as the season progresses.

But the thing is that Man City’s gameplay seems to be on another level relative to Liverpool’s, despite the latter showcasing stunning football under Jurgen Klopp in what is his third full season. The Anfield side’s success can be attributed to their fearsome front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firminho, which means that if they’re not performing in the long run or sustain an injury, Liverpool’s chances of claiming the title immediately dwindle.

The Sky Blues on the other hand enjoy immense squad depth, which means that they can easily rotate players (that are as equally as talented as the starting 11) under Guardiola’s adaptive style of football philosophy. That’s why the Etihad side has a slighter upper edge when it comes to the Premier League title.