Alex Scott defiantly wore the One Love armband for England v Iran, after it was cionfirmed that captain Harry Kane wouldn't be wearing it for the match.
In the build up to England's World Cup opener, a lot had been made of Kane's intention to wear the armband in a stance in support of LGBTQ+ communities across the world. Wales captain was also set to wear the One Love armband amid concerns for gay fans safety should they go to Qatar for the World Cup, given homosexuality is still illegal in the Middle Eastern country and punishable with people facing fines, prison or even the death penalty.
However on Monday morning. the FA released a statement confirming that, after reports that he could potentially get a yellow card for the gesture, tha t Kane would NOT be wearing the armband, with it reading: "FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play. As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.
READ MORE: Gary Lineker 'confronts' Qatar with powerful World Cup opening speech
It added: "We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play."
Not governed by such rules, former England women's captain turned pundit Alex proudly wore her One Love armband while hosting pitch side in the BBC build up to kick off. Reacting to Alex's defiant move: "Who would’ve thought a simple rainbow captain armband can cause such a stir. Sometimes a simple gestures like this are much needed. What a strong one by Alex Scott."
A second replied: "Alex Scott, a reporter choosing to wear the #OneLove armband on her own, is much more likely to be affected by FIFA & Qatar penalties than multi-million pound football teams. But she does it anyway. Because that’s what allies do." Referencing the Kane decision, a third commented: "Harry Kane got afraid of a booking, how about the team just changed who wore the armband each game? Regardless, Alex Scott is indeed a legend."
READ NEXT:
