FA apologises to female Muslim footballer over tracksuit bottoms ban

The Football Association has apologised to a Muslim footballer after she was barred from playing in a match for refusing to wear shorts due to her religious beliefs.

Iqra Ismail was meant to come on as a half-time substitute for United Dragons in a Greater London Women’s Football League fixture against Tower Hamlets on Sunday, but she was prevented from entering the field of play by the referee.

The FA has now assured Ismail that she will be able to wear tracksuit bottoms in future matches.

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 was appointed to the Football Black List five years ago and spoke at the FA’s Your Game Your Way event at Brentford FC this year.

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.”