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Fife Flyers apologise after club drops Pride jerseys

News imageFife Flyers A blurred screenshot of a video showing ice hockey players walking towards the ice rink. They walk in a single-file line and wear rainbow gradient strips with yellow pads and a blue helmet.Fife Flyers
The rainbow strips were replaced with the team's usual jerseys for the match

The UK's oldest ice hockey team has apologised after it decided not to wear specially-designed rainbow jerseys for a match celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.

Fife Flyers said its annual Pride Night on Saturday aimed to celebrate diversity and create an inclusive and welcoming environment.

But in a social media post, the Kirkcaldy team said the Pride-themed jerseys would only be worn during the warm-up to respect its players' beliefs.

They switched to their normal jerseys for the match against Guildford Flames at the Fife Ice Arena, where the Flyers lost 6-1.

In previous years, the team has worn unique rainbow jerseys for its Pride Night matches.

A club statement issued before the match read: "Following internal discussion, we want to clarify how tonight's Pride Night will now be reflected on the ice.

"The team will wear Pride-themed jerseys during warm-ups and will compete in standard Fife Flyers home jerseys for the game itself.

"This approach allows us to support Pride Night while also respecting the diversity of backgrounds and personal beliefs within our playing group. Our commitment to inclusion and our support for the LGBTQ+ community remains unchanged."

News imageFife Flyers Hockey jerseys with dark sleeves and a rainbow gradient on the front. On the left you can see the front of the jersey has the Fife Flyers logo in rainbow colours, and the right shows the back of the jersey with "PRIDE NIGHT 00" written on it Fife Flyers
The Fife Flyers have a different Pride-themed jersey designed each year

The club apologised the next day and said the team acknowledged the "hurt and disappointment" that came as a result of the decision.

A spokesperson said the Fife Flyers was committed to inclusion and being a welcoming club for the LGBTQ+ community.

They added: "We are truly sorry for the impact this had and understand why it has caused upset amongst the community.

"We will reflect on this, continue listening, and work to ensure our values are better reflected in how we move forward."

'Pride is not a warm-up'

The match kit was due to be auctioned to raise funds for local LGBTQ+ charity The Hive Kirkcaldy.

The charity said it was "extremely disappointed" in the decision, adding that it had not been informed about the decision beforehand.

A spokesperson said: "In light of this, The Hive have refused to accept any money, strip or donations from the club and left the match immediately.

"We will be writing to them regarding this. The Hive will always stand up for LGBTQIA+ rights and we will not be silenced."

News imageGoogle Fife Ice Arena is a white building with a grey roof. It has FIFE ICE ARENA on white letters along blue panels on the wall just below where the roof begins. It has several blue doors and a car park in front of it, with grass in the foreground. A sign by the entrance to the car park reads "Next home game... Fife Flyers v" with a blank space.Google
The annual Pride Night at Fife Ice Arena is aimed at promoting inclusion within the sport

Fife Pride said it was "angry and deeply disappointed" in the club's decision.

It said: "Let us be clear: Pride is not a warm-up. Pride is not optional. And Pride is not something that should be compromised to accommodate 'personal beliefs'.

"When an organisation chooses to scale back visible LGBTQIA+ inclusion, that is a choice, and it has consequences.

"Decisions like this undermine trust, damage relationships with the community, and send a harmful message about whose identities are considered negotiable."