England and six other federations feared that their captains could have been issued a red card, and that there was essentially “unlimited liability”, had they worn the OneLove armband in their opening World Cup matches.
There wouldn’t even have been the prospect of an iconic photo, as any sanction would have been administered before the teams set out onto the pitch. It was for this reason that the federations were keen to take the decision out of the players’ hands, and not put them under any pressure.
