Former Premier League referee Uriah Rennie has revealed he rejected a FIFA request to loan the oldest trophy in football history to the World Cup over LGBT+ rights concerns.
Rennie was a top-flight match official for 12 years from 1997 until his retirement in 2009. He was also named on the FIFA list for four years during his career, taking charge of World Cup qualification matches in that time.
Since his retirement, Rennie has become president of non-league side Hallam FC, who claim to be the second oldest team in the world. They currently play in the ninth tier of English football and are the holders of the Youdan Cup.
The Youdan Cup is widely regarded as being the oldest football trophy in the world, having been held five years before the FA Cup began. Rennie has revealed that FIFA were keen to bring the trophy to Qatar as part of an exhibition on football's history.
In his role as club president, Rennie was approached by someone acting on behalf of the World Cup about the possibility of loaning the Youdan Cup. Before he could discuss the potential deal with any other club members though, an incident led to Rennie rejecting the request.
That incident was when World Cup ambassador and former Qatar international Khalid Salman branded homosexuality a "damage in the mind" on German TV. Those comments raised further awareness about Qatar's persecution of the LGBT+ community and convinced Rennie to reject their request.
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“It was never about money. We were never offered and we never asked for any. It was about how we can protect Hallam and local football, and having a positive image for football," Rennie told the Sheffield Star.
"I was concerned about the human rights record, and the treatment of migrant workers who have built the stadia, as well as those comments in the interview which were so offensive and abhorrent.
“Hallam FC is inclusive in all we do and to allow the cup to go would have been at odds with the club’s beliefs and what the community believes. I want to see the same opportunities for everyone. Sometimes you have to take a stand.”
Mirror Football has previously revealed the dire reality for members of the LGBT+ community who live in Qatar. During the tournament, security officials have confiscated rainbow symbols, which are seen as a message of support to LGBT+ people.
Some reports estimate thousands of migrant workers have died during the construction of the World Cup stadiums in Qatar. The tournament will draw to a close on Sunday when the final will be held at Lusail Stadium.
