National League club Wrexham have banned one of their players from wearing a pair of boots featuring an explicit message about the Conservative party.
Paul Mullin shared a photograph of his new custom-made boots, which the carry the message "F*** the Tories!", on Instagram yesterday (Monday). It came on the day Rishi Sunak was confirmed as the new Prime Minister.
Wrexham, who are owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, said that although the image was taken at the club's Racecourse Ground, it was done without their knowledge of approval. They said they had banned Mullin, who hails from Liverpool, from wearing the boots while playing for the club.
READ MORE: Manchester's Counterfeit Street to be bulldozed as new Chief Constable orders radical action
Wrexham are due to play Altrincham in the National League on Saturday.
In a statement on its website, the club said: "The Club can confirm that the boots revealed by Paul Mullin on social media will not be worn tonight, or in any other Wrexham AFC fixture and that the photographs taken at the Racecourse Ground were done so without our knowledge or approval.
"For the record, the pictures wouldn’t have been permitted to be taken, had we known, and the issue will be dealt with privately by the Club.
"The Club has adopted a neutral position on many matters with a political dimension and intends to continue to do so going forward.
"The Club also acknowledge that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, whether that be employees or supporters but would also highlight that an individual view cannot be fairly attributed, as the view of everyone or the Club itself.
"There is no more prominent example of this than the fact that the MP for the constituency within which the Club is found, is a Conservative seat.
"After this unwelcome distraction, the Club hopes the focus remains on our objectives of gaining promotion on the field and creating community benefit off it, in which Paul Mullin will continue to play a significant part."
Mullin spent his formative years in the ranks of Liverpool's academy before he ventured down the football pyramid to forge a professional career. He enjoyed spells at the likes of Morecambe, Tranmere Rovers and Cambridge United - prior to his move to North Wales.
Wrexham became a Conservative seat for the first time back in 2019 after MP Sarah Atherton was elected, ending almost 90 years of Labour reign in the city.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- Violent thug kicked, punched and strangled girlfriend saying he was sick of her "nagging" and she should wash his clothes and cook his tea
- Main road and M60 slip shut due to 'police incident'
- Mum slashed with 'zombie' knife by stranger on first night out after giving birth
- Manchester Airport bosses vow to put summer of chaos 'behind us
- Paramedics forced to pay '£6k-a-month for food and drinks van' as they queue hours outside hospitals unable to leave patients, staff say
