Tottenham’s Pride flag moved on ‘security grounds’ after Slavia Prague request

Proud Lilywhites, Tottenham’s official LGBTQ+ supporters’ group, has expressed disappointment after the club’s rainbow flag was moved for Tuesday’s home fixture against Slavia Prague.

The flag to show support for the LGBTQ+ community is displayed in the north-east corner of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, close to the away fans. It has been moved to the south-west corner for the Champions League match after a request to Uefa from Slavia.

A statement by Proud Lilywhites said: “Slavia Prague have raised concerns that some of their supporters may damage the flag and cause disorder if it remains in its usual location. Once an away club raises a potential safety issue, Uefa and the home club is required to assess the risk and act accordingly. The outcome for tonight is that the flag will be relocated.

“Let’s be honest about what this means. The risk here isn’t the flag. It’s the reaction of a small number of opposition supporters. That’s disappointing, and it’s another reminder of the hostility LGBTQI+ fans still face across European football.

“We also want to be clear that the club has handled this appropriately. They’ve been transparent with us throughout, pushed back where they could, and made sure this sits firmly as a request from the visiting club rather than a decision rooted in Spurs’ own values.

“For tonight, the flag will still fly. It will still be seen. And our message remains the same. This is our home. Our community belongs here. No visiting team gets to change that. Tonight let’s get behind the team and show the opposition that at our stadium we play with Pride.”

This is not the first occasion the rainbow flag has been moved for a European fixture and it is understood Spurs made representation to keep it in its original place but reluctantly accepted it should move on safety grounds. A Spurs spokesperson said: “The flag has been relocated at the request of the visiting team to Uefa on security grounds.”