WREXHAM have banned their star striker from wearing customised “f*** the Tories” football boots.
Paul Mullin, 27, had the political message stitched into his Nike cleats – along with his name and number.
The design caused widespread reaction on social media when posted on Monday – especially given the current governmental turmoil.
But the Welsh side took action to ensure they remained a “neutral position” on politics – especially given the Wrexham’s MP is a Conservative after nearly 90 years of Labour domination.
And the National League club – who are owned by Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds – ordered Mullin to delete the photos taken at the Racecourse Ground.
Boot designers CustomsZebra also incorporated a tribute to singer Jamie Webster and a silhouette of the skyline in Mullin’s hometown of Liverpool into the black Nike Mercurials.
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They also had to take down the photos from inside the stadium and replace them with a plain background on the day before Rishi Sunak officially became Prime Minister.
Mullin did the same – with the Instagram post liked by former Premier League referee Mike Dean and even club chief Reynolds on TikTok.
It is unclear if the boots would breach FA rules which bans under Law 4 any “political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo”.
Promotion-chasing Wrexham face Halifax tonight and said in a statement: “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.
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“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 came through the youth ranks at Everton and Liverpool before spells with Huddersfield, Morecambe, Tranmere and Cambridge.
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He joined Wrexham in 2021 and has become an immediate club icon with 43 goals in just 57 games for the Red Dragons, who dropped out of the Football League 14 years ago.
The National League player of the season for 2021-22 has also struck up a friendship with Reynolds and McElhenney, even posting selfies with the celebrity co-owners on social media.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
