English and Scottish professional football players have been asked to wear rainbow-coloured laces this weekend to support gay rights in the sport. 

Gay rights charity Stonewall - with sponsorship from Paddy Power - has sent laces to all Premier League and Football League clubs and all 42 teams in the Scottish Professional Football League.

Stonewall's Right Behind Gay Footballers campaign wants players to wear the laces in games on Saturday September 21st and Sunday September 22nd. 

Stonewall deputy chief executive Laura Doughty said: “It’s time for football clubs and players to step up and make a visible stand against homophobia in our national game.”

“By wearing rainbow laces players will send a message of support to gay players and can begin to drag football into the 21st century.”

Football has historically been plagued by homophobia - former Leeds winger Robbie Rogers retired after coming out as gay in February, claiming that “pack mentality” meant players' opinion of him would change. He has since returned to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy. 

Before Rogers' announcement, just two footballers - England's Justin Fashanu and Sweden's Anton Hysen - had come out in the history of football. Fashanu would go on to commit suicide in 1998 aged 37. 

Image: ©INPHO/James Crombie