![]() He has also seen how the league can change and challenge perceptions of men's football first hand. The progress reflects the progress of LGBT people in society."ĭespite those early difficulties, the league has survived and thrived.Ĭollins has donated his match shirt from the first game to the National Football Museum in Manchester, and has "the honour of being named on Wikipedia". "That shows the progress of teams and players, people coming out younger which means the quality is better. The 46-year-old says: "The level of football has increased, it's a lot more competitive. Niblett, a Cardiff City fan who grew up in south Wales but moved to Leicester for university, is still playing for Wildecats. "It was not the most technical of leagues, but we had a real range of players - players aged 19, 20 up until their 50s." To have it structured was really exciting. It was great to meet players from across the country. I remember the nights out - in my 20s, not long after coming out. "But it was the social side which drew me to it. He says: "The changing facilities were rustic, shall we say - cold showers are a clear memory. Steve Niblett, who had joined Wildecats earlier in 2002, has similar memories of a stereotypical Sunday league scene. Any other game, against a local team, would have been postponed." You had mud over the top of your boots, but Leicester had travelled and we wanted to play. Glamorous? Far from it.Ĭollins - a landlord of a pub in Beal, near Pontefract - says: "It was a complete and utter mudbath. Though the Terriers lost it was they - through Ian Collins - who scored the league's first goal. Then you will understand why the GFSN exists."īut going back to that first game 20 years ago, the beginnings were hardly auspicious. "Just have a listen when you next go to an English league game, or in the pub afterwards. "How can we expect people to enjoy the game when this stuff is happening? You hear it everywhere, from national stadiums to grassroots games. On the terraces, people will shout the worst kind of homophobic abuse at players. "The fact is, sexuality is invisible, so people do not filter themselves. He tells BBC Sport: "Straight people often ask: 'Why are you bringing sexuality into football?' Landmark moments like Blackpool striker Jake Daniel's decision to come out as gay while an active Football League player, or the intense scrutiny of Qatar's treatment of gay people before it hosts this winter's World Cup may suggest that being LGBTQ+ in football is not such a taboo issue.Īnd Kalogerou says he is often asked what role the GFSN League realistically serves in the modern day. Mike Kalogerou, who is chair of the GFSN, has played for Wildecats since 2009.Ī 39-year-old Grimsby Town fan, he says it is a "privilege" to be in charge of the league as it reaches a landmark. 'They expected us to be prancing around in high heels' The early days of the league were "rustic" PROPLAYER DART JERSEY PROFESSIONALIn last season's cup final, Village Manchester beat Dublin Devils at the home of Shelbourne FC - the first time the final has ever been played at a men's professional league ground. Being a mixed-gender competition, it also provides an environment for trans people to play competitive football without issue.įounded in 2002 with four teams, it now boasts 17 sides across two divisions, with several more taking part in the international GFSN Cup. It has the specific aim of providing a safe and inclusive place for anyone to play football, regardless of age, gender and sexuality. The GFSN League is a unique competition - it is the only national LGBTQ+ football league in the world. The first fixture in the GFSN League took place on 29 September 2002, with Leicester Wildecats beating Yorkshire Terriers 5-1 at Thornes Park, Wakefield.Īs the league celebrates its 20th anniversary, the landscape for LGBTQ+ footballers and football fans is markedly different - although the ethos of the league remains the same. From casual games came an organised league. Its initial purpose was to give gay football fans a space to meet and discuss the game they loved without fear of abuse or discrimination.įrom those meetings came the occasional game of five-a-side. It was against this troubling backdrop that the Gay Football Supporters' Network (GFSN) was first formed. Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler admitted as much when, years later, he apologised for homophobic comments towards Chelsea's Graeme le Saux in 1999. Yet still there seemed to be an attitude that abuse was acceptable. ![]()
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