Football v Homophobia is an initiative that exists to challenge discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression at all levels of football. The campaign engages in education, advice and guidance, research, and policy consultation to make existing football structures safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all LGBTQ+ people. 

Saturday saw Lincoln City Football Club engage with us in the campaign and included a space in the matchday programme for the home fixture against Portsmouth FC, shoutouts in the Fanzone before the match, and at half time our LGBTQ+ Ambassador – Zack Leader – took part in a Q&A session with PA announcer, Alan Long, about the campaign and how to tackle discrimination in the game. 

 

On Sunday, we hosted our inaugural Football v Homophobia event which saw a mixed gender 6-a-side tournament on the astro 3G pitches at Lincoln City’s LNER Stadium. Seven teams took part in the tournament, all Lincolnshire based, with Lincoln Invictus Inclusive Football Club being crowned as the winners. 

  

The tournament was then followed up by a Q&A panel discussion with special guests; Lou Englefield (Football v Homophobia Campaign Director), Billy Bingham (Jake Daniels’ Agent), and Graeme Smith (Chair of Foxes Pride – Leicester City’s LGBTQ+ Supporters Group). The panel was hosted by Jordan Mason (Disability & Inclusion Football Development Officer at Lincolnshire FA) and Zack Leader (LGBTQ+ Ambassador at Lincolnshire FA) in the Legends Lounge.

 

The entire event has been deemed a huge success by Lincolnshire FA and subsequently saw huge uptakes in our LGBTQ+ Inclusion Workshops, as well as filling the Legends Lounge at Lincoln City with people from all over the county and even beyond coming along to listen to key issues and conversations around inclusion in football being discussed.

To find out more about what Lincolnshire FA are doing to make football safer, more enjoyable, and more inclusive for all in the county, CLICK HERE 

To view our BBC coverage of the event, please see below: