- The Northern U.K. premiere screening of “The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel” drew more than 100 guests to Football v Homophobia’s annual Football Pride event in Leeds, sponsored by the Premier League
- LGBTQ football pioneer Joanie Evans, Stephen Wignal (Marching Out Together) and Baz Sido (Yorkshire Terriers FC) expect the film to have a great impact…
Jon Holmes (Football v Homophobia) and Olivia Thomas (Leeds Queer Film Festival) at the Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds (image: Cass Hyde)
New documentary “The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel” has great potential to influence important conversations about LGBTQ inclusion in football.
That’s the verdict of a ‘Football Pride’ panel which spoke after the Northern U.K. premiere of the film in Leeds last weekend.
The special screening took place at the Hyde Park Picture House as part of Football v Homophobia’s annual summer get-together event, with support from Leeds Queer Film Festival and sponsored by the Premier League.
Former Leeds United player and co-producer Robbie Rogers provided a warm video introduction to open the afternoon, explaining how he was thrilled to share the finished film by directors Ramiel Petros and Nick Freeman with an audience in the city where he used to play.
🏳️🌈⚽️🏳️⚧️ A highly emotional and very entertaining edition of #FootballPride goes down in history! 🎦 Thank you to all our attendees at the special screening of ‘The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel’ at The Hyde Park Picture House – it was so great to welcome you in for this unforgettable documentary…
— Football v Homophobia (@footballvhomophobia.com) July 19, 2026 at 9:49 AM
“The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel” is about former professional footballer Tony Powell, who left England in 1981 and within a few years had completely cut ties with family and friends back home.
Once Norwich City’s Player of the Season, Powell is discovered at the eponymous motel in West Hollywood, L.A., and it soon becomes apparent that he has a remarkable tale to tell.
By sharing his life story with the film-makers, it opens the door to a reckoning and perhaps a chance to alleviate the pain of the past…
Following the screening in Leeds, attendees gathered at the Brudenell Social Club for a post-screening networking social.
Celebrations continued into the rest of the weekend as a Football Pride group joined supporters group Marching Out Together at the front of the Leeds Pride parade on Sunday 19 July.
Thanks to MOT and members of the Regional Alliance of LGBTQ+ Supporters Groups for making this possible.
In the post-screening chat, the panellists commended the documentary’s moving story and reflected on their own journeys within the game.
The panel featured:
- Joanie Evans, co-founder of Europe’s first out lesbian team (Hackney Women’s Football Club in 1986), former Co-President of the Federation of Gay Games, and FvH Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
- Stephen “Wiggy” Wignal, long-time chair of Marching Out Together, Leeds United’s official LGBTQ+ supporters group who were National Diversity Awards finalists.
- Baz Sido, co-chair of Yorkshire Terriers FC, one of the UK’s oldest inclusive football clubs, which has provided a safe haven for LGBTQ+ players since 1997.
Each panellist shared anecdotes and experiences about overcoming exclusion in sports, agreeing that sharing stories like Tony’s is essential to making football welcoming for everyone.
“What a weekend! It was a real privilege to be invited to the screening, and fantastic to see so many folks come to watch the film,” said Baz.
“If that wasn’t enough, we followed that up by marching with our friends at the head of the Leeds Pride parade on Sunday! The atmosphere was fabulous, and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped organise and who came along.
“I can’t wait to do more of these brilliant events in the future!”
Great to attend Football Pride in Leeds yesterday, with a film screening of The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel and a Q&A panel at the Hyde Park Picture House. 🔴⚪️⚫️🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
— Rainbow Devils (@rainbowdevils.bsky.social) July 19, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Following its successful Northern premiere in Leeds, the documentary is set for a limited U.K. run.
Film fans and football supporters in London will have an opportunity to view the film when it screens at the Arzner Cinema in Bermondsey Square on the evening of Saturday 22 August.
Speaking recently to Pop Culture Confidential, Petros emphasised the years of dedication that went into bringing this story to light and the need to reach new audiences.
“Right now, we’re just so focused on getting people to watch this documentary,” he said.
“We think Tony’s story is so important, and it’s been a long journey.
“We started making this almost four years ago. And so, now that it’s out into the world, we’re so happy that people have the chance to watch it.
“And it’s still getting out into the world! We’re so focused on making sure that we do Tony’s story justice, and that everyone gets a chance to see it.”
Watch the trailer for “The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel” on the documentary’s official website, where you can also find information about future screenings.
A version of this article was first published on Sports Media LGBT+.