Fans are calling for a radical plan of action and investment in football to put an end to homophobic abuse which is still rife in the UK game.
Members of Pride In Football – a new alliance of LGBT football fan groups – have experienced homophobia at UK football grounds or know others who have. In the last month alone:
- Police are investigating Arsenal fans for homophobic behaviour before their FA Cup Semi Final
- Ipswich Town supporters were heard singing, en masse, a song celebrating the suicide of former Norwich City star and still the only elite footballer to identify as gay while still playing, Justin Fashanu.
So when members of PIF saw findings from ‘Out on the Fields’ – a global academic study published this week – they claim they weren’t surprised by the nature of the results; the international survey of over 9500 people found widespread homophobia and fears for the safety of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) supporters in UK stadia.
But these English LGBT football fans say they were alarmed at the scale of the problem as highlighted by the survey data. Zitta Lomax of Arsenal’s Gay Gooners said:
“Football authorities must act – as the report highlights – watching sport in this country can be an overwhelmingly negative experience for Lesbian or Gay fans.”
And John Browne of Manchester City’s Canal Street Blues said:
“There is a growing movement in the UK and around the world of LGBT fan groups. We are no different from any other fans and should be able to enjoy sport without fearing for our safety. We want to work with clubs, authorities and the police to ensure LGBT fans feel safe and welcome in, and on their travels, to and from the ground.”
Elsewhere in Europe fan groups have worked with clubs to enable whole stadium displays of solidarity. Di Cunningham of Norwich City‘s Proud Canaries whose Honorary Chair is Stephen Fry suggests it’s an example to follow:
“Clubs can help their supporters’ groups to make links. We all have a common interest in supporting our team and we can do that better together.”
The LGBT Football Fan Group Movement is growing exponentially as almost every week there are new Fan Groups being recognised by their Clubs, offering visibility to and legitimising their LGBT supporters who often feel marginalised from the weekly barrage of both casual and targeted homophobia in and around the stadium.
The Out on the Fields study, backed by experts at six universities, found 77% of people from the UK had ‘witnessed or experienced’ homophobia around sport. And the really bad news is that the United Kingdom is reported as having the worst sports stadia for LGBT fans: 85% of respondents believed that gay people would not necessarily be safe at sporting events here.
There are clear messages in the research data and in the report’s recommendations for the governors and sponsors of UK sport.
Chris Paouros, chair of Pride in Football said:
“It’s time to end tolerance of homophobic abuse in football. We want to see individual clubs invoke sanctions against homophobia conducted by supporters even if they’re en route to or from a game and not at a stadium, and we want to see consistent signage and regular training of club staff. We want football’s administrators – the FA, The Football League and The Premier League to commit to action to change the culture of football in this country.”
Pictures
1. Mainz FC Fans’ Rainbow display of Solidarity with the Club’s LGBT Group
2. Images available from http://www.outonthefields.com/infographic-uk.html
Notes:
‘Out on the Fields’ research data and recommendations UK:
LGBT Fan Groups in the PIF alliance: Arsenal (Gay Gooners) Charlton (Proud Valiants) Norwich City (Proud Canaries) Notts County (LGBT Pies) Tottenham Hotspur (Proud Lilywhites) Manchester City (Canal St Blues) West Ham (Pride of Irons)
Contacts:
Chris Paouros, Chair, Pride In Football: 07887578498, chris.paouros@googlemail.com
Erik Denison Out on the Fields erik@binghamcup.com