Players from the Justin Campaign Allstars team competed against inmates and staff from Winchester Prison last week, in a bid to highlight this year’s Football v Homophobia campaign.
The indoor football tournament took place on 9 February after inmates watched a short documentary about gay football team, the Brighton Bandits and took part in a workshop on the issue of homophobia in both sport and wider society.
The visit is just one of many events taking place to mark the FA-backed Football v Homophobia initiative which will be officially recognised on 19 February w. Sports groups and organisations across the world have signed up to take part in the campaign - from Toronto to Croydon and Edinburgh to Brighton.
Events being staged in the UK include a five-a-side football tournament organised by the Mersey Marauders in Liverpool, a GFSN league match in Trowbridge and a football game between Bristol Panthers and Bristol Police.
Events abroad include a football match staged by Panteres Grogues in Barcelona, a celebration night organised by The Downtown Soccer Toronto League in Canada and a Spanish football competition in Zaragoza.
A spokesperson for The Justin Campaign, which is the lead partner behind the initiative, commented: “Football v Homophobia is as much about having fun as it is about demonstration and protest. We want the world to know that the global LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans) community is as much a part of the beautiful game as anyone else - and if they don’t believe us.... we can give them a good game to prove it.”
For more information see www.footballvhomophobia.com