Robins are flying solo in new LGBT Pride-inspired kit
ALTRINCHAM director Bill Waterson says he hopes the club’s LGBT Pride flag inspired kit ‘will be a start, rather than an end’ to a process of increased inclusivity in football.
For their game against Bradford (Park Avenue) this Saturday, the Robins will become the rainbows as they swap their classic red and white stripes in celebration of LGBT History month.
Replica kits are available online and match-worn shirts will go up for auction after the game, with all profits going to Proud Trust, an LGBT+ youth group who are refurbishing Manchester’s LGBT centre.
And Waterson, who joined the Altrincham board in 2017, says the initiative is the result of a lengthy planning process.
“It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to pull this off,” said Waterson. “Originally it was a couple of guys from our social media team that had the idea.
“We set up an inclusion and diversity team and it was them that then started pulling together the plans.
“The first opportunity we had to do it was for ‘non-league day’ in October 2017, but we felt we weren’t quite ready and that a half-baked thing would have been worse than nothing at all.
“We bided our time, and we’ve executed on a complicated plan and we’re going to be first, and it’s nice to be first, but I’m hoping that there’ll be a second, a third, a fourth and so on.
“I’m hoping that this will be a start, rather than an end, to a process and that other clubs will pick up on this because it’s a really important objective for us to achieve as a footballing community. “It’s very heartening, because if you wind the clock back 20 years this wouldn’t have got off the ground.” The eye-catching new shirts, complete with the Football v Homophobia logo, have attracted global interest with orders coming in from Australia, Brazil and China. Football v Homophobia is in its tenth year, and Altrincham’s inclusivity team believe the club has taken an extra step to mark it, hoping other clubs will follow suit.
Waterson added: “This isn’t just about LGBT. Our inclusivity and diversity programme is about anti-racism, anti-homophobia, encouraging more women and more diverse religious groups to attend the games.”