Panthers The footballers helping change attitudes towards inclusion
THE chairman of an LGBTQ+ friendly football team in Bristol has opened up about some of the issues surrounding men’s football and inclusivity.
Rob Parry-Hall has been chairman of the Bristol City Panthers FC for about five years, joining the club in 2009.
Mr Parry-Hall said that a lot of LGBTQ+ people are still not comfortable playing in regular league teams for fear of homophobia or transphobia, but that having a space where you can be yourself is very important.
The chairman said there are team members who have previously been part of regular teams and left because they were not made to feel welcome.
Some people would not dare to play football in a regular team at all because they would not feel comfortable in such a masculine environment, he continued.
“Women’s football is a lot more inclusive,” Mr Parry-Hall added. “There are quite a few prominent LGBTQ+ players in women’s professional football.
“It shows the differences in attitudes.”
However, Mr Parry-Hall said only one professional footballer has come out as gay, Justin Fashanu, but he was treated very badly and sadly took his own life in the late 1990s.
Since then, a couple of players have come out after retiring, he continued, but that is it.
The chairman said that fans sometimes use homophobic words towards players, adding another issue is homophobic songs being chanted at players of Brighton & Hove Albion FC.
As a gay man, it is not pleasant to be in a crowd of people saying those words or chanting those songs, he continued, and it doesn’t make LGBTQ+ fans feel safe or comfortable, even if they know those words are not aimed directly at them. It can be a bigger issue for people who present in a more queer way and may not be able to blend in, he added.
“As players, we have had experiences playing non-LGBTQ+ teams where they have used homophobic terms towards us because they are frustrated or angry,” the chairman said.
“It is because of incidents like that that you would not feel comfortable playing in a regular team.”
The 33-year-old said he is a keen football fan but, prior to joining the Panthers, hadn’t played football since school.
In joining the football team, he wanted to meet a group of LGBTQ+ people who were interested in the sport while playing games.
“Being part of the Panthers has been incredible,” said Mr ParryHall. “I have re-learnt how to play football while meeting new people.
“It has also given me a safe and inclusive space to play football.
“[As an LGBTQ+ person], it can be quite difficult to meet people outside the nightclub scene.
“It has provided that community for me while being a space to play football and get fit.”
Mr Parry-Hall – who grew up in Leicester and came to Bristol in 2005 to study at university – said that some people join the Panthers in order to get back into sport as an adult while for others it provides a pathway to rediscover football after leaving a club for not feeling safe or comfortable.
Founded in 2000, the vet added the Panthers now has several members from the trans and non-binary community, adding they also welcome allies of the LGBTQ+ community. They play in the Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) league, Mr Parry-Hall added, while also playing friendly games with all sorts of teams all over the country and, for instance, have played against the Met Police before.
“It [The Bristol City Panthers] has become a huge part of my life,” he continued. “I am now quite confident playing football and playing matches.
“The friendships it has helped me to make are also very important.”
The chairman said the club affiliated with Bristol City’s Robins Foundation a few years ago, showing the club is making big steps towards becoming more inclusive.
He added: “I have spent a lot of my life going to football games hiding my identity and being very guarded.
“If we went to a football game, I would never show affection in the crowd.
“This [the affiliation with the Robins Foundation] shows that steps are being taken in the right direction – it is very positive.
“We are trying to change the situation in Bristol so that LGBTQ+ fans are more accepted and feel safe.
“Hopefully, it ends up becoming a non-issue.”
Speaking about the team’s goals, Mr Parry-Hall, who lives in the Victoria Park area, said that in the short-term they just want to go back to normal and are looking forward to the league restarting in September to get back into competitive football again.
They also want to continue to provide a safe space for people, he continued, while another goal is to travel abroad to play football.
I have spent a lot of my life going to football games hiding my identity. This affiliation with the Robins Foundation shows that steps are being taken in the right direction – it is very positive
Rob Parry-Hall