FA probe homophobic abuse over gay team
Players complain of vile insults
A GAY-FRIENDLY football team has complained to the FA after players suffered a barrage of homophobic abuse from an opposing side.
The rival team sang YMCA in the dressing room and called them “f ****** f ****** ” and “gay t**ts” during the match last Saturday.
And as one Village Manchester FC player lay injured after a tackle, he was told to “get up you fairy” in the Lancashire non-league clash.
The opposing team, Chadderton Park Firsts, has now been suspended by its parent club, which was voted 2019 Football Association Grassroots National Club of the Year.
Manchester FA is now investigating the incident.
It happened the day after FA chiefs launched a Tell Us We’ll Tackle It campaign to crack down on discrimination in grassroots football. James
McNaught, 38 – chairman of VMFC which welcomes both gay, bisexual and straight players – said: “We could hear the Chadderton players in the home dressing room next door singing YMCA.
“The game quickly descended into homophobic slurs, threatening language and dangerous challenges.
“It was clear some of their guys had issues with us. People on the sidelines joined in too.” One is said to have thrown a plastic bottle at a player.
VMFC player James Wilson, 32, said: “It was one of the most homophobic experiences I’ve had playing football.
“One of our players was tackled badly.
One of theirs stood over him, saying, ‘Get up you fairy’. It’s so hurtful, but I’m proud to play for VMFC.”
Chadderton Park chairman Terry Jennings said the Firsts had been suspended from playing as the club investigated the Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur Football League match at its Crossley Park playing fields.
He said: “We are devastated one of our teams behaved in such a poor manner.
“We run 92 teams across many codes of sport and pride ourselves on diversity and inclusion.”
He said the club supports the Rainbow Laces campaign for LGBT people in football.
An FA spokesman confirmed: “Manchester Football Association is investigating alleged discrimination at a fixture.” courtney.wilson@
reachplc.com
We could hear the Chadderton players in the dressing room next door singing YMCA
VMFC CHAIRMAN JAMES MCNAUGHT ON HOMOPHOBIC ABUSE