Manchester United to play match against gay football team
Manchester United will play in a friendly match against the UK’s top gay football team, it has been announced.
The announcement was made at the Team Pride: Levelling the LGBT Playing Field today – ahead of the 25th anniversary of football club Stonewall FC.
Stonewall FC was set up in 1981 in Londonm at a time when they were no openly gay players in the Premiership and homophobia was rife in sport.
25 years later, there are still no openly gay players in the Premiership – but some teams are beginning to take action on the issue.
To celebrate their anniversary, the Middlesex County Football League team will face possibly their toughest opponents of all time: Manchester United.
The Premier League team is arguably one of the most famous football clubs in the world, taking home 20 league titles, 11 FA Cups and four League Cups.
At the Team Pride event, Manchester United’s Group Managing Director Richard Arnold confirmed the club will welcome Stonewall FC to its Aon Training Complex ground for a friendly match.
Though still rather outgunned, Stonewall will face a team comprised of United veterans and staff, rather than the first team.
It’s the second time in recent weeks that a major club has embraced an LGBT football team.
Championship football team Queens Park Rangers recently launched a historic partnership with LGBT club London Titans FC.
As part of the “virtually unprecedented” deal, the Titans will “proudly” wear the QPR crest – and will get coaching help from the club, fundraising support, and a greater LGBT presence at QPR match days.
