Regional Alliance
The Regional LGBTQ+ Football Supporters’ Group Alliance is a network for Yorkshire, Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire LGBTQ+ football supporters’ groups. The purpose of this regional alliance is to share best practice, offer peer to peer support, explore joint events & empower supporters' groups to reach their potential.
LGBTQ+ football supporters' groups within the three regions stated are at different stages, are different sizes, have different models and working relationships with their respective clubs. It's important to have the option to collaborate & also a channel to share best practice whilst creating a regional community.
The groups of this alliance are:
- Rainbow Blades (Sheffield United)
- Marching Out Together (Leeds United)
- Rainbow Owls (Sheffield Wednesday)
- Rainbow Spireites (Chesterfield FC)
- Proud Stags (Mansfield Town)
- Proud Forest (Nottingham Forest)
This isn’t a closed shop & further LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups from the three regions stated would be welcomed.
It's important that we stand shoulder to shoulder.
Here’s what other founding member groups have to say about the new Alliance
Rainbow Owls
“Having other LGBTQ+ contacts, who have different insights and objectives, will help Rainbow Owls to learn more and provide us with greater context, particularly as to how an LGBTQ+ supporters’ group should be run in a credible and professional manner, in order to leave a lasting legacy for our LGBTQ+ fans and ensure that there will always be an LGBTQ+ supporters’ group for them.”
Marching Out Together
“Marching Out Together is delighted to join the alliance with our colleagues from other Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire groups. We truly feel that together, we can support each other in building our groups and making football truly welcoming for all.”
Rainbow Blades
“LBGTQ+ groups across the game "should support and help one another. From personal experience, over the last three years, it can be very challenging at times to run an LGBTQ+ football supporters’ groups maybe even more so now with the current climate," said James Laley of Rainbow Blades. "Not only can it open you up to hate, but we are all volunteers who do this in our own time.“
Proud Stags
“Our group is open to all who embrace inclusion and reject discrimination in football. Proud Stags aims to ensure that Mansfield Town Football Club and all football remains accepting and inclusive to all supporters. We also have plans and ideas coming up to help and support the LGBTQ+ community in Mansfield.”