Yorkshire Terriers flying LGBTQ+ flag to help ensure game becomes truly inclusive

Last season the Terriers won the national Gay Football Supporters’ Network League for the third time in five seasons with a broad range of players that gives their 49-year-old player manager hope for the future.

“This season we’ve been able to attract a good core of younger players but also varied when it comes to their sexuality,” he says.

“We’ve got a transgender player, Emma Smith, who’s played 90 per cent of the games, a core of gay footballers and we’re integrating straight players who understand the ethos and behaviour we expect. We’ve had no problem with that.

“Attracting straight players was difficult at first because of the stigma associated with it but we get messages from straight people saying they’re sick of the macho nature and aggressiveness of straight football. We tackle just as hard but it’s less verbally aggressive and we really work on fairness and standards.”

The Terriers play in the GFSN and Midland Unity leagues, but decided against rejoining the West Riding FA Flexi League because of the thorny sporting issue of transgender participants.

“We participated on a Thursday for four seasons until 2019,” explains Nellist.

“Last season we re-applied and were told we could participate but the trans members wouldn’t be able to, so we decided against it.”

Smith says the inclusive feel of the Terriers helped her get back into football after the first Covid lockdown.

“I’ve played football all my life – Sunday league, five-a-side,” says the 29-year-old who lives in Leeds. “I came out as trans in 2019 and my body then was still very much male so I couldn’t play for a women’s team and I wouldn’t have been comfortable and other people probably wouldn’t have been comfortable with me.

“I probably could play for a women’s team now but I’m so happy for playing with my mates at the Terriers. I don’t want to be a cultural issue, I just want to be a goalkeeper.”

With 18 matches a season, Nellist has plenty of time to watch too, and feels more strides need to be made amongst supporters.

“As a Manchester United season ticket holder I still don’t feel comfortable in expressing my sexuality to the people I spend time with at football,” he admits. “I still don’t think mainstream supporters are accepting of LGBT fans without abuse or comments.

“Listening to younger people, sexuality doesn’t bother them, but I think the older generation still find it hard to accept other people’s sexuality or orientation without feeling a little bit threatened or worried what other people would say.

“I think eventually as those older people stop going to football it won’t be a problem but we can definitely carry on educating in the meantime.

“I think the authorities do what is needed, it’s more about society being accepting of gay people. I think the FA are, it’s just trans people where they lack the understanding of how they’re going to integrate and play football at a competitive level.

“It’s something the FA will have to look at.”