Dedicated weekend of support for Stonewall campaign to take place on 19/20th November.

Berks and Bucks FA has joined forces with eight clubs from across the region to become ‘BBFA Ally Clubs’, working together with the County FA to proactively promote Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign and support allyship for LGBTQ+ inclusion in football.

To date, more than a million people have laced up in support of the campaign and two thirds of sport fans who’ve seen it believe they have a responsibility to stand in solidarity for LGBTQ+ fans of the teams and sports they follow. However, research conducted in 2017 showed that 43% of LGBTQ+ people think public sporting events aren’t a welcoming space for them. (YouGov for Stonewall, 2017).

To help change the statistics, AFC Reading, Aylesbury Vale Dynamos, Caversham United, Dynamo Tekkers, MK City, MK Wanderers, Newport Pagnell Town and Tilehurst Panthers have all pledged to work with the County FA as Ally Clubs on our dedicated weekend of support, to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion & awareness in sport and to help make football everyone’s game. 



During the weekend of support on 19th/20th November, our BBFA Ally Clubs are dedicating fixtures to Rainbow Laces fixture where they’ll be lacing up in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion, and promoting awareness of the campaign through their social media channels.

Berks & Bucks FA, Communications Officer, Steph Clark, said; “As a County FA we are committed to driving inclusion across the sport and to ensuring that football provides safe and welcoming environments for all to enjoy.

“We believe that sport, and in particular, football, has a truly unique ability to connect people from all walks of life and change lives through shared passion. Football is everyone’s game, and no one should feel excluded from taking part because of who they are.

“We are proud to be working closely with our BBFA Ally Clubs for the Rainbow Laces campaign to help ensure that football in our region really is a game for all.”

Our dedicated weekend of support for the campaign takes place on the weekend of 19/20 November, the opening weekend of the World Cup.

If you would like to share your support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in football and help us raise awareness, you can like and share our posts on social media, follow and share the posts of our BBFA Ally Clubs or post your own messages of support by downloading and sharing our Pledge assets below:
I Pledge - Social media graphic

We Pledge - Social media graphic

If you want to share your support for the campaign with us on social media, don't forget to use the hashtags #EveryonesGame, #RainbowLaces and #BerksBucksFA.

For more information about the Rainbow Laces campaign, please visit stonewall.org.uk, alternatively, click here to find out more about the County FA’s inclusion work.