Sport

Rylan’s documentary on football and homophobia is a powerful watch that everyone should make time for

Essential viewing for anyone who wants to help the beautiful game truly live up to its name.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 14th February 2024

Former X-Factor contestant turned TV personality and presenter Rylan Clark’s documentary on homophobia in the world of football aired on TNT Sports this past Tuesday night and it’s probably one of the most important watches we’ve seen in a while.

Broadcast directly after the latest round of Champions League fixtures, when viewing figures are at a natural peak, Rylan’s debut as a lead broadcaster in Football, Homophobia And Me has thousands of viewers at home tuning in to take a more serious inside look at the game they love.

Highlighting one of the sport’s biggest and sadly lasting drawbacks, the 45-minute documentary tackles everything from Ryaln’s own experiences of homophobia growing up as a gay football fan, the stories of other LGBTQ+ footballers and fans, as well as the progress of supporter culture up until now.

Noting that there are still no publicly out LGBTQ+ footballers in the Premier League and very few in top-flight men’s football around the world, the TNT Sports and Discovery+ feature reveals the harsh reality behind the sport’s shameful relationship with homophobia.

There are plenty of footy fans trying to make the ground a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

As well as harking back to awful stories of gender-based discrimination from years gone by such as that of Justin Fashanu, Britain’s first openly gay male footballer who sadly took his own life in 1998, to the countless tales of fans being abused for their sexuality or how they identify, it’s a tough watch at times.

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Not only do viewers sit and watch as Rylan interviews England and Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand whilst listening back to the former player saying the word “fa***t” on live radio, but you also get to hear the horrific experiences that the BBC Radio Two host went through.

Supporting his local team West Ham and having been to games ever since he was a kid, the 35-year-old explains how he always felt that sense of unease and being made to not feel entirely welcome inside football stadiums.

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Detailing the Catch-22 of being ‘too gay’ to be allowed to football with others and being mocked for enjoying other passions like dancing, his early days as a footy fan culminated in an ambulance rushing him to hospital after his skull was fractured by a bunch of boys who repeatedly kicked and stamped on him for his sexuality.

A truly awful story but one that’s important to hear.

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Interviewing the first openly gay football manager in the grassroots game and LGBTQ-friendly supporters’ organisations like his club’s Pride of Irons groups; retired gay footballers like ex-Aston Villa and West Ham midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, just to name a few, it gives a real perspective from those who have lived it first-hand.

Rylan and several of those he speaks to also call out empty virtue signalling in football without any real support, the likes of Jordan Henderson for contradicting his position as a Rainbow Laces ambassador by moving to Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is outlawed and punishable by death, as well questioning why there is a difference in attitudes towards gay footballers in the women’s game.

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As he himself puts it, we sincerely hope for the day “doing documentaries like this” and there is no need for players to make “coming out videos on social media”.

Rylan’s Football, Homophobia And Me documentary is an essential watch not only for anyone who wants to help cut out discrimination in the beautiful game and leave it in a better place but for anyone who needs a reminder of how much work there still is to do.

You can watch Rylan’s documentary on TNT Sports and Discovery+ HERE — and we truly implore that you do.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — TNT Sports/ITV Sport (screenshots)

Sport

The annual Manchester Remembers Foundation charity football match has shut down

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Remembers charity game 2025 cancelled

The annual Manchester Remembers charity football match has been cancelled for 2025, and unfortunately, the wider Foundation has also shut down for the foreseeable.

Set up back in 2020, the Manchester Remembers charity game was created to help raise funds for the families of those lost in the tragic 2017 Manchester Arena attack, raising nearly £200,000 in donations for multiple organisations.

It has been a truly treasured community event across Greater Manchester, welcoming thousands to the likes of Manchester City Academy Stadium and Oldham Athletic‘s Boundary Park, as well as spotlighting local musicians and notable figures volunteering their help for a deeply important cause.

However, the Foundation is now set to hang up its boots. Confirming the news over the bank holiday weekend, founders Aaron Lee and Paul Corrigan shared “a difficult statement to make and a decision not taken lightly.”

As explained in the lengthy and emotional post, it is with a “heavy heart” that this year’s charity match has now been officially cancelled, and tickets already purchased up to this point are now being refunded.

Having played a small part in helping spread awareness around the game and the Foundation since it began, we were gutted to learn of this sad news.

The 2025 MCR Remembers game was scheduled to take place this June at a new venue for the event, Bury FC’s home ground at Gigg Lane, but following what they have labelled “a lack of support” from Greater Manchester leaders and “influential people needed to carry the event forward.”

Lee – a former police officer turned firefighter who was one of the emergency responders on 22 May, 2017 – went on to share a follow-up video reflecting on the announcement.

As he puts in the piece to camera, he says that even if those who had been reached out to in recent times were to suddenly respond, that it is “sadly too late.”

Taking time to thank not only past sponsors, managers, ex-pros and celebrity players who have been part of the event in the past, but everyone who bought tickets to the event(s) over the past few years, stating simply: “We cant thank you enough.”

Lee, who was given both a Chief Fire Officers Commendation and British Citizen Award in 2024, went on to address those “so-called leaders and influential people” in a subsequent post, adding: “All we needed was a bit of help. But we were ignored. Thanks for the memories.”

Unsurprisingly, the comments on social media have been awash with messages of love, support and sadness upon learning of this year’s cancellation and the end of The Manchester Remembers Foundation after more than half a decade.

There is some hope, though, as he ends the video by saying, “Who knows if this is the end or not? […] I dare say we’ll be back at some point.” We can only keep our fingers crossed he’s right and the MCR Remembers charity game won’t be shut down for good.

Manchester will always remember.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/Manchester Remembers Foundation

Sport

25,000 free footballs are being given away across the UK

Danny Jones Danny Jones Barlcays bank giving 1000 free football across the UK

A total of 25,000 free footballs are up for grabs this month as part of a new scheme from Barclays, who are giving them away to mark a special anniversary.

The British multinational universal bank, which boasts over 850 branches and more than 48 million customers worldwide, has been supporting the beautiful game for a quarter of a century now and has been the primary Premier League sponsor since the 2001/02 season.

Approaching 25 years helping fund and promote English football, they’ve come up with a new initiative to celebrate, simply called the ‘Lost Ball Project‘.

We’ve all seen scenes like these before.

barclays free footballs
lost ball project
Credit: Barclays (supplied)

Tapping into the national and generational memory of losing a ball to a pond, up a tree, over a fence or on a roof and so on, Barclays are making up for those heartbreaking little losses – one ball at a time.

Lost Ball will see the bank give away 25k footballs across the UK, with Barclays customers able to claim a free ball for themselves or someone else who has lost theirs.

Already up and running, the scheme is off to a flyer and free footies will be available until Thursday, 22 May, so we wouldn’t wait around.

The bank has played an integral role throughout the British football pyramid for decades now, sponsoring to only the Premier League but also the WSL, Barclays Women’s Championship; the Northern Irish Women’s Football Association, Scottish Women’s Championship and the Scottish Women’s League One

They’ve even put together this emotive, albeit a bit tongue-in-cheek video:

Excellent song choice.

As they put it, the mission of the Lost Ball Project is simple: “Let’s keep the nation playing the beautiful game. Because there’s no football without grassroots football.”

In addition to backing established leagues, they have continued to support the country’s footballing community at large, especially in terms of the women’s game.

For instance, the Barclays Girls’ Football School partnership with The FA has seen the number of participating schools rise from 3,000 in 2019 to 20,000 in 2024, helping more than 2.5 million schoolgirls access football.

Important work done from the ground up.

Credit: Supplied

Barclays’ Group Head of Sponsorship, Tom Corbett, said in a statement: “We are immensely proud of our pioneering work and funding to grassroots football over the past 25 years.

Giving away 25,000 balls to replace our customers’ ‘Lost Balls’ means they will never be without the one thing you need to be able to play the game we’ve supported at Barclays for all these years.”

If you bank with the group, you can find out how to claim your free football HERE.

We quite fancy a kick around now.

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Featured Images — Barclays (supplied)

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