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Football United: Gay-Friendly Football Club Proves That The Game Is Open To All
In the latest of Goal.com's new Football United series, we meet a club attempting to break down one of the remaining barriers in the modern game...
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Feb 27, 2010 7:35:00 AM
Today we look at a unique team in Scottish football - the first gay-friendly club in the country.
The name 'HotScots FC' may not appeal to all, but few could help but be impressed by the team's quick rise to prominence. The club was only founded on February 24, 2007 - a week after an advertisement was posted in the press looking for like-minded players - and not until January 2008 was there a squad large or well-trained enough to play a full eleven-a-side match.
But just four months later, the team had lifted the Leg FitLads Cup by defeating the Falcons in London - a piece of national silverware for a squad just over a year old.
It was a swift success, and one that is all the more interesting for the fact that football among the UK's gay community is still very much in its infancy. Teams like HotScots are looking to change that through inclusion and dedication.
Ross McClung, the team's "press officer and goalie", tells us more.
"The team is a real diverse mixture in all senses of the word diverse! As well as a number of gay players, the team also has a growing heterosexual contingent. Nationalities range from Scots to English, Irish to Northern Irish, and even boast French and Romanian players. In all positions the team can choose from reliable strong defenders to rampaging full backs, midfield generals a la Beckenbauer to skillful wingers a la Beckham and indeed goalpoaching strikers to intelligent second strikers. The team have played most of the season with attacking direct football, but some of the victories have come through dogged defending," he said.
"What's really important with the team is the social side. We're there to train hard and play good football, but also to enjoy each others company, and hold regular quiz nights and social events in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Many of the players have become good friends through the club, and this is what makes Hotscots FC such a fantastic football club in so many ways. We like to think of ourselves as a family unit, and that ethos and teamwork has helped the side develop over the last two years."
Exclusion? Inclusion?
The team has faced allegations before of being exclusive, and of fostering a division between gay people and the rest of the footballing community. But Ross and his team-mates argue that this is not the case. Above all, he emphasises that exclusion is not the order of the day.
He said, "It's important to give gay people who enjoy football an environment where they really can be open about their sexuality and who they really are.With Hotscots FC, we really don't care what your background is, as long as you enjoy the game of football. This allows players to be much more comfortable with their team-mates, and encourages expression on the field.
"Some of our players haven't played since leaving school because they don't want to be 'out' amongst an amateur team. Homophobia is still unfortunately rife in the game of football, whether ii be chants from the terraces, through to the fact that at the time of speaking, no footballer has come out as gay in the UK, apart from the ill-fated Justin Fashanu. Hardly a role model for aspiring young gay footballers. Straight people are certainly not excluded, indeed the team boasts a number of straight players who enjoy the training sessions and style of football that we play."
Indeed, that's what it comes down to: the love of the beautiful game, open to everyone.
Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com
The name 'HotScots FC' may not appeal to all, but few could help but be impressed by the team's quick rise to prominence. The club was only founded on February 24, 2007 - a week after an advertisement was posted in the press looking for like-minded players - and not until January 2008 was there a squad large or well-trained enough to play a full eleven-a-side match.
But just four months later, the team had lifted the Leg FitLads Cup by defeating the Falcons in London - a piece of national silverware for a squad just over a year old.
It was a swift success, and one that is all the more interesting for the fact that football among the UK's gay community is still very much in its infancy. Teams like HotScots are looking to change that through inclusion and dedication.
Ross McClung, the team's "press officer and goalie", tells us more.
"The team is a real diverse mixture in all senses of the word diverse! As well as a number of gay players, the team also has a growing heterosexual contingent. Nationalities range from Scots to English, Irish to Northern Irish, and even boast French and Romanian players. In all positions the team can choose from reliable strong defenders to rampaging full backs, midfield generals a la Beckenbauer to skillful wingers a la Beckham and indeed goalpoaching strikers to intelligent second strikers. The team have played most of the season with attacking direct football, but some of the victories have come through dogged defending," he said.
"What's really important with the team is the social side. We're there to train hard and play good football, but also to enjoy each others company, and hold regular quiz nights and social events in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Many of the players have become good friends through the club, and this is what makes Hotscots FC such a fantastic football club in so many ways. We like to think of ourselves as a family unit, and that ethos and teamwork has helped the side develop over the last two years."
Exclusion? Inclusion?
The team has faced allegations before of being exclusive, and of fostering a division between gay people and the rest of the footballing community. But Ross and his team-mates argue that this is not the case. Above all, he emphasises that exclusion is not the order of the day.
He said, "It's important to give gay people who enjoy football an environment where they really can be open about their sexuality and who they really are.With Hotscots FC, we really don't care what your background is, as long as you enjoy the game of football. This allows players to be much more comfortable with their team-mates, and encourages expression on the field.
"Some of our players haven't played since leaving school because they don't want to be 'out' amongst an amateur team. Homophobia is still unfortunately rife in the game of football, whether ii be chants from the terraces, through to the fact that at the time of speaking, no footballer has come out as gay in the UK, apart from the ill-fated Justin Fashanu. Hardly a role model for aspiring young gay footballers. Straight people are certainly not excluded, indeed the team boasts a number of straight players who enjoy the training sessions and style of football that we play."
Indeed, that's what it comes down to: the love of the beautiful game, open to everyone.
Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com
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