The game’s annual drive to educate and raise awareness of homophobia and transphobia in football kicks-off on Saturday evening.
Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park will play host to the launch of the Football v Homophobia (FvH) campaign, now in its fourth year, which is backed and supported by The FA.
The event marks a month-long international initiative opposing homophobia and transphobia in football at all levels, from grassroots to professional clubs.
England Women's midfielder Jill Scott shows her support for FvH.
The issue has been given a recent shot in the arm with the coming out of former Premier League star and German international, Thomas Hitzlsperger, and Liam Davis’ positive perspective on life as a gay semi-pro footballer.
But The FA’s General Secretary Alex Horne is keen to stress that, away from these announcements, steady progress continues to be made.
“It was two years ago that we launched our own “Opening Doors and Joining In” LBG&T inclusion plan in conjunction with FvH," said Horne.
"This work is now rolled up into our wider Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Action Plan.
"Our goals remain clear, homophobic, alongside other forms of discrimination, are not welcome in English football and we will continue to work to eradicate them from the game.”
Brentford and Derby County are just two clubs pledging their support to the cause, by dedicating fixtures to the campaign.
And FvH director Lou Englefield, hopes the support continues to grow, saying: “FvH is about everyone taking responsibility to address the causes and consequences of homophobia in football.
"This isn’t just about players coming out. It’s about all of us – including heterosexual players and fans who attend matches week in week out – being willing to speak out and take visible action to challenge prejudice in the game.
"We are pleased to be working alongside all of the football authorities and hope that together we can make this the biggest year yet for the campaign against homophobia in football. ”
FvH has witnessed a year-on-year increase of clubs, both domestically and across Europe, getting involved. Last season seven Premier League sides, including Arsenal and Manchester City, contributed to the initiative.
Find out more about the FvH month of action and how you can get involved at www.footballvhomophobia.com.
