Footballers from across Devon and Cornwall played their part in helping to kick homophobia and racism out of the sport when they took part in a Diversity Cup held as part of this year’s week-long Plymouth Pride.

Plymouth Police Diverse Communities Team won the five-a-side tournament with a team comprising officers and members of the community and were presented with their trophy by gay and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who is working with the Football Association on producing a DVD to raise awareness of homophobia in football.

The tournament, organised by plymouth prideevent (CORRECT) and sponsors Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, with support from Championship football club Plymouth Argyle and Devon Football Association, was held at, and supported by the Goals Soccer Centre, Plymouth.

Among the other teams who competed were the Justin Fashanu All-Stars, who won the Goals Soccer Centre Fair Play Trophy. The team is named after the late Norwich, Nottingham Forest, and Torquay United footballer Justin Fashanu, who was the first - and, so far, only -professional player to ‘come out’,

Plymouth Argyle also sent along their Community Development Team to offer free skills coaching for anybody who attended.

Plymouth prideevent secretary Prudence de Villiers said: “The tournament was a great success in helping to raise awareness of diverse communities and creating greater social cohesion.

“We even had a Muslim team playing against a gay men’s team, which in many parts of the Middle East and in other countries would be totally unthinkable that such a thing could happen. The idea was to carry on the work of the FA’s 'Kick It Out’ campaign, which started by tackling racism in football and now, with the help of Peter Tatchell, is also tackling homophobia.”

The day also featured an exhibition on the life and career of Justin Fashanu organised by The Justin Campaign, which is challenging stereotypes and misconceptions around gay men in football. Jason Bartholomew Hall (CORRECT) founding director of The Justin Campaign, said: “It is really important that these kinds of event happen. “It was a great day and a wonderful experience for everybody and there was no sense of prejudice at all.”

Devon FA chief executive Paul Morrison is now organising a region-wide conference on kicking homophobia out of football, which is scheduled to be held in January at Exeter City FC in partnership with the Intercom Trust.

More information can be found by logging on to www.plymouthprideevent.org.uk, or by emailing info@plymouthprideevent.org.uk, or by telephoning 07753 339965.

More information about The Justin Campaign can be found at www.thejustincampaign.com.

Plymouth prideevent is a registered charity raising awareness of the city’s LGBT communities. It works in partnership with Plymouth City Council, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, NHS Plymouth, Out Youth Group, Plymouth Pride Forum, Heart Radio, The Swallow public house, Zeros Nightclub, Eddystone Trust, Intercom Trust, Fyne Times, ‘In Other Words’ Books, She Bang, University of Plymouth, and the TUC South West.

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