Stonewall F.C.

Last updated

Stonewall
SFC LOGO2.jpg
Full nameStonewall Football Club
Nickname(s)Stones
Founded1991
GroundLondon Marathon Community Track, Stratford
Capacity300
ChairmanAlex Baker
ManagerEric Najib/Betty Mayeya
League Middlesex County League Premier Division
2023–24 Middlesex County League Premier Division, 7th of 17
Website Club website

Stonewall F.C. is Britain's top-ranking LGBTQ+ orientated football team and the first of its kind to be FA Chartered Standard. The club is open to all, with a sizeable number of players who do not define themselves as LGBTQ+.

Contents

Stonewall are affiliated to the London Football Association and play their home games at the London Marathon Community Track, Stratford, London. The club is sponsored by Adidas and EA Sports, and with their support have recently completed the successful launch of a Women/Non-Binary player's branch of the club.

Structure and current activities

Stonewall operates three 11's-focussed teams; the 1sts play in the Middlesex County League Premier Division and the 2nds one step lower in Division 1, both on Saturdays, and the Unity Team in the London Unity League on Sundays. [1] These squads all train during the week, and the club also runs a weekday 5-a-side tournament on Thursdays.

The Women/Non-Binary teams have a 1st, 2nd, and two Development Teams, compete during the week on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, and train on Saturdays.

Club mission and history

The club was founded in 1991 by a group of gay footballers including amateur player Aslie Pitter MBE, after Mikko Kuronen put an advert in a gay publication asking for like-minded people to contact him if they were interested in a kickabout on a Sunday. [2] [3] After getting a lot more enquiries than he thought, Stonewall FC was born. [4]

The club's stated mission is "to be a driving force in helping tackle discrimination in the game" be it "homophobia, transphobia or biphobia". The club aims to "be a safe space for anyone who wishes to get involved with football". [5]

In the 2001–02 season, the club won the Middlesex County Football League Senior Division at their first attempt, and were promoted to the Premier Division. [6] The club stayed in the Premier Division until the 2005–06 season when they finished bottom for the second season in a row and were relegated to Division One. [7] [8] After finishing as Runners-up of Division One (Central and East) at the end of the 2008–09 campaign the club were promoted back to the Premier Division. [9] However the club could only stay in the top division of the league for two seasons before being relegated back to Division one (Central and East). [10]

In more recent times the club was promoted back to the Middlesex County Premier Division for the 2017–18 season, but were relegated. After a season of change in the 2018–19 season the club finished 2nd in MCCL D1 and were promoted back to the Premier Division, where they have remained since. The club, in a relatively larger league, equalled its highest (2002–03) league finish of 6th, in the 2021–22 season. [11]

The Women/Non-Binary team trained together for the first time on 8 May 2021 and their Development Team won their Super 5s league for the first time in December 2021.

Notable games

Stonewall's 1sts beat Wilberforce Wanderers 3–1 in a landmark Middlesex County Division 1 game played at Wembley on 30 November 2018, to mark Stonewall and the FA partnering in support of greater diversity in football. [12]

The club also played in the Football for Everyone Cup at The Emirates in 2014, and against Manchester United's LGBTQ+ fan group, the Rainbow Devils, at Old Trafford in 2019.

The Unity Team won the club its first ever LGBTQ+ league on 22 May 2022, beating holders Millwall Romans FC in a must-win final game in LUL (London Unity League) Season 16.

In November 2023, Stonewall won the Gay Games for a record 5th time, defeating Seattle 3–2 in the final.

Ground and kits

Stonewall play their home games at London Marathon Community Track, Stratford, London E20 2ST. This track was built in 2017 as the warm-up track for the 2017 IAAF and IPC World Athletics Championships and is operated as part of the London Stadium. Barn Elms Recreation Ground was their previous home ground.

The Men's 1sts play in blue, the 2nds in red, and the Unity and Women & Non Binary side in a top made up of the colours of the Trans flag. This is one of the first kits of its kind in the world and designed as a show of solidarity with the trans community. [13]

Honours

11-a-side League honours

Cup honours

LGBTQ+ Cups

Minor achievements

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wembley F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Wembley Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent, London, England. Founded in 1946, the club currently play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton Common Rovers F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Sutton Common Rovers Football Club is a semi-professional football club currently competing in the Isthmian League South Central Division. Originally based in Carshalton, the club moved southwest to Leatherhead, Surrey, in 2007 upon joining the Combined Counties League. At the start of the 2009–10 season the club moved into a groundshare with Cobham at the Reg Madgwick Stadium, and further away from Carshalton. At the end of the 2014–15 season the club announced that it would be groundsharing with Sutton United for the 2015–16 season. For the 2022–23 season, the club announced a move to Church Road now privately owned by a company called IRama. The club are now equal tenants with newly reformed AFC Whyteleafe. In 2024 - 2025 season the club announced they would move back to London Borough of Sutton to Carshalton Athletic's ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southall F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Southall Football Club is a football club representing Southall in the London Borough of Ealing, England. The club is affiliated to the Middlesex County Football Association. They are currently members of the Isthmian League South Central Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlesex County Football League</span> Association football league in England

The Middlesex County Football League is a football competition based in England loosely drawing teams from the central, northern and western parts of Greater London. The league was founded in 1984 and initially had only one division, although it has since expanded greatly. It currently has a total of seven divisions. The Premier Division sits at step 7 of the National League System. It is a feeder to the Combined Counties Football League and the Hellenic Football League. The league is currently sponsored by Cherry Red Books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glastonbury F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Glastonbury F.C. is a football club based in Glastonbury, England. The club is affiliated to the Somerset County FA. The club are currently members of the Somerset County League Division One and play at the Abbey Moor Stadium.

London Rangers FC is a football club based in Wembley in the London Borough of Brent, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanworth Villa F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Hanworth Villa Football Club is a football club based in Hanworth, London Borough of Hounslow, England. They are currently members of the Isthmian League South Central Division and play at Rectory Meadow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shottermill & Haslemere F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Shottermill & Haslemere Football Club is a football club based in Haslemere, Surrey, England. The club are currently members of the Surrey Intermediate League Premier Division and play at Haslemere Recreational Ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Sports Watford F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Sun Sports Watford Football Club are a football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. They were established in 1901 and joined the Herts Senior County League in 1947. They are currently members of the Herts County League Division Three.

The Gay Football Supporters Network National League is an amateur league competition for gay football clubs across the United Kingdom. The league is associated with the Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) – football supporters group catering for the LGBTQ community. The league was formed in 2002 with four founder members, and has steadily grown to fifteen teams since its inception plus five associate members who play in the GFSN National Cup. It is the only national LGBT league in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedfont Sports F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Bedfont Sports Football Club is a football club based in Bedfont, Greater London, England. They are currently members of the Combined Counties League Premier Division North and play at the Bedfont Recreation Ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spelthorne Sports F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Spelthorne Sports F.C. is a football club based in the borough of Spelthorne. They play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sporting Club Thamesmead F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Sporting Club Thamesmead F.C. is an English football club located in Thamesmead in the London Borough of Bexley currently managed by the boss himself, Alexander White. The club is affiliated to the Kent Football Association. The first team plays in the Southern Counties East League Division One, the reserves in the Kent County League and the veterans team in the Southern Vets League.

The 2013–14 Combined Counties Football League season was the 36th in the history of the Combined Counties Football League, a football competition in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F.C. Romania</span> Association football club in England

Football Club Romania is a football club based in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England. The club are members of the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division and groundshare at Cheshunt's Theobalds Lane.

Ryan Hayden Denys is an English retired semi-professional footballer who played as a forward or midfielder. He began his career in the Football League with Brentford, before dropping into non-League football in 1999. After his retirement, Denys moved into coaching.

Sean Hillier is an English former semi-professional footballer who played as a defender. Hillier began his career at Brentford and made one professional appearance before dropping into non-League football upon his release in 2005. He played the majority of his career for North Greenford United and made over 250 appearances across five spells with the club. He is currently assistant coach of Brentford Women.

Luke John Muldowney is an English semi-professional footballer who is first team coach at Potters Bar Town. A midfielder, Muldowney began his career at Brentford, for whom he made one professional appearance before dropping into non-League football upon his release in 2005. He spent six years as a player, captain and latterly manager at non-League club Egham Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cricklewood Wanderers F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Eagles Land & Cricklewood Wanderers Football Club is a football club based in Wembley, London, England. They are currently members of the Middlesex County League Premier Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Panteleimon F.C.</span> Association football club in England

St. Panteleimon Football Club was a football club based in Greenford, Greater London, England.

References

  1. ↑ "London Unity League 2012 | Welcome". Londonunityleague.co.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  2. ↑ Singh, Anita (31 December 2010). "Lady Antonia Fraser leads New Year Honours 2011 list". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  3. ↑ "History". Stonewallfc.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Opening doors and joining in". THe Football Association. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  5. ↑ "Stonewall FC | Our Story | LGBT+ & Allies Football". Stonewall FC. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "football.mitoo". 72.3.224.252. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  7. ↑ "football.mitoo". 72.3.224.252. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  8. ↑ "football.mitoo". 72.3.224.252. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  9. 1 2 "football.mitoo". 72.3.224.252. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  10. ↑ "football.mitoo". 72.3.224.252. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  11. ↑ "football.mitoo". 72.3.224.252. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  12. ↑ Association, The Football. "Historic occasion ends with 3-1 victory for Stonewall FC over Wilberforce Wanderers". thefa.com. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  13. ↑ "Stonewall FC | Our Teams | LGBT+ & Allies Football". Stonewall FC. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "football.mitoo". 72.3.224.252. 18 June 2012. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  15. ↑ football.mitoo
  16. 1 2 "football.mitoo". 72.3.224.252. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  17. ↑ "football.mitoo". 72.3.224.252. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Club Honours". Stonewallfc.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.