16th May 202116th May 2021 by fvhyouth

Cam Wood: My First Year as the Football vs Homophobia Youth Panel Chair

In 2020 I took over as the chair of the Football vs Homophobia youth panel and this was a unique experience because the majority of my first term has had to be conducted on a virtual platform.

My biggest highlight of the last year was interviewing Harry Baker a Cerebral Palsy England international footballer.

The reason why it’s is my biggest highlight is because we were able to have an in-depth conversation on a virtual platform about issues that affect young people with disabilities on a daily basis.

This interview reminded me that I am not the only young person who faces these types of challenges regularly.

I wish that I had had the opportunity to have interviewed a panel of disabled footballers as part of the month of action.

I have absolutely loved supporting the youth panel members to become the best young leaders that they possibly can.

At every youth panel meeting since I took over as chair the members l have delighted me with what they have been able to achieve.

When I took over as the chair of the panel I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the Youth Panel and the role because I have never chaired a national panel before.

I have been supported by the team who lead the Youth Panel to understand my role and what is expected of me.

My favourite duty as chair of the Youth Panel is delivering and planning our meetings because it allows me to be creative.

I have been able to develop my leadership skills by chairing this incredible Youth Panel as I believe that I am becoming the best leader I possibly can.

I am so excited to see what the youth panel achieves over the coming months as we continue our incredible work as a group.

I have absolutely loved planning the youth panel meetings so that the members get the most out of our monthly catch ups.

As I was writing this piece I started to consider advice I would offer a young person who might be reading it and I came up with the following:

Always aspire to be yourself and seek help if you require it because I have suffered in silence and it is not a very nice feeling.

There are a number of organizations out their who will be able to offer you support with what you are struggling with.

If you are still in education you can speak to a member of staff at your school, college or university as they will be able to help you with any of the issues that you are experiencing.

If they are not able to help you directly with these things then they will know somebody or something that will be able to help you.

To end this blog I would simply like to say a massive thank you to the Football vs Homophobia Youth Panel for all the incredible work that they have produced during the last year.

It has been an honour to be your chair during these very difficult times and I am looking forward to seeing what the next year has in store for us.

Written by FvH Youth Panel Chair, Cameron Wood.

22nd Mar 2021 by fvhyouth

FvH Youth – Football v Transphobia Week of Action 2021 (24th-31st March)

The Football v Transphobia Week of Action will be taking place from the 24^th– 31^st March 2021, ending on Transgender Day of Visibility.

This is the third season we are taking specific action on transphobia in the game. We will be active across social media, using our presence to amplify the voices of trans and non binary people in all aspects of football.

The Youth Panel will be supporting the Week of Action with some special youth events, which will run alongside the main Football v Transphobia campaign.

How does this Week of Action differ from last year’s?

FvT Campaign Lead, Natalie Washington (she/they) explained how this year’s Week of Action differs to last year’s.

“Last year we’d just gone into a national lockdown, so the physical events we had planned had to be replaced at short notice!

“This year, we want to get people thinking about what it means to be a good ally for trans people in the game – trans people, trans women in particular, are constantly demonised in the media for being involved in sport.

“We want to share our experiences that the vast majority of people are really supportive of trans inclusion in sport, and so highlighting great allies is a fantastic way of showing that it’s safe to get involved.

“This year, we’re prepared for it to be almost entirely virtual, so we have a few more things planned!”

Events to look forward to for #FvT2021

The Youth Panel have organised two events for the Week of Action.

TransTalk- Wednesday 24th March, 7-8pm

This panel discussion will feature a group of young trans and non binary people in football. They will be discussing the importance of allies and how cis-folk can be better allies to trans and non binary people. Their perspectives of the game will help clubs, coaches and the wider football community to better understand what they can do to improve, shaping the next steps towards making sure football is truly inclusive for everyone.

Come along for this opportunity to ask questions about how you and your club can be better trans and non binary allies.

101 LGBT+ Education- Friday 26th March, 4-6pm

This education session for 16-30 year olds, gives an introduction to LGBTQ+ identities. Participants on this training will start thinking about how to make their football team/club and their own daily environments more LGBT+ inclusive. The training will cover terminology, gender and sexuality, anti racism, trans rights, LGBT+ icons in football and how to be a great ally.

Other things to watch out for:

#TransFootyAlly is a new virtual campaign for FvT 2021. All across the week of action, we are encouraging people to really show us the value of allyship in the game. For trans and non-binary people, what has someone done to make you feel safe & included? What more could people do to improve your football experience? For cisgender allies; how does the presence of trans and non-binary people in the game enrich your footballing life? What are you doing to make your club a more inclusive place for trans and non-binary people?

Trans and non binary people are also encouraged to share content about how cisgender people have been allies to them or to share top tips for those wanting to be allies in the game.

More information can be found here

Additional content for the Week of Action includes podcasts with trans and non binary,as well as information about how trans and non binary people can get into football.

A fun social event will round up the Week of Action, hosted by Natalie Washington.

Contacts and Social Media

Make sure to follow us on all social media channels for updates on FvT2021:

Twitter- @FvHyouth

Instagram- FvHyouth

Please tag us in any social media posts and use the hashtags #FvT2021 and #TransFootyAlly

Also remember to purchase your Football v Transphobia T-shirt to show your support for the campaign by clicking on the link below.

Football v Transphobia T-shirt

If you have any queries or questions regarding to the Week of Action, contact our Events Officer Danyal at dkhansportsjourno@outlook.com.

Written by Events Officer – Danyal Khan (@DKMatchreports)

9th Mar 20219th Mar 2021 by fvhyouth

Cam Wood: “A Villa fan using wheels to be on a Level Playing Field.”

I support Aston Villa and I am in a wheelchair as I have cerebral palsy and hydrocephulas, however this doesn’t stop me from enjoying football just like my peers.

I have supported the club since 2010 when I developed a love for the beautiful game and began searching for a club to support.

I have attended loads of matches following Villa both at home and down to Wembley for a couple of magical cup final days.

Each time I visit Villa Park with my best friend, we always have an awesome day out and are treated well by all Villa staff that we come into contact with.

We always travel to matches from our hometown of Hereford by train and as we approach Witton station we are always supported by stewards and station staff to exit safely.

Once we have fought our way through the crowds from the station to the ground we find ourselves being treated in the same way as an able-bodied fan.

Once we have made our way through the various refreshment stands at the ground and found our allocated seats for the match the atmosphere is simply electric.

When the Villa stars enter the field of play my view is obscured as the fans rise to welcome the players.

My best friend will usually video the players entering the field so that I can watch them do this at a later time.

As Villa head towards the goal mouth and again the fans rise to watch this unfold my view is again obscured and I have to watch the action on the big screens.

As half time comes and I want some food I struggle to reach the refreshment stands due to the volume of people in one area meaning my best friend makes this trip us.

As the match finishes the stewards at the ground stop fans from exiting the stadium to allow the wheelchair supporters the opportunity to exit the ground safely.

After leaving the stadium we head over to the Villa store to see what delights we can get however this isn’t without its problems as the store is not very wheelchair friendly. If I choose to make a purchase prior to heading home after a long day my best friend has to join the long queue of villa fans wanting to make a purchase.

Once we have left the villa store we have to then re-join the fight back to the station to head home. As we arrive back at Witton train station and join the long queue of fans waiting to board trains home we are again supported by stewards and staff to board a train.

I can never the fault the level of support we are given to board a train as the staff at the station always stop fans from boarding until we are safely on board.

I believe that football clubs do all that they can to support their disabled fans to enjoy the whole match day experience no matter what. It is vital that clubs from all levels of the game do all that they can do to make the experience of attending a football match enjoyable for their disabled fan community.

If I was to offer any advice to a football club about making their match day experience accessible for all then it would be this:

Engage with your disabled supporters fan group to find out what their members want so that you can ensure that the experience is an incredible one for this group of people.

Written by Cameron Wood, FvH Youth Panel Chair

22nd Jan 202129th Jan 2021 by fvhyouth

FvH Youth Panel- Month of Action Introduction

Written by Danyal Khan- Events Officer at FvH Youth Panel

We at the FvH Youth Panel are delighted to announce that we will be conducting the annual Month of Action, starting from Monday February 1^st.

#FvH2021 will be a little different compared to the other years due to Covid-19.

Nevertheless, we have a number of interesting workshops and practical events that we have planned, that are accessible to everyone via zoom.

“I encourage young people to sign up, to be inspired by messages from people their own ages.”

FvH Youth Panel Co-Coordinator Beatrice Thirkettle has had this to say on the upcoming month of action.

She said: “I’m excited about the range of different events and activities that have been organised by the Youth Panel for this year’s Month of Action.

“Core to our work as a Youth Panel is education, events and communication.

“People who sign up to our events will hear from a diverse range of voices, sharing personal experiences and thoughts on how to develop the game for the better.

“I encourage young people to sign up, to be inspired by messages from people their own ages. I also encourage adults to sign up and listen to the important voices of young people.”

Plan of Action (Events)

Active sessions:

Football Skills at Home- Sunday 7^th February: 2-3pm

This fun and interactive session will be led by Ethan, who is a Level One Qualified football coach. Skills such as controlling the ball, passing the ball and the art of using both feet to control the ball will be taught by Ethan.

This is the perfect event for some mild exercise, especially during lockdown where it is so difficult to do much exercise outdoors due to the current lockdown situation.

All you will need is some space indoors or outdoors, a ball and some makeshift cones (dig out some socks!).

After the event, Ethan will be hosting a Q and A session, giving you the opportunity to ask questions in order to help improve your skill set.

More information and registration here

Soccercise at Home- Monday 8^th February: 7-8pm

Join PE teacher and football coach Ellen Martin for a fun session combining football skills with a variety of fitness exercises, all from the comfort of your home.

You just need a football and some trainers, and you are all good to go.

Ellen is currently a PE teacher in a primary school, and also coaches the U14s girls at Aston Villa Football Club.

Just like the football skills session with Ethan, this is the perfect event for some mild exercise which is all essential during this lockdown period where it’s hard to get out and do much exercise.

Exercise helps with maintaining good mental health, so we would recommend as many people as possible attend the active sessions.

More information and registration here

Discussion based sessions:

Disabled Youth Footballers Panel- Saturday 13^th February: 11am-12pm

This workshop will give voices to some young disabled footballers from different levels of the game.

The panel will share their experiences of football, and also discuss the challenges they face and the future development of disability football.

More information and registration here

Queer Youth Trailblazers in Football- Monday 15^th February: 7-8pm

FvH Youth Panel will be speaking to leaders in different roles across the game to hear their experiences as LGBT+ leaders, growing up in football as LGBT and how football can grow to better support young LGBT+ people.

The likes of Sousa e Sa (Scottish FA Young Ambassador), Angelica Nadabba (Crystal Palace NCS Manager and LGBT+ inclusion leader) will be featuring in this panel discussion. More special guests will be confirmed soon.

More information and registration here

Football Journalism Panel- Friday 19^th February: 6:30-8pm

Join a group of experienced journalists who will be discussing their careers in football journalism, the current state of football journalism and what changes are needed to see more inclusive sensitive journalism for LGBT+ stories.

This panel will consist of; the Sky Sports LGBT+ editor and writer Jon Holmes, experienced sports journalist and founder of BCOMS (Black Collective Of Media in Sports) Leon Mann, trans sports journalist Emma Smith (Goal) and non-binary journalist and footballer JP Casey.

More information and registration here

Free Education sessions:

LGBT+ 101 education for young people

The Youth Panel are also offering LGBT+ education. The educational session is for young people and is ideal for learning more about LGBT+ identities and being an ally!

We encourage as many young people to get involved, especially those who are in leadership positions.

Friday 12^th February, 4-6pm More information and registration here

Friday 26^th February, 4-6pm More information and registration here

Private sessions:

A Discussion on Diverse and Inclusive Sports Reporting- Tuesday 3^rd February

This is a private event for Southampton Solent University Sports Journalism students, which will be offered to all years of study.

FvH Youth’s Sam Clarke alongside members of the education team, plus founder of Sports Media LGBT+ Jon Holmes, are collaborating together to deliver this workshop on sports reporting.

The education team will deliver some LGBT+ training, with Holmes following on to share with students how to share diverse stories and report on LGBT+ issues.

Football manager stream- Sunday 28^th February

To round off a rather busy month of action for the Youth Panel, we will be organising a Football Manager stream. This relaxed football stream will give football fans the chance to interact and chat.

For any more questions about these upcoming events in our designated month of action, please contact us here at the Youth Panel on our email: youthpanel@footballvhomophobia.com

Note for readers:

All sessions are free to enjoy and open to all, with the exception of the private session which is taking place with the Southampton Solent University students.

14th Jul 2020 by fvhyouth

Non Binary Participation in University Sport: Finding your Place in a Binary World

Sports are a key part of the university life for a lot of students, from the competitions and training to the weekly socials.

However, some people find it very hard to find their place in the very binary world of sports.

As it is International Non Binary Day today, we here at the Football v Homophobia Youth Panel have taken a deeper look at the troubles that part of our community have found when they just wanted to be a part of a team.

In doing research for this, I found a lack of spotlight being shone on non binary participation, with the majority of mentions of this coming as a passing comment in a wider look at transgender participation in sport.

Looking at the transgender side of things does give us a glimpse into the troubles faced for members of the community trying to get into sport, as Charlton Invicta’s Naomi Reid expressed when we spoke earlier this year:

“There just isn’t a space, it is so binary. You have the men’s game and the women’s game, and I just didn’t fit neatly into either of those categories when I first came out.” Naomi Reid, April 2020.

This is reflected in university sports as a whole according to research from Dr Catherine Phipps of Solent University Southampton.

Dr Phipps is a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader in Sports Coaching & Physical Education; She has done in depth research into LGBT+ Participation in University Sports.

Discussion as part of this research (collected in 2015-16) described the reliance of BUCS (British University and College Sport) policy on gender binaries, with no clear guidance for participation on those who don’t identify as either a man or a woman.

We reached out to BUCS for a statement on any policy updates, we are yet to receive reply which is to be expected with the current situation, but keep an eye on @FvHyouth on Twitter for any updates if we do receive a response.

This problem goes far beyond the policies in place, with many non binary students who I spoke to expressing a lack of interest in sports, favouring the arts.

Although they all admitted this may be them subconsciously leaning towards clubs they feel are more inclusive for them.

We also received submissions from two young people who showed an active interest in participating in university sport, but were left not knowing which way to turn:

“My uni dropped their women’s MMA team my first year, and as much as I know that I’m just as eligible to join the men’s team as I am the women’s , which is to say not at all on account of being neither, I had no team to join because I present heavily female.” @aecordea on Twitter, July 2020.

“I was keen to get involved in university sport, as exercise had always been a key coping mechanism for my mental health. When I looked into it, I struggled to know where I fit, as I don’t feel comfortable in any environments dominated by a single sex. Especially male dominated, which is where I would have been placed due to how I present.” Anonymous Submission via Survey Monkey, July 2020.

When speaking on the FvH Podcast during the Football v Transphobia week of action back in May, Stonewall FC’s Tash Oakes-Monger expressed similar confusion in attempts to find their place when looking for a football team.

The solution was found with the rise in Inclusive Football Clubs, such as Tash’s Stonewall FC, or the previously mentioned Charlton Invicta who Naomi Reid plays for.

These teams, among others, allow for players of all genders and sexualities throughout the LGBTQI+ community to play football in a safe place surrounded by like-minded people.

We included questions around the potential for inclusive sports on a university level when we reached out to BUCS, as said above we will update social media if we do receive a reply.

While a lot remains uncertain with non binary participation in university sport, it is clear to see how for many, being part of a team enhanced their university experience. So it is only fair that ALL students have equal opportunity to gain this experience.

Written by Sam Clarke, FvH Youth Panel Communications Officer

24th May 201924th May 2019 by fvhyouth