Lindsey has been working with the club since 2007 making changes and progress in LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion within football. That same year, Bradford City FC changed their stadium rules and regulations, which included that homophobia, biphobia and transphobia would no longer be tolerated on stadium grounds.

‘We should all have inclusion, equality and diversity running through our football clubs. People forget that it’s not just the players, managers and coaches. There’s a whole host of industries under this one roof and lots of these people will be LGBTQ+. I’m a great believer that if you get your inclusion right, then your diversity naturally follows on.’

With the support from trade unions at the time, Lindsey England went on to set up LGBTQ+ campaign organisation, Just a Ball Game, in 2010. It evolved from a blog she wrote called Roberto Carlo’s Thighs, which highlighted LGBTQ+ issues in football as well as platforming local sports teams in the community across the North. Internationally, there are only six openly gay male footballers. Homophobia within the sport been prevalent, even in recent history. She was inspired in 2002 as she felt the people around her turned a blind eye to the homophobic culture within football.

‘I went to a Brentford away game and was sat behind the goals. Fans were shouting homophobic abuse at the opposition’s goalkeeper. At half time, I spoke to three police officers stood about 20 yards behind the goal. They just laughed and let everyone carry on. Racism and the issues around that were starting to be dealt with but everyone was saying ‘nah nah nah, there’s no gays in football’ and ‘gays don’t watch football’. People didn’t think there was enough of a problem to do anything’.