GFSN National League
Encyclopedia
The GFSN National League (often referred to as the GNL) is an amateur league competition for gay
football
clubs across the United Kingdom. The league is associated with the Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) - a football supporters group catering for the LGBT community. The league was formed in 2002 with four founder members, and has steadily grown to twelve teams since its inception.
There is a strong feeling of community across the league, born out of the GFSN. Over a match-day weekend, it is likely that both teams will socialise before (and after) the match, which has led to close friendships, friendly rivalries, maybe more. This community-ethos and friendliness of the league is an important factor in its success, although in recent times a very definite competitive edge has started to appear.
Eventually in 2002, a competitive league was formed, founded by four teams; Yorkshire Terriers F.C, Leicester Wildecats F.C, Leftfooters F.C. (based in London), and Bristol Panthers F.C. The first GNL fixture kicked-off on Sunday 29 September 2002, with Leicester Wildecats defeating Yorkshire Terriers 5-1.
The GFSN National League has no affiliation with the Football Association (FA)
, and is not linked to the National League System
, although the GFSN itself does have a relationship with the FA in its attempts to eradicate discrimination and homophobia from football.
The competition rules are exactly the same as normal 11-a-side FA rules, with one alteration to Law 3 - The Number of Players. Teams are permitted to make rolling substitutions, and players are permitted to be substituted back on to the field of play even if they have been earlier substituted off the pitch.
As the league does not register players this rumor was impossible to prove, and the Bristol teamsheet for the Leftfooters match was broadly similar to previous games in the season. However, there is now a strong sense amongst the competing teams that the fielding of "ringers" should be avoided, and all players must subscribe to the ethos of the league. In reality, it's almost impossible to regulate this philosophy and is reliant on the goodwill of the clubs.
More recently, the popularity of gay football across the country has increased. Many new teams have formed, and three were accepted into the league for the 2006/2007 season: Birmingham Blaze FC, London Titans FC, and GFC Bournemouth, doubling the size of the original league. Two further clubs were accepted into the league for 2007/08 season: London Falcons FC and Nottingham Ball Bois FC.
In 2008/09, Village Manchester withdrew from the league and were replaced by HotScots FC of Edinburgh, and GFC Bournemouth re-branded as GFC Bournemouth & Hampshire to reflect their growing number of players from Poole, Southampton and Portsmouth. The GFSN branch of London Falcons FC also separated from their parent club and re-branded as Falcons GFC, now existing as an independent club.
The players in the league are amateurs and do not receive any fees or subsidies for taking part. Teams only receive funds from local sponsors, fundraisers, or shirt sponsorship. With the increasing number of teams (meaning more travelling and associated costs), this is creating both a financial and time-consuming burden on players to attend all matches and events throughout a season. It is widely felt that if the rate of expansion continues, the league will have to change. One suggested idea is to split the league may into two divisions to minimise travelling and costs.
The league will remain as a single division for the 2009/10 season, with twelve teams taking part (following the successful league applications of Cardiff Dragons FC and Newcastle Panthers FC).
A solution to the problem of excessive fixtures has seen the fixture format changed to a Six Nations
style format - either home or away - with home advantage alternating annually. This format was introduced for the 2006/07 season and will be maintained in 2009/10.
For the 2009/10 season, the further expansion of the league to twelve teams means that the GFSN Cup will be a voluntary competition and will only take place if a minimum of 8 teams enter. The GFSN League will announce application dates shortly by contacting potential entrants.
The GFSN Cup is open to both members of the GFSN National League and Associate Members; Associate Members include those clubs who have yet to apply for league membership.
Football Club, a gay team based in London
, do not compete in the Gay National League, preferring to take part in the Middlesex
County League - although they do have second and third teams that take part in friendlies and other tournaments including the GFSN Cup. Village Manchester
FC also compete in their local FA league and the GFSN Cup, and have expressed the intention of re-joining the GFSN League following their withdrawal in 2008.
There are also several other LGBT-friendly teams around the UK & Ireland which do not currently participate in the GFSN League: Saltire Thistle, (Glasgow)) Mersey Marauders, (Liverpool
); Dublin Devils; London
Phoenix; Exeter
Lions, Trowbridge Tigers (Wiltshire
), and the recently re-formed Bristol Panthers. Attempts to start up clubs in Glasgow
and Belfast
are currently underway. The Belfast outfit are rumoured to be called 'Irish Robinsons', named after the outspoken homophobic Northern Ireland MP for Strangford - Iris Robinson. All new clubs are eligible to apply for entry to the league, although each are at varying stages of development and entry into the league is decided at a meeting of managers from the current clubs.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
clubs across the United Kingdom. The league is associated with the Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) - a football supporters group catering for the LGBT community. The league was formed in 2002 with four founder members, and has steadily grown to twelve teams since its inception.
There is a strong feeling of community across the league, born out of the GFSN. Over a match-day weekend, it is likely that both teams will socialise before (and after) the match, which has led to close friendships, friendly rivalries, maybe more. This community-ethos and friendliness of the league is an important factor in its success, although in recent times a very definite competitive edge has started to appear.
History
In the middle of the 1990s a number of gay football clubs were forming across the United Kingdom, primarily to offer LGBT people in their local region the opportunity to play football in a welcoming and friendly environment. As the teams grew in size, 5-a-side tournaments and 11-a-side friendly fixtures were organised between teams.Eventually in 2002, a competitive league was formed, founded by four teams; Yorkshire Terriers F.C, Leicester Wildecats F.C, Leftfooters F.C. (based in London), and Bristol Panthers F.C. The first GNL fixture kicked-off on Sunday 29 September 2002, with Leicester Wildecats defeating Yorkshire Terriers 5-1.
The GFSN National League has no affiliation with the Football Association (FA)
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, and is not linked to the National League System
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
, although the GFSN itself does have a relationship with the FA in its attempts to eradicate discrimination and homophobia from football.
Format And Rules
The GFSN National League does not require teams to "register" players in advance of a season/match. A team can field players of any sexuality or gender, making the league unique in that both woman and men take part together. Players do not have to be pre-registered before they play, unlike normal local amateur leagues.The competition rules are exactly the same as normal 11-a-side FA rules, with one alteration to Law 3 - The Number of Players. Teams are permitted to make rolling substitutions, and players are permitted to be substituted back on to the field of play even if they have been earlier substituted off the pitch.
Inaugural 2002/2003 Season
The season ended in exhilarating (and some say controversial) style with the Bristol Panthers becoming the first GNL Champions, after defeating Leftfooters FC 16-0. Bristol needed to win the match by 13 clear goals to grasp the championship, and rumors consumed the league that Bristol had fielded 'ringers' to ensure the result.As the league does not register players this rumor was impossible to prove, and the Bristol teamsheet for the Leftfooters match was broadly similar to previous games in the season. However, there is now a strong sense amongst the competing teams that the fielding of "ringers" should be avoided, and all players must subscribe to the ethos of the league. In reality, it's almost impossible to regulate this philosophy and is reliant on the goodwill of the clubs.
Previous winners
| Season | Winners | Runners-Up | Third Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/2003 | Bristol Panthers FC | Leicester Wildecats FC | Yorkshire Terriers FC |
| 2003/2004 | Yorkshire Terriers FC | Leicester Wildecats FC | Brighton Bandits FC |
| 2004/2005 | Bristol Panthers FC | Brighton Bandits FC | Leftfooters FC |
| 2005/2006 | Brighton Bandits FC | Village Manchester FC | Yorkshire Terriers FC |
| 2006/2007 | GFC Bournemouth | Yorkshire Terriers FC | Brighton Bandits FC |
| 2007/2008 | London Falcons FC | Leicester Wildecats FC | GFC Bournemouth |
| 2008/2009 | Nottingham Ball Bois FC | Birmingham Blaze FC | GFC Bournemouth |
| 2009/2010 | London Falcons GFC | GFC Bournemouth | Newcastle Panthers |
| 2010/2011 | London Titans FC | Yorkshire Terriers | London Falcons GFC |
Expansion
Since formation, the league initially expanded slowly to include newly formed teams across the country. Brighton Bandits joined for the 2003/2004 season, and Village Manchester FC were accepted into the league in 2005/2006 - replacing the then-champions Bristol Panthers, who dropped out citing lack of players.More recently, the popularity of gay football across the country has increased. Many new teams have formed, and three were accepted into the league for the 2006/2007 season: Birmingham Blaze FC, London Titans FC, and GFC Bournemouth, doubling the size of the original league. Two further clubs were accepted into the league for 2007/08 season: London Falcons FC and Nottingham Ball Bois FC.
In 2008/09, Village Manchester withdrew from the league and were replaced by HotScots FC of Edinburgh, and GFC Bournemouth re-branded as GFC Bournemouth & Hampshire to reflect their growing number of players from Poole, Southampton and Portsmouth. The GFSN branch of London Falcons FC also separated from their parent club and re-branded as Falcons GFC, now existing as an independent club.
The players in the league are amateurs and do not receive any fees or subsidies for taking part. Teams only receive funds from local sponsors, fundraisers, or shirt sponsorship. With the increasing number of teams (meaning more travelling and associated costs), this is creating both a financial and time-consuming burden on players to attend all matches and events throughout a season. It is widely felt that if the rate of expansion continues, the league will have to change. One suggested idea is to split the league may into two divisions to minimise travelling and costs.
The league will remain as a single division for the 2009/10 season, with twelve teams taking part (following the successful league applications of Cardiff Dragons FC and Newcastle Panthers FC).
A solution to the problem of excessive fixtures has seen the fixture format changed to a Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
style format - either home or away - with home advantage alternating annually. This format was introduced for the 2006/07 season and will be maintained in 2009/10.
Current Champions and 2008/2009 Summary
Nottingham Ball Bois, in only their second season, went on to win the 2008/2009 season with a game in hand. Also notable was the strength of debutants Hotscots FC, and the rise of London Titans FC, who usually feature at the bottom of the table. Previous champions London Falcons had a season to forget, ending up in the bottom half of the table.National Knock-out Cup Competition
The GFSN Cup was introduced for the 2006/2007 season, when the league expanded to eight teams. It was felt that playing 14 home and away league fixtures was too much for an amateur national league. The introduction of the Six Nations format to the League freed up more space in the GFSN calendar - and thus a knock-out cup competition was introduced.For the 2009/10 season, the further expansion of the league to twelve teams means that the GFSN Cup will be a voluntary competition and will only take place if a minimum of 8 teams enter. The GFSN League will announce application dates shortly by contacting potential entrants.
The GFSN Cup is open to both members of the GFSN National League and Associate Members; Associate Members include those clubs who have yet to apply for league membership.
| Season | Winners | Runners-Up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006/2007 | GFC Bournemouth | Yorkshire Terriers | Birmingham |
| 2007/2008 | Village Manchester | Leicester Wildecats | Rainworth |
| 2008/2009 | HotScots | GFC Bournemouth & Hampshire | Woking |
| 2009/2010 | Nottingham Ball Bois | GFC Bournemouth & Hampshire | Hampton |
Other Clubs
StonewallStonewall
The word Stonewall may refer to* a stone wall* a verb meaning "to refuse to cooperate, especially in supplying information" -Games and entertainment:* "Stonewall structure" of pawns in the chess opening theory:** Stonewall Attack...
Football Club, a gay team based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, do not compete in the Gay National League, preferring to take part in the Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
County League - although they do have second and third teams that take part in friendlies and other tournaments including the GFSN Cup. Village Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
FC also compete in their local FA league and the GFSN Cup, and have expressed the intention of re-joining the GFSN League following their withdrawal in 2008.
There are also several other LGBT-friendly teams around the UK & Ireland which do not currently participate in the GFSN League: Saltire Thistle, (Glasgow)) Mersey Marauders, (Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
); Dublin Devils; London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Phoenix; Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
Lions, Trowbridge Tigers (Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
), and the recently re-formed Bristol Panthers. Attempts to start up clubs in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
are currently underway. The Belfast outfit are rumoured to be called 'Irish Robinsons', named after the outspoken homophobic Northern Ireland MP for Strangford - Iris Robinson. All new clubs are eligible to apply for entry to the league, although each are at varying stages of development and entry into the league is decided at a meeting of managers from the current clubs.
Other Leagues
The only other gay football league in Britain is The London Unity League (otherwise known as the L.U.L.) which caters for less-competitive players representing GFSN clubs in the London area generally.See also
- Gay Football Supporters NetworkGay Football Supporters NetworkThe Gay Football Supporters Network is a U.K. non-profit organisation founded in early 1989 by a small group of football fans who happened to be gay...
- LGBT community
External links
- Gay Football Supporters Network homepage
- GFSN League homepage
- Nottingham Ball Bois F.C. homepage
- Village Manchester F.C. homepage
- Yorkshire Terriers F.C. homepage
- Leicester Wildecats F.C. homepage
- Stonewall F.C. homepage
- Dublin Devils F.C. homepage
- Mersey Marauders homepage
- HotScots F.C. homepage
- London Falcons F.C. homepage
- Leftfooters F.C. homepage
- Birmingham Blaze F.C. homepage
- Brighton Bandits F.C. homepage
- London Titans F.C. homepage
- GFC Bournemouth & Hampshire F.C. homepage
- London Romans F.C. homepage
- Cardiff Dragons F.C. homepage
- Bristol Panthers F.C. homepage
- Saltire Thistle F.C. homepage