Pride and Portsmouth FC celebrate inclusion in football

Portsmouth Pride volunteers attended Portsmouth FC's first home game of the season to celebrate a joint campaign on inclusion in football.

The campaign kicked off with the Pride team undertaking a workshop on inclusion with Pompey FC's boys' academy last week, and continued with Portsmouth Pride volunteers attending the home match on 4th February.

On arrival at Fratton Park, we were met and greeted by Duke Harrison-Hunter (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Pompey in the Community and Portsmouth Football Club) and his team. We were escorted in to the empty grounds ahead of the rest of the 17,854-strong crowd (including 673 away fans). We had a Portsmouth Pride team photo with the Pompey FC rainbow flag beside the pitch and in the stands, and then took a few photos of our own.

We then made our way to the Victory Lounge where we grabbed a pint and some hot food before finding our seats. 

The Portsmouth Pride team was seated in a block at the front of the stands, and it was exhilarating to sit among the home crowd for the match, and sing along with the chants. 

The first half was exciting, but the score at half time when we went to get more drinks, was 0-0. 

With a goal putting Portsmouth ahead just minutes into the second half, it looked as though the blue army might triumph over Barnsley. But with a goal in the 89th minute they were able to draw even, and the final result was a 1-1 draw.

Tally Aslam, Chair of Portsmouth Pride, said afterwards: 'We had a wonderful opportunity to attend PFC’s first home match at the start of LGBTQ+ History month. We are working on a joint initiative to make Fratton Park a place that is welcome for all. 

'As part of this I undertook a training session with the youth academy and we were offered tickets to attend the match. It was great to see so many of the volunteers and some members of our community come out and enjoy the day'.