Belfast Blaze FC: meet the team that’s a hit with LGBTQ+ players – Belfast Telegraph

“When we started it, we thought, we’ll just have a laugh. But we started getting numbers and boom, the interest was there. We just wanted to create a safe environment for everybody, no matter who you are.”

The group also set up a Facebook page says another founding member, Stuart Rafferty (30), a personal trainer from Belfast.

“We didn’t really have a motive at the time, it was a place where people who had an interest in football could talk about their opinions, their idols and so on,” he explains.

This transpired into interest in playing football and the group hired a five-a-side pitch in west Belfast.

“At that stage, we didn’t have a need for a treasurer or secretary, we just needed a bunch of guys who had a vested interest in terms of organising a five-a-side kickabout,” says Stuart.

“In the first week, 15 showed up. From there, things snowballed really quickly in a good way because we soon found we were much too large for a five-a-side pitch.”

In less than two years, the club has found its footing in the local sports scene and is growing in membership. Aaron Adams, now the club’s manager, initially got involved last year by attending one of the weekly kickabouts with a friend.

“I saw Stuart posting on Facebook and another mate and I decided to go up, it’s another night to play football,” he explains.

“We went along and played around and then when they started the competitive friendlies, I was asked to play, because in a sense I was part of the club.”

The all-inclusive club, that is open to everyone, is important for those who maybe would feel out of place or unhappy in another environment says Aaron.

“I find that a lot of the people we have couldn’t go to another club because they would instantly be an outsider and different from that really heterosexual lads, lads, lads banter of a changing room.”

Though initially a safe space for football fans, Aaron’s involvement has led to levels of development and the expansion of the committee in line with the club’s core values of respect and acceptance, which filter into sporting ability says Stuart.

“There is no judgement or any negativity in terms of people’s footballing ability,” he explains.

“We have a range of people, like myself, who have played football for years and have a real understanding of the game, the laws, rules, and generally how to play the game, right down to people with little experience.

“There’s a real mix there and we ultimately try to make sure that we are safeguarding people.”

Age too isn’t a factor — with players in their 60s participating as well as teenagers.

“We don’t care who you are: as long as you come, and don’t bring drama. If you’re going to be laidback and chilled, and not stressed out,” laughs Danny.

At the beginning, the club struggled with any kind of outreach in terms of sponsorship and exposure.

Covid came in the middle of this and uprooted everything — but strides are being made.

It has gained sponsorship from Pride Sports UK, who work to challenge discrimination and homophobia in the sporting world.

Committee members have also met with the IFA which wants to align itself with Blaze, a partnership that will help, in the long-term, to “solidify the team for the next 30 years,” says Aaron.

“They’re talking about how we can attract more players, talking about upskilling the coaches. To have that will be fantastic, but that is the point where it’s started to now be looked at.”

A recent match against Newtown Forest FC saw Belfast Blaze secure a 3-2 win, and the club is also involved in the inaugural all-Ireland LGBT Football Tournament, the Declan Flynn Cup. Other matches have been played and will be played within leagues as Covid restrictions ease.

“We have a great experience of the leagues we play in, and we have done for years,” says Stuart who talks about adequately preparing players for what they may hear.

“When we have picked to play against teams, we can select the teams where we know the members, we know they’re good lads so you know that you’re not going to get that negativity, whereas if we look potentially into going into a league at some stage, we’re going to come across teams that are rough as nails and we’re going to get those comments so it’s how we prepare our players.”

Comments that may be dressed up as banter are still heard during some of the team’s games and while many can ignore them, these words can have an impact on players.

“In football, we’ve made huge leaps and bounds to tackle things like racism and especially in Northern Ireland and Scotland, sectarianism, within football,” says Aaron.

“We fly a flag and say, yes, we’re LGBTQ+ supporting but you walk out onto any football pitch, and you’ll hear a lot of the derogatory terms used to describe a gay man running around, or even if the person isn’t gay.

“Those terms that are used, these are normalised terms nowadays,” he continues.

“I was talking to the IFA and was trying to explain it to them. I said it’s basically like saying the N-word.

“These are words that really hurt these guys, and it’s caused a few of the guys who are good footballers on this team to not want to play.”

“There’s a lot of gay jokes but that’s something I can certainly deal with and it doesn’t concern me or bother me in any way,” explains Stuart who, as well as with Belfast Blaze, plays in the Down Area League.

“However, when you’re on the pitch on a Saturday… you would get a lot of slander from the opposition team.

“I appreciate on Saturday things are said, whatever is on the pitch is said on the pitch only, it’s not often carried or meant or taken off the pitch. But at least once a week, someone from an opposition team makes a homophobic slur.

“There’s been a lot of times when I’ve questioned the referee because we’re in a position now of, if you are a person of colour, if a racist comment was made, it would be a straight red card. But for some reason, it’s okay for someone to say, ‘shut up you queer.’ Now, it wouldn’t be quite as polite as that, but you get the idea.”

“They’re probably not saying things in a hurtful way, but we lost a lot of our players because of that, [comments during matches] because they were so nervous playing. We got them back, thank God,” says Danny.

Stuart praises the Premier League for incorporating a positive LGBT message into the game. “I think hopefully kids out playing football and watching these footballers wearing rainbow armbands and supporting Pride related events, hopefully in years to come from grassroots level, all coaches, players, it’ll just be the norm and we’ll have more openly gay footballers at all levels.”

Northern Ireland, however progressive we may be becoming, still has a way to go in terms of acceptance.

“I find that this country, we’ve moved on in certain things but when it comes to sexuality, personally I don’t think it has. In a way, I’d love it to,” says Danny.

During Covid when playing wasn’t possible, Belfast Blaze held Zoom quizzes and group chats to check in on its members, ensuring everyone still felt part of such an important and necessary unit.

The club, as Danny says, “came up out of nowhere and expanded into something brilliant”.

“We’re for the LGBTQ+ community, we want to represent that community and get people who don’t feel comfortable in other teams, to know they can come and play along with us.”

“What I’m trying to do for the club is get them set up in place where it’s a safe space for guys who want to come along,” says Aaron. “They don’t have to worry about who may be there or who may see them.”

Aaron — who describes those involved in Blaze as “the best group of lads” — hopes the team can develop an outreach programme to help others who may struggle with their identity or sexuality.

“Eventually, we would want to help young men who maybe still haven’t come to terms with their sexuality or struggled, and help them through football, come to terms with who they are and their identity and let them know that just by being gay doesn’t mean that they can’t play football anymore or they can’t be part of a team,” he explains.

“The plan is to help other guys through football. It’s a cheap enough sport for anybody to play in the world — it’s played by millions across the world — and it’s a really good way to bring a community together, to help with mental health.

“To be able to say look, come along, kick a ball, don’t worry about things, just be who you are on the pitch, and then you’ll meet other people who are like you, and they’ll help you, that’s all we’re trying to do.”

For more info on Belfast Blaze FC or how to get involved, see Instagram @belfastblaze.fc or search Belfast Blaze Football Club on Facebook