The Pompey Supporters’ Trust and Portsmouth FC have teamed up to back a national campaign to stamp out homophobia in football.
Saturday’s game with Exeter City at Fratton Park has been designated to support the 2015 "Football v Homophobia" campaign and the players will be wearing special tee-shirts in the pre-match warm up which we have sponsored.
The club has also invited representatives from Portsmouth Pride 2015, which is organising an event on June 20 in the city to celebrate the LGBT contribution to the city, to attend the game.
And there will also be a commemorative pre-match photograph which will include a Pompey and Exeter City player, the Chairs of the respective club trusts and a representative from Portsmouth Pride.
Pompey club captain Johnny Ertl said: “This is a vital campaign as it is important football shows respect for everyone involved in the sport. Whether you are a player, fan, match official or staff member, the crucial thing is our mutual love of the game. I am proud to be able to back this campaign on behalf of the club”
Johnny received the tee-shirts at the new training ground from our Chairman Ken Malley and member Pam Wilkins.
Ken said: “Inclusion and diversity are high on the Trust agenda as we want to ensure that as a community club, Pompey is a team everyone is comfortable to support. I was delighted when the club invited us to sponsor these tee-shirts, as it shows both organisations are very much on the same wavelength.”
The FA and Football League-backed Football v Homophobia campaign has been running for five years now and Pompey first supported it last season in the home game against Wimbledon.
Colin Farmery, who is responsible for Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination at the club, added: “We have a clear strategy to ensure Pompey is a club which appeals to everyone in our community and supporting campaigns like this are a high-profile way to underline discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated at the club”.
We will be auctioning the shirts worn by the players in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out on this website for more information.