The Futsal team have only been together since January and play in a JBG? kit to help raise awareness of our campaign work. It’s believed that they are the first ‘out and proud’ LGBT Ladies Futsal Team in the country, (with straight player allies) and they have recently been affiliated to Manchester County FA as an official Futsal Club.
Around 18 months ago LGBT Role Model of the Year 2013, Manchester City Ladies goalkeeper Andie Worrall ‘came out’ being the first women’s player in the elite game in England still active, Andie also became one of our patrons, this inspired a group of other women from the Manchester area to follow suit and contact us asking if they could play in a Futsal League under our name.
The team quickly gelled and won the Winter Futsal league to qualify for the Regional Semi-finals of the Futsal Cup, which they took part in at the beginning of June. The team unfortunately did not progress any further in the competition but it gave then valuable experience to go into the Pride Games event.
The event saw 12 teams compete in torrential rain but undeterred JBG? Futsal Team braved the elements and only conceded for the first time in the final minute of their semi-final fixture.
The final against Reddish North End Ladies proved to be a cagey affair with both sides defending astutely early in the game, then RNE took the lead just before half time. But the never say die attitude and a will to win saw JBG? equalise with just 20 seconds to go. So it was to be penalties. Perhaps the England team should have been watching as part of their World Cup 2014 preparations as both teams gave everything they had. Thankfully JBG?’s heroic goalkeeping and powerful spot kicks edged them as winners 4-3 and Just a Ball Game? LGBT Futsal Team became tournament winners 2014.
