Media release - JUST A BALL GAME? SEMINAR, #STRONGERTOGETHER

JUST A BALL GAME?                                     MEDIA RELEASE- For immediate release.                                       

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         JUST A BALL GAME? SEMINAR,  #STRONGERTOGETHER



On the eve of our eighth birthday, JUST A BALL GAME? (JBG?) proudly announce their first ever seminar #STRONGERTOGETHER  which will be hosted by The Football Association (FA) at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday 5^th February 2019.

The event is supported by GMB Trade Union, The Professional Footballers’ Association, UCFB, KIO and others, and will see a day of interactive workshops, networking, guest panel speakers from football clubs, fan groups, players, referees, coaches, education establishments, the police, media, and other sports organisations coming together to showcase the great partnership work done in collaboration with JBG? 

Further details on this free, event will be released shortly. Tickets will be booked via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/strongertogether-tickets-52180212420

Confirmed speakers to include referee Lucy Clark, football coach Luke Tuffs, FA Youth Council member Amrit Singh Bains, former TUC Policy Officer Dr Peter Purton and former Women’s FA Hon. Ass. Secretary Patricia Gregory.

"Delighted that this event is taking place, and at Wembley. It justifies years of hard work at  grass roots to raise the issue of anti-LGBT+ prejudice in football, and I am honored to have been asked to take part". Dr Peter Purton, TUC LGBT/disability officer (retired).

Keeley Baptista, Kick It Out Programmes Manager, said: “Just A Ball Game? have worked tirelessly for LGBT+ inclusion in football since 2010 and we’re proud to be a long-term supporter of their work.
 “The #StrongerTogether relaunch at Wembley promises to be an important day of discussion and workshops on LGBT+ issues, and we look forward to seeing how JGB? use it to build on their successes over the last 8 years.”

Lucy Clark says: “I love the work that Just A Ball Game? do and fully support them. Football and all sports should be enjoyed by everyone and just because a person is a member of the LGBT+ community they should still continue doing what they love without prejudice.”

“ As someone who very nearly gave up doing something I love because I am transgender, I appreciate the work the Just A Ball Game? are doing as quitting should not have even crossed my mind. I am honored to have been invited to talk at this event and look forward to meeting you all.”

Amrit Singh Bains had this to say,” It’s an absolute honor to attend the day  as a guest speaker. I am really humbled for this opportunity to use the game of football to unite, inspire and empower our communities.”


End.

Contact for further information: info@justaballgame.co.uk 
Founder-Lindsay England

JBG? Ladies qualify for FA Futsal Cup Finals

                                             JBG? Ladies qualify for FA Futsal Cup Finals

After a marathon 20+ week league season JBG? Ladies Futsal Team secured a place in the FA North Semi Finals of the Futsal Cup. The team were placed in Group B alongside Liverpool Futsal Ladies, Middlesbrough Ladies FC and Loughborough and finished as group winners and now progress to the FA Futsal Cup Finals which will be played in London in June at the iconic Copper Box Arena home to many of GB's Olympians in 2012.

The JBG? Ladies narrowly lost their first game 2-3 to Liverpool Futsal Ladies and were disappointed that this was due to a refereeing technicality, the JBG? team dominated possession throughout with Chantelle Parry scoring a brace.
Next up were Loughborough who had hit 5 in their opening game. Once again JBG? controlled the game, this time team manager Steph Ashton-Smith popping up with a fine hat trick and Ali Hindley adding a forth. The Loughborough team worked hard with a 2v 1 upfront to close down the scoreline but JBG? earned 3 points with in the end a comfortable 4-2 win.

So, with all 4 teams on 3 points each there was a big 'cup final' to be played out in the last game between FA WPL team Middlesborough Ladies FC and JBG? with a win needed to progress.
The 'Boro Ladies started strongly and raced into 3-1 lead at half time. It was the JBG? indiscipline letting them down with them being reduced to 4 players when Ali Hindley was ordered from the field of play after receiving 2 yellow cards in quick succession. The JBG? Ladies dug in and forced the score back level to 3-3 with just a further 4 minutes left on the clock. As the team were about to call a time-out keeper Leanne Ashton-Smith made a fantastic double save but in doing so was knocked unconscious and play was help up for several minutes while treatment was given. Ashton-Smith was deemed fine to continue and the game was restarted.
The JBG? Ladies pushed forward at every opportunity and brushed the woodwork on no less than 3 occasions. Then with just 1m 49 seconds left on the clock, the pressure was rewarded and defender Melissa Cook found inspiration and in turn the back of the net to make the final score 4-3 and JBG? Ladies were had booked their place in the  FA Futsal Cup Finals 2015.

Media story from our new partner club PNE Women.

PNE Ladies strike up just a ball game? partnership

JBG? Founder Lindsay England with PNE manager Luke Podmore after establishing the link-up.

Preston North End Women are delighted to be able to confirm a partnership with Just A Ball Game? ahead of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History month, next month.

The partnership will see the club become an official club partner with the organisation, who were set up to challenge homophobia in sport.

JBG have kindly presented the club with a range of their merchandise which will now be displayed at our home games with the team wearing JBG t-shirts in the warm up.

The partnership comes just days before LGBT History month, which is held every February in the UK. It first started in America, with them holding it in October every year, and over time has become more and more popular within the UK. LGBT History month is a chance to celebrate people in the past, people in the present and the future who have been LGBT.

PNE Manager Luke Podmore was one of the first people at the club to be involved with the organisation of the partnership and thinks it’s another great campaign to be associated with.

“It’s a great organisation to be involved with. Like I’ve said in the past when we’ve worked with Stonewall, football is a great carrier of messages and it’s great that we can now help them reach out to people and raise awareness of what they do.”

“Alongside us there are a few other clubs at a similar level to us that are involved with Just A Ball Game? With us being higher up the footballing pyramid, we are able to reach quite a wide audience and I think teams like us have a responsibility of passing these messages on to combat homophobia in sport. Hopefully more clubs will now follow suit and promote the good work the organisation is doing.”

PNE players Chelsea Flanagan (l) and Nikki Emery (r) with Lindsay England after the partnership was confirmed.

Lindsay England, the founder of Just A Ball Game?, believes that the partnership will already help build an ever growing list of club’s supporting the campaign.

“It’s very encouraging for another women’s side to come on board and join forces with us. It’s great that we’ve got a campaign out there that is challenging homophobia in sport and, at the same time, raise awareness about LGBT issues. The more teams that come on board, the merrier and we need to build on what we call a gay/straight alliance. It doesn’t matter to us if anybody that supports our campaign identifies themselves as LGBT or whether they identify themselves as being straight, the more people on board supporting us, the better.”

“It’s very important to us that clubs high up in the pyramid support the campaign because we all need those role models, especially in the women’s game as it’s very hard to break through in what is such a male dominated sport like football. Birmingham City are the only team in the Women’s Super League to support us and we need those role models higher up supporting what we do because it shows that people are respected in the game. Lianne Sanderson and Casey Stoney are two of the stars at international level that have  come out, along with our patron Andie Worrall, and it shows they’re not afraid of showing who they are and are also great role models for young LGBT that might be a bit shy in telling their friends or their parents. It gives them someone to look up at and aim to be like and say ‘look these people are in that environment and they are happy’ and ultimately it should lead them to become a better player or better all-round person.”

For more information about what Just A Ball Game? do, visit their website - http://www.justaballgame.co.uk/

27 year dream for Manchester City Women's keeper and JBG? patron Andie Worrall

This years elite football league FA Women's Super League kicks off in April for its fourth season boosted by a second tier for the first time along with promotion and relegation. Long term established grass roots Women's team Manchester City WFC have a squad in the top flight for the very first time and 27 years on from first keeping goal our patron Andie Worrall will be stepping out  with her team mates into the big time as a proud Mancunian.

 

Here is a bit of an insight through Andie as to what has been going on in the build up to this season kick off from a Manchester City (and FA Wales) perspective.

February 2014 saw Just a Ball Game? have our pop-up exhibition displayed at the National Football Museum in Manchester for 6 days as part of LGBT History Month 2014 celebrations. On that Wednesday evening we hosted a panel Q&A with some of our patrons and guests from within football including the Professional Footballers’ Association, Kick it Out and the FA which was open to the public to attend and was also recorded by a BBC5Live team lead by Math of the Day presenter Mark ‘Chappers’ Chapman for one of their radio specials.

 Our patron and LGBT ROLE MODEL of the YEAR 2013 winner Andie Worrall was one of the guests on that panel. As everyone took their seats for an intriguing and mature debate on Homophobia in football and the inclusion and visibility of LGBT people who play the game Andie was presented with a FA Wales cap which she had earned some 12 years earlier playing as goalkeeper and captain for the Welsh women’s team (one of 6 she gained at that time) a cap which back then had been sent to her Merseyside club and had gone missing. Very few people ever get to play international sport and representing your country at what you do is a huge honor within the women’s game, and it was sad to see that a memento from that place in  history wasn’t with it’s right full owner, so we at Just a Ball Game? decided to track it down and re-unite Andie with  the said cap. 

                                                                                   (c) Paul Prole Photography.

The Welsh FA have also been keeping tabs on Andie through the close season and her fitness, and we are proud to say that several weeks ago she was approached by the manager and coaching staff and asked back into that fold, albeit it only as a standby keeper for recent international due to full time work commitments.

As part of the build up to an intense training package for the new team mates at Manchester City which include a mixture of the existing players and the inclusion of a string of Internationals, four of whom play for England, captain Steph Houghton, Goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, Midfielder Jill Scott and Striker Toni Duggan and New Zealander Betsy Hassett the team were taken off to warmer climate of La Manga for a few days training and bonding.

We caught up with Andie a few days in to ask how things were going?

JBG?- “ What’s going on out there with you girls? What’s the winter weather like out there as we know you don’t go much for the cold? And what else have you been getting up to, is there much free time etc to see anything of the surroundings? Tell us what it’s like pre-season for an FA WSL team”

Andie, “It’s a little bit wet and windy if I am honest not the sunniest of days but not cold either although I am still wrapped up when we train, and the pitches and facilities are first class which actually make for great  pre-season training conditions after all we are here to work.”

“We have all been roomed with another player so there is quite a bit of bonding going on as we all get to know each other, and there are a few high jinx to be found when we have our relaxation time.”

“We are pretty much isolated out here miles away from anywhere really, no shops or bars,or sightseeing, but this makes a perfect place to get on with things with no distractions. We do have our down time to let our bodies recover so we are having to make our own entertainment and the girls seem to be enjoying the tunes blasting out (which are not to my cup of tea) give me Arcade Fire and Indie tunes any day as opposed to the music they have on which is very poppy and rap or R& B orientated.”

“The food is great out here the caterers are doing a great job of building up our strength with some tasty pasta, chicken and fish, and they also do a mean cake!”

                                                                                                                      (c) Paul Prole Photography.

Lindsay England   -Founder Just a Ball Game?