Day of football fun in Brighton for Justin Fashanu campaign
The Nike match ball infront of rainbow flags during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United at Vitality Stadium on February 24, 2018. (Catherine Ivill/Getty)
Brighton’s Jubilee Square will be transformed into a five-a-side football pitch on 7th March as part of the Justin Campaign’s Football Festival.
The one day event kicks off at 1pm, with five-a-side football games open to members of the public.
There will also be an exhibition of gay football including teams from the (GFSN) Gay Football Supporters’ Network League.
The Justin Fashanu All-stars will be unveiled at 3.45pm.
The team is open to anyone who wants to play in matches representing the Justin Campaign against homophobia in football.
The squad will be announced for the team’s first fixtures at GFSN’s Five-a-side tournament in Yorkshire.
Later in the afternoon campaigner and author GJ Buckell will give a talk on the life of Justin Fashanu, the first and so far only prominent professional football player to publicly admit he was gay.
Ian McDonald will also present his own gay football documentary Brighton Bandits.
Both of these events will take place in the Jubilee Library which will also include an exhibition of Justin Fashanu memorabilia alongside art work by the campaigner Jason Hall.
There will be a performance by Mark Lamb and Ma Butcher in the Jubilee Library at 5pm, before at 7pm; a queer table football tournament featuring 32 two-person teams will take place, hosted by alternative drag queen Jonny Woo.
Teams for this event are being encouraged to play in any type of fancy dress with a football theme. Any teams who wish to register for the event should email [email protected].
Alongside the queer table football tournament will be a live-action Spot the Ball competition, Queer Subbuteo, a pools competition and football Mastermind.
The day will finish with cabaret entertainment after a closing ceremony hosted by Jonny Woo and Drag Queen George.
