Stephen Fry made honorary president of Norwich LGBT football club group
Stephen Fry has been made the honorary president of Proud Canaries, a new club for LGBT Norwich City football fans.
The gay actor and broadcaster grew up in Norfolk and has a home in the county.
“It’s a fantastic coup to get Stephen,” said Di Cunningham from the group.
Proud Canaries hopes to tackle homophobic behaviour at games.
“We’ve ended racist language in football pretty much on the terraces and in the stands and it’s time to do the same with homophobic language,” said Ms Cunningham.
Proud Canaries founder member Jules Bremner said: “We’ve been warmly welcomed by Norwich City and Chief Executive David McNally.
“NCFC is fully committed to driving discrimination and hatred from the stands.”
Amal Fashanu, the niece of the late Justin Fashanu, an ex-Norwich player and one of the world’s first openly gay footballers, is patron of the group.
She said: “I am extremely honoured and excited about this important role I am being given. I feel like Justin would be grinning from ear to ear. This has made me and my whole family very happy.
“I feel that every day we are closer to creating a prejudice-free game, where no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you believe in, you are treated with respect and honour.”
Joe Ferrari, Norwich City head of media, said: “The club is committed to combatting all forms of discrimination in the game, including homophobia.
“Justin’s struggle against homophobia, before his tragic and untimely death in 1998, serves as an inspiration to those working to eradicate it today”.
Britain’s only gay footballer to come out and continue playing killed himself in 1998.
