Fans for Diversity: Spring-Summer round-up

It’s been a busy summer for the Fans for Diversity campaign as we continue to support fan groups delivering projects and inclusion-led activities across the country.

Fan groups mark Pride Month

Pride Month is a busy month for our LGBTQ+ fan groups as they take part in celebrations proudly taking club colours through their towns and city centres.

Our members at both Sheffield clubs – the Rainbow Owls and Rainbow Blades – marched at the Kelham Pride parade last weekend and will be running stalls at LGBTQ+ charity partner SAYiT’s Youth Pride event this Saturday (27th June).

Over in Lancashire Proud Rovers attended Blackburn Pride on Saturday 20th June and will be heading over to Rossendale Pride on Saturday 18th July.

Rainbow Spireites hosted a stall at Chesterfield Pride back on Saturday 13th June and at Matlock Pride on 27th June alongside Derby County’s Rainbow Rams LGBT+ fan group.

On the south coast Southampton’s Rainbow Saints helped host Queering The World Cup which ran throughout June at The Stage Door in Southampton. They are hosting their last show on Saturday – find out more here.

We marched in the @kelhampride parade today with the Rainbow Owls banner! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

It was great to have several LGBTQ+ and ally members together, so we could celebrate our group’s diversity and protest against discrimination. 👊

We’re proud to provide #swfc safe spaces at Pride! 💙 pic.twitter.com/h3l196hd0P

— Rainbow Owls (@LGBT_Owls) June 20, 2026

Fulham: New LGBT+ fan group launched on the Thames

Pride Month also saw the launch of the latest LGBT+ supporter group: FUL OF PRIDE at Craven Cottage.

Earlier this year, more than 80 supporters registered their interest in joining the group, with initial meetings taking place to establish its name, purpose and future direction.

The group aims to make Craven Cottage a more inclusive place and the roundtable launch was attended by Fans for Diversity campaign manager Hannah Kumari.

Lifelong fan Rhys Benjamin, the group’s chair, said: “FUL OF PRIDE is all about making Fulham, Craven Cottage and Motspur Park a safe place to be yourself irrespective of gender, sexuality or identity.

“I’m astonished that so many people signed up from day one. For so-called little old Fulham to receive over 80 expressions of interest is a good sign and shows there is an active community there.”

World Cup watch parties

Despite the late kick-off times many supporter groups have been able to do watch parties together for this summer’s World Cup being held in Canada, Mexico and the US.

The Fans for Diversity campaign has long encouraged watch parties as a means of encouraging people into football and eventually picking up the football-supporting bug.

England fan group Apna England have hosted watch parties in Leicester, starting with a virtual watch party for England’s opener against Croatia, then an in-person event for the Three Lions’ group stage game against Ghana.

A quick recap of our outdoor watch party in Leicester last night for #England vs Ghana 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇭🖥

Massive thanks to everyone who made the journey! ⚽️ #ApnaEngland #FansForDiversity #comeonengland #fifaworldcup pic.twitter.com/jGfQU7nQdM

— Apna England (@ApnaEngland) June 24, 2026

The group is keen to introduce people from different communities to the national team and the World Cup has provided a great opportunity for them to do so.

Celebrating religious holidays with Sikh and Muslim supporters

Back in March we helped supporter groups at Northampton Town and Manchester City mark the end of Ramadan 2026 with fan-led iftars at Sixfields and the Etihad Stadium.

For the second successive year, Northampton Town Northern Fans United led the event at Sixfields, which welcomed supporters from all backgrounds to celebrate the end of Ramadan with a traditional iftar.

Likewise, the Blue Crescent fan group at Manchester City – winners of a Fans for Diversity award back in 2025 – held their event at the Etihad.

“These events are always really positive,” says Fans for Diversity campaign manager Nilesh Chauhan. “Access to football is a challenge for many, so these are a great opportunity to bring the community into the football ground.

“It’s a way of connecting with the club at a time when there are real financial barriers. Though these events are fan-led, the supporter groups collaborate with the club – it’s a great way to work.”

And in April, the Fans for Diversity campaign helped Sikh supporters in Birmingham mark Vasaikhi, the biggest event on the Sikh calendar.

The Villa Park event was pulled together by the Punjabi Villans and supported by Villans Together, two of Aston Villa’s biggest south Asian fan groups. They were supported by the club and the Aston Villa Foundation.

Fans For Diversity is a campaign programme run in partnership between the FSA and Kick It Out. Fans For Diversity encourages, funds and supports initiatives by fan groups to promote diversity and inclusion in football, and to challenge all forms of discrimination.