LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups hold five-a-side derby to celebrate Rainbow ball campaign
A unique five-a-side derby between Sheffield United’s Rainbow Blades and Sheffield Wednesday’s Rainbow Owls took place to mark the launch of the 2024/25 season Rainbow ball campaign.
PUMA’s release of the match ball, unveiled during Football V Homophobia’s Month of Action, is symbolic of the season-long support made by the EFL and it’s Clubs for the LGBTQ+ community.
Read more: EFL and PUMA’s iconic Rainbow ball returns for second year
Read more: EFL and PUMA’s latest Rainbow ball debuts at SMH Group Stadium
As the month’s celebrations reach a crescendo, the Rainbow Blades and the Rainbow Owls, who are the official LGBTQ+ and Allies supporters’ groups of their respective Clubs, hosted their own Steel City derby in a bid to raise awareness for the community.
"You’re not asking anyone to wear anything... It’s a football, and if that can continue to help that one person struggling, it means the world."
Zander Murray
PUMA ambassador
James Laley, Rainbow Blades member, said: “Obviously, we’re rivals on the pitch and united off the pitch.
“We’ve come to play some five-a-side football, but off the pitch, we’re working towards the same goal of stamping out LGBTQ+ phobia in football.
“You might be a fan of Sheffield United or you might be a fan of Sheffield Wednesday, but when it comes to something like this, we’re all the same fan heading in the same direction.”
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Last year, each goal scored with the Rainbow ball was met with a donation from PUMA, leading to over £16,000 raised for an LGBTQ+ Fans for Diversity Fund. This facilitated LGBTQ+ supporters’ groups to raise awareness about inclusion in football through the delivery of events and the provision of resources for fans across England and Wales.
PUMA ambassador Zander Murray, who is the first openly gay Scottish professional footballer and the star of BBC documentary ‘Out on the Pitch’, championed the vision behind the campaign: “You’re not asking anyone to wear anything. You’re not asking anyone to don. It’s a football, and if that can continue to help that one person struggling, it means the world.
“We need a campaign like this to kick-start the conversation. I can only see benefits from it.”
Also in attendance was Content Creator, and fellow PUMA ambassador, Emma Oldfield, who is known by her following as a pioneer of inclusivity in the game.
Emma said: “I see football as such a universal thing. There’s no language barrier. It’s a game for everyone.”