There are 17 full professional football clubs contained in the city of London proper. Six of those sides play in the top level, the English Premier League.
Now, there’s no hard and fast law which states you must support the football club that’s in your neighbourhood. You can be from Barnet and support Liverpool if you so choose.
That being the case, most fans will tend to gravitate toward the club that is nearest to them in terms of geography. It’s only natural to want to follow the club that’s closest to you, enabling you to attend matches and easily stay on top of all the news relating to the side.
Thus, which London-based football club would be considered as Soho’s side? Well, the closest professional team is Chelsea. Among other EPL clubs, Fulham also isn’t far away. Brentford is a bit further to the west. Arsenal and Tottenham are near to the north.
You could place a wager on any of these clubs to win the EPL title, or the FA Cup, at MyTopSportsbooks. And if you don’t mind casting your lot with a bunch in the lower leagues, Queen’s Park Rangers are also in the area.
Then again, if you are sincerely looking to back a local squad, may we introduce Soho FC as a candidate to be Soho’s official football club. It’s right there in the name, after all.
When it comes to bringing uniqueness to the pitch, clubs will be hard-pressed to outdo what they are achieving at Soho FC. Soho FC provides a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ players and allies to play football.
Two Full Teams In Action
So popular has the Soho FC club become that they now can field both a first team and a second team side. The seconds are known as Soho Freedom. They compete in the London Unity League and the Gay Football Supporters’ Network (GFSN).
The club’s accomplishments were celebrated in a 2021 documentary film commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
“I’ve made a video series celebrating London’s rich diversity of football teams,” Khan explained at the time.
“Football is a truly unifying and universal game that so many of our communities take part in. I want to shine a light on these teams that are brought together by more than just football.”
The Soho FC story grew from humble beginnings.
“We started at Corams Field (in October 2013),” explains co-founder Gez in the film. That first kick about, only eight players showed up.
“Some of those players are still with us.”
These days, Soho FC trains every Tuesday evening at Blackhorse Road. Fridays they do a social kick about at Russell Square and then drinks after at the pub. Sundays are when they play league games at Regent’s Park and Hackney Marshes.
For the members of the club, the chance to be in a football side and just to be able to focus on playing the game has proven to be a magical sensation.
“It has been fantastic to get playing again and to feel comfortable playing again in an environment that is so inclusive,” said Soho Freedom co-manager Mark Wing.
That is a sentiment that is heard from all of the players in the side.
“I played football all my life growing up in Cork in Ireland. And I moved to London about 10 years ago to live the happy life in London of being an out gay man,” Soho Freedom right back Cian said. “And I kind of thought, ‘that’s the end of football for me, probably. It’s just not something you associate with, being openly gay and playing football.
“But then I was at a Pride event when I first came to London and I met Gez and Aus, who are the chairman and the manager, and a load of guys in football jerseys. I remember they kicked the ball to me and I think I just passed it back. And they went, ‘Woo, sign him up. He can kick the ball.’”
Gay Football Growing In UK
Soho FC in action.
There are gay football leagues in London, a national league in England, and gay football clubs from the north of Scotland to the south of England.
Being able to play alongside like-minded people and people who are supportive of their lifestyle is proving to be both a game changer and a life changer for the players.
“Soho FC is like a family to me now,” said Soho FC midfielder Aiden. “I feel safe and I feel like that I belong to a certain community that I’m so proud of, to be honest.”
Back in Ireland, Cian advanced to the level of university football, all while keeping the fact that he was gay closed up in the closet away from his friends and teammates.
He has found that the stress relief from no longer needing to hide his sexuality is not only making his life easier to live, it’s turning him into a better footballer.
“It’s been really cool to be open about it here,” he said. “I think it makes me play differently. I think I feel more creative on the pitch because I feel more relaxed actually.
“You can just be open. You don’t feel like you’re keeping any secrets.”
Strong Support From The Community
The Soho FC players are also finding that people who aren’t gay are not only supporting the club, but also being supportive of who they are as people and what they are about.
“It is one of the places where I have felt the most accepted and the most comfortable and the most welcome,” Soho Freedom midfielder Casey said. “And it is very rewarding, or very encouraging, because a lot of my friends here aren’t trans, or aren’t binary and yet their response to, ‘hey I’ve got a funky gender’ is like, ‘Oh, hey can I learn about this? Hey, what do I have to do to help you?’
