Watch 'I'm Game' on Sky Sports Mix and On Demand in support of Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign all this week
Friday 6 December 2019 12:02, UK
He's used to dispensing justice and settling arguments - but could Robert 'Judge' Rinder get the better of 'The Beast'?
In episode four of Sky Sports' new series 'I'm Game', in support of Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign, host Mark McAdam takes TV's most meticulous magistrate to train with Wycombe Wanderers and also learn about the unique authority of Adebayo Akinfenwa.
Judge Rinder is no stranger to the beautiful game, but team sports never felt like they were for him when he was growing up.
"Football is my family religion. Tottenham Hotspur, to be precise," he tells Sky Sports.
"Yet I was just never really interested in team sports. It was a way in which my brother and my dad were able to communicate with one another. Whatever emotionally was going on, they could speak to each other through the language of football.
"But I was totally disinterested in what was going on."
At Wycombe's training ground in Marlow, the Judge is introduced to Chairboys boss Gareth Ainsworth, whose team is riding high at the top of Sky Bet League One. Ryan Allsop's recent reporting to the referee of an alleged incident of homophobic abuse shouted from the terraces at Tranmere is among the talking points.
"There needs to be zero tolerance when it comes to any form of prejudice," says Judge Rinder, who is impressed by Allsop's intervention. "It takes courage for someone to stand up and say, 'no, that's unacceptable'."
Out on the training pitch, both Rinder and McAdam are put through their paces. When they get the chance to take a breather, the Judge is asked what he makes of research by the charity Stonewall that shows 43 per cent of LGBT+ people don't think public sporting events are truly welcoming and inclusive spaces.
"Young people in general from the LGBTQ+ community often have lived experiences of exclusion, and that's where the fear comes from," he says. "That statistic feels like a perfectly conceivable one."
The Judge also chats to defender Darius Charles and Chairboys captain Matt Bloomfield, who has been a vocal ally for LGBT inclusion for many years, having been one of the first players to sign the Football v Homophobia and government-endorsed Charter for Action back in 2011.
Finally, Rinder and McAdam go inside where they come face to face with 'The Beast' - or 'Mr Beast' - who fancies a chin-ups challenge! Who will come out on top?
They also try out a new celebration…
Watch the full episode of 'I'm Game' with Judge Rinder at Wycombe in the video above. You can also see it On Demand, and on YouTube, with more episodes throughout the week.
The annual activation of Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign - which is supported by Sky Sports - is under way now and continues until December 9.
Contact us if you'd like to share a story to help raise awareness around LGBT+ inclusion in sport.
