Stonewall FC encouraged by Kick It Out findings

Kick It Out's findings have been welcomed by the UK’s first gay football team, despite it showing a rise in the number of reports of discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Figures from Kick It Out for the six-month period ending December 2014 show a 1500 per cent rise in reports relating to discrimination based on sexual orientation.

But Jamie Feldman - an employment lawyer who plays for Stonewall FC in the Middlesex County League - thinks it’s encouraging that people are brave enough to report incidents of homophobia.

He told Sky Sports News HQ: “I think it’s quite pleasing for us that these incidents are getting reported because it means that the people going to the games and the people that are being subjected to the abuse are actually standing up and speaking out.

“That’s what we want because you can only really battle all forms of discrimination in football and in sport if you face it heads on.”

Kick It Out say they more than half of all complaints they receive come via their website and through their app which was launched in 2013.

“If you make it easier for people to stand up and speak out then that will certainly help,” Feldman added. “All praise to Kick It Out for coming up with such a great idea.

“Obviously we live in the age of modern technology and apps are at the forefront of what people want to do. Everyone is on their phone every couple of minutes, so if people can simply press a button once they hear abuse and report it then that is definitely going to help win the battle or at least get started to win the battle.”

Stonewall FC celebrate their 14th anniversary this month and Feldman says over the course of time the team have helped challenged prejudice, winning people over in the process.

“When we first started in the league incidences of homophobic abuse were not prevalent but there were certainly one or two,” he said.

“But now what we get respected for is that we are footballers who happen to be gay rather than the gay football team.”