For Antóin Beag Ó Colla and many others, the Mersey Marauders have become more than just a football team, they have become a community.
The Marauders are Merseyside’s leading LGBTQ and inclusive football team, and in a world where football is often criticised for its lack of inclusivity, the team provides a place for people to be themselves.
Antóin, 41, joined the team when he moved to Liverpool in 2022 and wanted to find a mix between exercising and meeting new people.
He said: “This team really does mean everything to me because when I moved over three years ago, I didn’t know many people in Liverpool, and this team has become like a little family to me.
“Liverpool’s already quite a welcoming city but these guys really went above and beyond.
“I think teams like the Marauders are 100% helping to change perceptions [in football] because even when I was growing up, the only gay footballer we had was Justin Fashanu who died in controversial circumstances and that has always been the image of gay football.
“Whereas now we have a bunch of people challenging those stereotypes on a small level, and it’s bound to have a knock-on effect.”
The Marauders have doubled in size in the last three or four years, with currently around 70 members, and chair of the club Francis Wight has said there was a huge increase in people wanting to get involved after covid.
He said: “Seeing the club grow has been amazing because it means we are providing that space that I’ve benefitted from for more and more people and that’s a fantastic feeling to be able to see that.”
Francis has been playing for the club for the past six years and it has formed an incredibly important part of his life.
He had never been out as a gay man in a football setting before, but playing for the Marauders has allowed him to show that side of himself.
“I’ve played for lots of nice football teams but there’s something really amazing about being able to be open about who you are.
“Previously going for a drink with people after a match I wouldn’t talk about my personal life. That’s totally different in this club. It’s hard to describe it but there is something really freeing about being able to just be your whole self in a football setting.”
The club welcomes members of all different ages, backgrounds, and work, with some young students and some in their forties as working professionals.
They also work with the LFC Foundation and Everton in the Community to work towards building inclusive communities and offer opportunities for more and more people to join the team.
Liam Fowles, who has been a player for the last two and a half years, told Merseysportlive that there is a really strong sense of community within the club.
He said: “We look after each other on and off the pitch and we do a lot of things like socials as well as training every week and the matches.
“When it’s pride in Liverpool we’ll march together, if there’s a big campaign we’ll generally take part in it, so we are a strong community that tries to look after the wider LGBT community as well.”
Liam also praised the team for welcoming members of all abilities and labelled it as a very different experience from other teams he has played in, where the atmosphere can be intimidating.
Mersey Marauders currently play in the North West Inclusion League and will celebrate their 20th anniversary this summer with a tournament in August.
If you are interested in joining the Marauders, you can visit their website here.
(Featured image by Ellie Harker)
