'Everyone has a place at LFC'
Liverpool FC demonstrated its continued support to tackling prejudice and homophobia in football by hosting a Gay Football Supporters' Network (GFSN) match at the Academy on Saturday.
Local gay and gay-friendly team Mersey Marauders beat Wolverhampton Harts 7-2 under the floodlights at the club's Kirkby training complex.
The event was organised by Liverpool in partnership with Football v Homophobia, an international campaign to tackle prejudice against LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) people in football.
The campaign is supported and endorsed by the FA, the Football League and the LMA and its aim is to make football safe and welcoming for everyone.
Louise Englefield, campaign director for Football v Homophobia, said: "We're an international campaign and Liverpool is a huge club with a global impact. So if they are standing up in the campaign against homophobia, it sends a massively strong message to people.
"It's great to be able to have events like this and to be able to tell people about them. The message is that everyone has a place in football, everyone has a place at LFC and that's what we want people to know."
Paul Amann, who is the LGBT fans' representative from the Liverpool FC Supporters' Committee, said: "It's really important for a club the size of Liverpool to show its support for Football v Homophobia and to show people that the game is for everybody.
"A club like Liverpool has huge following and so its continued support is fantastic."
LFC's social inclusion officer Rishi Jain added: "Last year the Academy held a Football v Homophobia tournament which was a massive success, and to be able to support the campaign again this year is great for us as a football club.
"It's important to promote the work that the campaign has been doing. Everyone at the club knows how important equality is both on and off the pitch - which we've been able to further demonstrate during the Football v Homophobia campaign."
