INCLUSIVITY was the message from Alloa Athletic Women’s team as they took part in Football v Homophobia Month of Action 2023.

The women joined their opponents Drumchapel on the pitch to show their support in the fight against homophobia as they unfurled the rainbow flag in front of them.

During the match, the team wore rainbow armbands or laces to continue to represent the LGBTQ+ community.

After the game, a 2-0 win for visiting side Drumchapel, some of the Alloa players spoke about what this campaign means to them.

Molly Williams, vice captain, said: “I felt it was really important to support this campaign and show solidarity with my teammates and, most importantly, stand up against homophobia in football.”

Hayley Preece, defender for the Wasps, added: “I am really proud to play for Alloa Women’s football team.

“We’re a really inclusive team, it is really important to us. I’m really proud of us supporting the Football v Homophobia Scotland campaign this month.”

INCLUSIVE: Alloa Athletic Women were joined by Drumchapel as they unfurled the LGBTQ+ flag to show support in the fight against homophobia. Pictures by John Howie.

INCLUSIVE: Alloa Athletic Women were joined by Drumchapel as they unfurled the LGBTQ+ flag to show support in the fight against homophobia. Pictures by John Howie.

The initiative runs throughout the whole of February and is designed to promote inclusivity within football and allow football clubs to show their support for the movement.

Throughout this month, teams across Scotland wore rainbow armbands or the custom made Football v Homophobia t-shirts in training.

Earlier this month, Czech Republic footballer Jakub Jankto came out as gay, a milestone achievement for inclusivity in football.

In the UK, Blackpool forward Jake Daniels became the country’s first active male footballer to publicly come out when he did so in May 2022.

Outgoing Wasps manager Allan Salvona praised the girls for their commitment to the campaign, citing the movement as being something the whole squad was passionate about.

He said: “It’s quite safe to say that we have a number of players in the team that really wanted to try to be the most inclusive club they could be.

“Right from the beginning, the girls have always been about making the club as inclusive as possible, for both home and away teams, and being real advocates for the cause.

“I’m really pleased that the girls put it altogether and this is something that they embrace everyday when they play for Alloa.”