"At no point was there any visible or effective presence of site management from either Hire a Pitch or Club des Sports to control access, manage behaviour, or protect paying customers of the site."
"This response was unacceptable. The correct and expected action should have been to gather the facts and then immediate removal of the trespassers, and an apology to the paying customers who had been subjected to abuse and disruption."
"Whilst London Titans FC fully supports grassroots participation in football, this does not override the fact that we pay for a private facility, hired by our organisation during the agreed hours and date. The individuals involved"
"During the second half of the match, a group of young men allegedly repeatedly entered the pitch and caused disruption. They allegedly refused to leave when asked by players and officials, spat at a linesman, and cycled across the pitch on a Lime bike, forcing play to be stopped."
London Titans FC, an LGBTQ+ football team, condemned alleged homophobic abuse and disruption during a Gay Football Supports Network League match against Nottingham Lions on 25 April at Club des Sports in Acton. The pitch was hired for £400 through Hire a Pitch. During the second half, a group of young men allegedly repeatedly entered the pitch, refused to leave when asked, spat at a linesman, and cycled across the pitch on a Lime bike, forcing play to stop. The men allegedly hurled homophobic abuse at players and officials, and the referee abandoned the match after verbal abuse escalated into a physical confrontation. The incident was reported to the Metropolitan Police, and formal complaints were submitted to Club des Sports and Hire a Pitch, citing lack of site management and demanding removal of trespassers and an apology to paying customers.
Read at PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news
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