Manchester Pride

Manchester Pride Rules - 17-27 August 2012

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village manchester football club

Formed in 1996, the Gay Men's football club has ambition and commitment in providing all players and supporters with a competitive, yet fun approach to the beautiful game.

They've been supporters of Pride for many years and have always had a presence at the festival.

www.vmfc.co.uk

We caught up with Pete Ransom to ask him some questions about the group:

How did your group get started?

We formed in 1996 when a small group of gay footballers decided to set up a football team to compete against straight teams in a local Manchester league.

What keeps you motivated?

Firstly, we are all passionate about football as a sport but VMFC offers so much more. We socialise together, travel abroad to compete in football tournaments and most importantly we look after each other..a bit like an extended family!

What sort of people attend your meetings and events?

Mostly guys who have played football at various levels in the past or perhaps have just moved to Manchester and are looking for a new team. The common theme is we enjoy the camaraderie of playing in a competitive sport.

Have you got any big events planned for this year apart from Manchester Pride?

2011 is another big year for us. We've recently completed a very successful season in a local Manchester Sunday league and have the inaugural Euro Cup as part of Pride Games and the 2011 Eurogames in Rotterdam to look forward to over the summer.

When do you normally meet and what kind of events do you organise?

We train every Thursday evening in Lower Broughton and play every Sunday as part of our local league commitments. VMFC's second team also play fixtures around the country against other gay teams. Off the pitch, there's a regular social side to the club and you'll usually find our boys in the village on the weekend.

What does Pride mean to you/your group?

Pride is a fantastic opportunity to raise our profile. We use the Lifestyle Expo and Parade to talk to people about our club but, most of all, we make sure we have fun and enjoy the celebration with everyone who attends the event.

Why do you think it's important for events like this to take place?

We are very lucky in Manchester to have the Village and to live in such a diverse and tolerant city. Pride showcases and celebrates all of this and more to the thousands of visitors that travel to the city. If VMFC can play a part in that then all the better!

What have your group got in store for future development?

We're continually growing as a club and as we do the quality of our teams keep improving. We're getting to the point where our 2nd team can play regularly throughout the season but still need extra players so we'd encourage anyone who has played football to visit us at http://www.vmfc.co.uk or look us up on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/villagemanchester


a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life

Manchester Pride, The Department Store, 5 Oak Street, Manchester, M4 5JD
Registered Charity 1117848 Phone 0161 831 7700 Fax 0161 831 7711

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