Gay Football Supporter's Network
GFSN News
It’s not every day mainstream England football groups want to welcome the GFSN as part of their events.
So when I was asked by Englandfans regional members to take part along with German fans reps at the wreath laying in Berlin prior to the 19th November friendly, I asked the GFSN committee for their thoughts.
It was agreed that a small amount of GFSN funding would be allocated for a pink triangle wreath to be laid alongside the Englandfans’ George Cross wreath at the Holocaust museum: this week in history some 70 years ago is believed to be the start of the Holocaust, when Jewish shop windows were trashed and the first lives were taken.
For the last five years or so, whenever England have played there have been fans initiatives from both sides and they are well attended. The trip to Germany was to be no different, a school visit , an England 11 v German 11, and this time the memorial visit.
The ‘game’ was arranged for the Tuesday evening and turned into two full-sided games out in the wind and the rain and several 5-a-side games in a sports centre. To my surprise, as I agreed to video the match for some of the players, I was also privileged to meet the guest of honour for the evening, legendary Man City and Germany keeper, Bert Trautmann.
Herr Trautmann is head of the the Trautmann Foundation, the football academy in Berlin for English and other overseas children. They have kick and think and courage counts competitions, which incorporate a manifesto, some of which reads: “People booed and scorned me because of where I come from. It does not matter where you come from, what language you speak or what colour your skin is; the only thing that really counts is what kind of person you are. Raise up your hand against prejudice, racism and violence.”
As I hung up my EnglandGFSN flag pitch side, the local ref spotted the pink union flag and ran over to thank me, as his brother is also a ref and is ‘GAY’!
The following day some 80+ football fans of England and Germany and some of the local Maccabie officials and over 20 press & media assembled for the wreath laying. A tour of the memorial and museum was given and then the security placed the wreaths at the entrance of the site for all visitors to see.
Should anyone take a trip to Berlin please pop along and take the tour its very moving and memorable.
The memorial is 100 yards from the Brandenburg Gate and was opened in 2005. Not your usual design, but rather radical and without any symbolism. There are 2711 concrete blocks of various size and an information centre built partly in an old underground bunker. How the blocks stay free from graffiti is beyond me, although I was told they are jumped on every New Year’s Eve by party goers.