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Manchester's LGBTQ+ football club Village Manchester FC celebrate 30 years with tournament and party tonight

Saturday, 1 August 2026 13:00

The world champion gay and inclusive team are marking three decades since their formation with a five-a-side tournament at Powerleague Ardwick and a closing party at Cruz 101.

Village Manchester Football Club are celebrating their 30th anniversary today with a five-a-side tournament followed by an awards party in the city centre. The LGBTQ+ and inclusive team were formed in 1996 and have just returned from Valencia as newly crowned World Champions.

The anniversary tournament is taking place at Powerleague in Ardwick, around 10 minutes' walk from the city centre. Teams will compete throughout the day before heading to Cruz 101 nightclub on Canal Street for the closing party and awards ceremony from 9pm, with free entry until 11pm.

Village Manchester FC started out as a small group of friends determined to prove a gay team could compete in mainstream leagues. They spent their first six years finding their feet in Division 1 of the Manchester Accountants League, but the players turned out week after week regardless of results.

The breakthrough came in 2001 when they reached the semi-finals of the IGLFA World Championship in London. By 2004 they'd earned promotion to the Premier Division, and in 2006/07 they lifted their first ever trophy as league champions.

The club now fields multiple teams in local leagues and competes internationally. Earlier this month they made history at the Gay Games in Valencia, defeating West Hollywood 1-0 in the final to become World Champions for the first time in the club's 30-year history.

The Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) awards will also be presented tonight. GFSN is the national network for LGBTQ+ football supporters and teams across the UK, providing what one chair called "a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to support, campaign and play football" for over 30 years.

Village Manchester FC welcome players of all abilities, sexualities and gender identities. Anyone interested in joining can find details at vmfc.co.uk.