April 6th 2007

London will host the 2008 International Gay & Lesbian (IGLFA) World Championships (WC) after the bid was accepted by the IGLFA Board of Directors.

The host organisation, led by Leftfooters FC, has been preparing the bid since June 2006 in an attempt to ensure that the 2008 Championships will be remembered as the best on record. The bid was subjected to 2 weeks of scrutiny from the IGLFA board of directors before awarding the host city rights.

The Championships have the support of the Football Association, Mayor of London, Visit London, Royal Parks as well as Camden & Westminster Council for what is one of the largest gay sports events outside of the Gay Games.

The Championships will also include a week long schedule of social & cultural events to mark the first international.

More information will be available on this site for participants to register as well as find out more information on getting to and staying in London for the Championships.

10th July 2006
OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF 2008 IGLFA CUP BID

The official Launch of the bid to bring the 2008 IGLFA (International Gay & Lesbian Football Association) World Cup to London was announced by Sandi Toksvig and Julian Clary at this year’s EuroPride 06:The Show at the Royal Albert Hall. The bid is being put together by a number of players and supporters of London’s Leftfooters – one of the Gay and Lesbian Football Teams in London.
If successful it means that the 2008 tournament will be the first international sporting event to take place in the UK, in the 4 year run up to the 2012 Olympics.

The week long event will take place in Central London during August 2008. There will also be a full entertainment and cultural festival attached to the tournament.
Michael Collins, chair of the bid said “I am so proud to be heading the campaign to bring the 2008 World Cup to London and the UK. Our plan is to stage a week-long tournament in August 2008 and we hope to attract teams from all over the world for an event that will also include a social and cultural celebration of our country ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games. We are hoping to attract record numbers of participants in what promises to be the largest ever gay sporting event in the UK.

Bringing the IGLFA World Championships to London will not only be bringing football home, but will provide a showcase to the world of how gay people in Britain are embracing the sport. London has long been recognised as being at the heart of the UK’s gay social and cultural scenes and is now becoming recognised as an important centre for gay sports.”

At the launch Richard Collumbell explained “… how a tournament like this is invaluable in highlighting the diversity of people in the United Kingdom. “ He continued “We hope to get support from the FA as this is a way to combat the homophobia that exists in the sport today. Fighting this prejudice is part of the FA’s Football for All Campaign and a tournament such as this allows people to participate in football regardless of their sexuality”.

This year the championships are part of the Gay Games in Chicago which take place later this month and next year they will take place in Buenos Aires.

The IGLFA was founded in 1992 with the aim of working with an established international network of football clubs. It comprises of representatives from gay and lesbian football teams all over the world. One of the many ways they promote unity is through the annual IGLFA Championship.

The IGLFA World Championships have been staged annually since 1997, most recently in Copenhagen in 2005 where 17 men’s teams and 14 women’s teams took part.

The 2008 Championships will consist of separate men’s and women’s tournaments each comprising two divisions; a Premier League and a Recreational League. Qualifying rounds will be held to determine which teams enter which league and the bid team hope to be able to secure the use of a football league
stadium to host the finals of both the men’s and women’s Premier Leagues.

The bid team currently need assistance in 2 ways, firstly they are appealing for people to support the bid by signing their guestbook at www.londonwc2008.co.uk. Finally if you would like to be involved as a volunteer for the event if the bid is successful they would accept assistance in all areas including Press, PR, Stewarding, Translators and Administration.

You can register your interest at www.londonwc2008.co.uk

For all Press enquiries please contact either
Richard Collumbell 07771 965066
Rob Harris 07766 130707