Happy New Year from Bristol City Panthers! 2022 was a great year for the Panthers, with lots of new members joining throughout the year. On the pitch we’ve had trips to London, Milton Keynes and Leicester and hosted teams from Nottingham, Yorkshire, London and Cardiff as we competed in the GFSN league and cup competitions. We also took home medals at the Bristol Rovers LGBTQ+ football festival and got to the semi-final of a tournament playing against refugee and charity teams.
Off the pitch the team had a huge amount of fun dancing to Carly Rae Jepsen at Bristol Pride and joining with the trans community to march at Trans Pride SW. We’ve been to watch Bristol City, and were welcomed onto the pitch by Manager Nigel Pearson to talk about LGBT+ inclusion in football. We have also enjoyed ice skating, bowling, footgolf and a fantastic camping trip to Wales, as well as plenty of nights out.
2023 promises to be an even more exciting year as we continue to compete in GFSN division 2, looking to build on a solid start to the season. Away trips are planned to Brighton, Liverpool and Edinburgh – the furthest the Panthers have been for years! We also hope to take part in tournaments and local friendlies, and are always looking for new teams to play.
Huge thanks to Bristol Robins Foundation for continuing to support us in 2022, especially Chris Gannon for coaching us. Thanks to Adidas Football Collective for a grant that allowed participation at an LGBT+ inclusive tournament in Leicester, and to Cadent Gas for sponsoring the GFSN league. Thanks most of all to everyone who has come along to training and played – here's to continuing to make the Panthers a welcoming, inclusive and fun club to play for in 2023!
If you’d like to get involved in 2023, drop us a message on our socials and come along to training on a Thursday night – it’s a relaxed way to get involved and meet people at the club. We look forward to seeing you!