The '˜A-Team' elects to tackle homophobia on the pitch

A squad of local councillors have banded together to taken on hate crime at the Football V Homophobia football tournament in Derry later this month.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Aug 2016, 08:51 BST
Updated 2nd Aug 2016, 10:55 BST
The local Councillors who make up the A-Team: Padraig McShane, Gary Donnelly, Warren Robinson, Darren O'Reilly and Paul Gallagher.The local Councillors who make up the A-Team: Padraig McShane, Gary Donnelly, Warren Robinson, Darren O'Reilly and Paul Gallagher.
The local Councillors who make up the A-Team: Padraig McShane, Gary Donnelly, Warren Robinson, Darren O'Reilly and Paul Gallagher.

Four Independent Councillors from Derry & Strabane Council, and a fifth from Causeway Coast & Glens Council have joined forces under the name the ‘A-Team’.

The tournament is being launched as part of this year’s Foyle Pride Festival by the Rainbow Project in partnership with the Old Library Trust in Creggan

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It will take place on Friday, August 26 from 2pm to 6pm in Bishop’s Field.

The organisers have said the event “tackles discrimination in sport and sends out a strong message of support for the LGBTQ+ community during Foyle Pride Festival”.

Independent Councillor Gary Donnelly will be joined by fellow Derry & Strabane Councillors Warren Robinson, Darren O’Reilly and Paul Gallagher, with Paudi McShane from Antrim also lining out.

Colr. Donnelly said the team was formed following a call out by the organisers for elected representatives to get involved.

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He said: “There is a section of people within our community that would be homophobic and we as elected representatives have a civic responsibility to send out a message that this is not acceptable and it needs to be stamped out.”

Colr. Donnelly also pointed out that the Council has, over recent days, passed a motion voicing its abhorrence towards all hate crimes and attacks.

Related topics:DerryCouncillorsStrabane CouncilCauseway CoastStrabaneLGBTQ+