It is two years this week since the creation of Rainbow Devils, the first Manchester United LGBT+ supporters’ club.
We spoke to Eric Najib, Chair of Rainbow Devils, to talk about the group’s story so far, its plans for the future, and the progress being made towards making football a more inclusive environment for LGBT+ supporters.
Happy Birthday to Rainbow Devils! How does it feel to be two years old?
“It feels a bit surreal to think that the launch was two years ago when you think of everything that has happened in the world since then and our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the pandemic. We have done our best to continue to grow as a supporters’ group by thinking outside the box while we’re not able to attend games, but we cannot wait to get back safely and make our presence felt even more in the stands.”
“The past 12 months have been horrible for so many people. We have tried to keep the lines of communications as open as possible through our WhatsApp groups and social media channels. We’ve also had regular Zoom meetings among our own members and with many other LGBT+ supporters’ clubs and we have really enjoyed building those external relationships. So far, we have had chats with equivalent groups from Aston Villa, Arsenal, Sheffield United, West Ham, Leicester, Manchester City and we attended the virtual National Football Pride Festival. It is so important that we do this as a relatively new group to establish ourselves. Just as important has been maintaining regular conversations among ourselves, especially as not everyone has the same circumstances, and for some people the impact on mental health of this pandemic has been huge. So we like to keep chatting and providing a positive platform, although how positive those conversations are can be affected by how United are doing on the field! I feel we have really bonded as a group during the past year, and we will be able to take that forward when we are able to return to Old Trafford.”
What’s the relationship like between Rainbow Devils and other United supporters’ groups?
“We have a great relationship with the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, and I have been co-opted on to the MUST committee to represent Rainbow Devils. That is a huge step forward for us and for MUST, and I think it recognises the impact we have had as a group and the commitment MUST has for making United a safe and inclusive space for everyone, and we look forward to continuing that relationship. We want to be as visual as possible and we feel that being part of MUST will facilitate that so that if any LGBT+ United fan wants to join us or needs us then they know where to find us.”
“I think it is important to recognise the fantastic work that Manchester United is doing to advance LGBT+ inclusion in football and the Stonewall partnership is a phenomenal success story by Richard Arnold [Manchester United’s Managing Director] and the club. Rainbow Devils have a very good relationship with the club – it’s a relationship that involves us supporting the club and of course challenging them at the same time to keep up the work on LGBT+ inclusion. Being part of the All Red All Equal campaign is a great honour for us.”
What does the future hold for Rainbow Devils – what are your plans to build on the progress so far?
“Our aim in the next year or so is to keep growing and to become more structured. We will have committee elections in June for the first time, with designated committee positions and tasks. We also want to improve our membership offering so that every member feels valued and is getting something positive out of the group. We are also finalising the wording of a new mission statement and constitution for Rainbow Devils, so that we have a code of conduct for anyone who wants to join us, whether they are LGBT+ or allies. Of course, like all United fans, we are desperate to get back to Old Trafford as soon as it is safe, and we really want to be a presence at Manchester Pride if it goes ahead this year. We’d love to have a permanent banner at Old Trafford to give us a more visible presence at matches, so that’s another aim.”
And finally, how are you feeling about progress on the pitch and the prospects for the rest of the season?
“I think the men’s team have made huge progress this season and as things stand we are in a really good position. Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] seems to have pushed on a lot in the past 12 months and I think the next couple of seasons can be really good. Bruno [Fernandes] has been a phenomenal signing and seems to have changed the mindset of all the players. And it is great to see Ole keeping up the great United tradition of young homegrown talent through Academy graduates such as Mason [Greenwood], Marcus [Rashford] and Scott [McTominay]. So, things look positive at the moment, but we all know how quickly things can change in football, so it’s important not to get carried away and, like Ole is always saying, take one game at a time! The women’s team have had a remarkable season so far, on the back of last year’s promotion, and Casey has really gone from strength to strength with some top-class signings. To be challenging a team as good as Chelsea shows just how far we have come and it would be an amazing achievement if we can win the WSL, but even finishing in the top two would be so good for such a young team.”
To find out more about the work of Rainbow Devils, please visit @RainbowDevils on Twitter.