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18 January 2024. This week saw 26 players attended the first training session of Proud Baggies FC. Held in WBA's Academy Training Dome, coach Tom Genner put our rookie squad through their paces with a series of drills, finishing with a short match. You can see more on our social channels or watch via TikTok below.

We are delighted to announce the launch of our LGBTQ+ inclusive football club in partnership with WBA and The Albion Foundation and with thanks to funding from the SCVO LGBTQ+ Health Challenge Fund.

July 2023. This month Proud Baggies role as a Third Party Hate Crime Reporting Centre was highlighted in a Sandwell Council video alongside other  local support groups. The video was produced as part of the #StopHateSandwell campaign designed to encourage victims and witnesses of hate crimes to come forward.

Join us every Friday from 7pm to 8pm throughout the year at the WBA Community Sports Hall, Halfords Lane, B71 4LG for fully inclusive and fun football sessions. All ages, abilities, genders welcome, LGBTQ+ and allies!

On June 25th, Proud Baggies were in residence in Dartmouth Park for the 2nd Sandwell Pride. The event was well attended and enjoyed by all with Proud Baggies' signing up over 100 new members! We look forward to 2024!

 Proud Baggies were out in force at the annual Birmingham Pride parade on Saturday May 27th. Members joined regulars Baggie Bird and BoilerMan to walk the parade route in front of a crowd of thousands before ending up in the Gay Village for well deserved celebrations! 

Proud Baggies have been shortlisted at the 2023 Football Business Awards in the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion category. Amongst the nominees are Premier League clubs Liverpool, Brighton and Aston Villa with Proud Baggies the only Fan Group. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on 26th May 🤞

Proud Baggies made it three in a row this month when they were shortlisted again for the Football v Homophobia Awards in the Best Fab Group category. Fellow supporter groups Proud Lilywhites and Foxes Pride make up the shortlist with the winner set to be announced at an online ceremony on February 25th.

November 2021. This years' dedicated match in support of Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign was against Notts Forest. As always Proud Baggies were out in force and the game was festooned with rainbows, from corner flags and throw in towels to Boilerman themselves! 

 In conjunction with Football v Homophobia and The Albion Foundation Proud Baggies spent the day at Kingsland Primary school delivering workshops to years 5 & 6. The work formed part of the Premier League Primary Stars project for the Rainbow Laces campaign. 

Proud Baggies completed another awareness session as part of the induction programme for for new Stewards at The Hawthorns. Neil Basterfield took the team through a session highlighting what to look out for and how to tackle homophobia on matchdays. 

Join us at The Loft in the heart of Birmingham's gay village for all of the home nations games.

Upstairs from 11 June - 11 July | Full food and drinks menu available!  Access from the Loft beer garden. No need to book!  

6th February. Last night Proud Baggies were confirmed as winners in the Best Fan Group category at the prestigious Football v Homophobia Awards for the second year running. Fellow fan groups Rainbow Blades and Proud Lilywhites were named in 2nd and 3rd place. Due to the pandemic the winners were announced online.  

February 2021. You can now report a hate crime to Proud Baggies confidentially whether you are a victim or witness if you do not want to report directly to the police. We are trained on dealing with reports of hate crime and can also help you get the support that you may need after experiencing or witnessing a hate crime. In an emergency call always 999.

November 2020. Stonewall's Rainbow Laces Campaign promotes LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport. Our dedicated Rainbow Laces match will be vs. Crystal Palace on 5th December. The campaign runs until December 13th. All WBA fans are encouraged to show their support where they can. 

Join Proud Baggies and people all over the country in this years virtual Pride Run in aid of Gendered Intelligence.All you need to do is get out of the house and run, jog or walk 5km. (cyclists you can even do it on your bikes!) at some point on Sunday 13th December.Then to show you’ve taken part in the event, post a pic on social media and tag us in using #festivepriderun 

Our Proud Baggies team are in training ahead of the Birmingham Black Country Half Marathon on Saturday 7th November 2020.

The run starts in Wolverhampton City Centre & finishes in Brindley Place, Birmingham.

We’ll be fundraising for The Albion Foundation. See below to donate to this worthy cause.

It's been another busy season at Proud Baggies and you can relive the highlights in our latest Season Review available now to download.

Take a look back at our Rainbow Laces Campaign, read how our Fan Mosaic was created and find out how we've been working to make WBA a safe inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community.

 Learn more about Albion’s LGBTQ+ supporters' club, Proud Baggies, by watching a two-part documentary discussion about LGBTQ+ inclusion, hosted by BBC Radio 2’s Richie Anderson. 

The two-part video was created following a series of Zoom calls hosted by Richie Anderson, a patron of Proud Baggies, in which he spoke to founders and members of the supporters’ club, along with Albion’s Operations Director, Mark Miles. 

During Football v Homophobia month of action this February, Proud Baggies were at The Hawthorns delivering their LGBTQ+ Awareness training to 60 Albion Foundation coaches and staff. The session was part of the LGBT+ Diversity & Inclusion Development Programme being rolled out across WBA by Proud Baggies. 

 In support of Football v Homophobia and in association with The Albion Foundation, Proud Baggies are looking for teams to enter our first ever small sided football tournament.

Teams from all communities and of any ability are welcome to join us to celebrate diversity in football and raise awareness of LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport.

Friday 7th February. We are delighted to announce that Proud Baggies were awarded Best Supporter Group at the inaugural Football v Homophobia awards held at Altrincham FC. The prestigious awards celebrate the LGBTQ+ community across all forms of the game. Proud Baggies saw off stiff competition from fellow nominees Marching Out Together (Leeds) and Proud Lilywhites (Spurs). 

Proud Baggies are delighted to have become Patrons of the Albion Foundation. The Albion Foundation is committed to working with organisations that share the same values as the charity and West Bromwich Albion Football Club, where there are common synergies that can support our mission to make a positive difference within the local community.  

Proud Baggies are delighted to have been nominated for a Football v Homophobia award and you can join us on the night of 7th February for the ceremony which takes place at Altrincham Football Club. We look forward to seeing you there!  

WBA's match vs Swansea will be the annual Rainbow Laces game where the club will show its support for Stonewall's inclusivity in sport campaign. Central to the activities is the unveiling of our Fan Mosaic which will be shown in the stadium before kick off. 

To celebrate his years' Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaign, venture into The Hawthorns' inner sanctum with our exclusive Proud Baggies' behind-the-scenes stadium tour offered at a significantly discounted price.

The offer is open to all members, their families and friends.

The Fans For Diversity awards, run by the Football Supporters' Association and Kick It Out are the UK's premier football diversity awards. This is the second year running that Proud Baggies and Apna Albion have been shortlisted. Look out for updates after the awards event on 20th September when we hope one group will be victorious! 

This weekend saw the 3rd annual Pride in Football Call It Out! Symposium hosted by our friends Pride of Irons at the London Stadium. The event brings together LGBTQ+ fan groups and campaigners from across the UK and Europe. The informative event included workshops on social media abuse, player support and a panel of key figures from the sports industry. 

 The Football Supporters Association (FSA) and Kick it Out are hosting this years' Fans for Diversity Conference on 20th September at Amnesty International HQ in London. Join Proud Baggies by registering here for what promises to be an informative and enjoyable afternoon. 

From the installation of the first fan group banner at The Hawthorns back in August to participation in Birmingham Pride in May, this season has been marked with unprecedented activity in pursuance of our vision, aims and objectives. Read all about it here! 

10th June. Yesterday England's Women's World Cup campaign got off to a positive start with a win over Scotland. Proud Baggies will be watching all of the Lionesses games at The Fox in Birmingham's gay village. All are welcome! Look out for more details via our social media channels. 

Date: 25th May. Location: Central Birmingham. Proud Baggies & club staff joined 5,000 others in the annual Gay Pride Parade. 75,000 supporters lined the streets of Birmingham in the country's largest 2 day Pride festival. Baggie Bird and Boilerman lead the group of 45 members through town to the Gay Village. 

West Bromwich Albion and Proud Baggies will again be participating in this year's Birmingham Pride Parade and we want YOU to get involved! 

Entry into our Parade walking group is free and open to all Proud Baggies members, West Bromwich Albion supporters, family and friends; adults and children.

We are delighted to announce that Dwight Gayle has been voted winner of the first Proud Baggies Player of the Season Award. Polling 51% of all votes cast, it was an emphatic win for our current leading goal scorer who also scooped WBA supporters and the Disability Supporters Group player of the season too! 

Proud Baggies' members are currently voting for their player of the season who will be awarded a prestigious trophy! Voting closes at 3pm on 19 April. If you're not a member and want your say, sign up here!

We're auctioning Jake Livermore's captain's armband and Proud Baggies T Shirt as worn in our Rainbow Laces match vs Brentford in December 2018. All proceeds will got to Stonewall, Britains biggest LGBT charity. 

5th April, The Hawthorns. Proud Baggies teamed up once again with Football v Homophobia to deliver more training as part of the WBA LGBTQ+ Awareness programme. It was great to see our Albion Foundation future leaders in sport from Sandwell College so positive about diversity and inclusion! 

Proud Baggies joined a host of teams from the Albion family at the start of a week of activities celebrating WBA's rich and diverse cultures in the run up to the BCFC game on Friday 29th March. Two Proud Baggies' teams played a hard fought match alongside representatives from Blues4All, Apna Albion, the WBA girls U12s and a pan disability team. 

Last week our Founder and Chair, Piero Zizzi was a key note speaker at the Football Safety Officers Association Spring Conference. During his speech, Piero discussed how football can be a key agent of societal change and highlighted the work Proud Baggies are doing with WBA to make the Hawthorns a safe and welcoming  environment for the LGBTQ+ community. 

February's edition of ZONE Magazine, the UK's biggest regional LGBTQ+ lifestyle magazine features an interview with our founder and Chair, Piero Zizzi - and what a great read it is! 

We're delighted to be recognised as Football vs. Homophobia 2019 Champions for our LGBTQ+ awareness work with WBA FC. You can see our work and the other activities we'll be supporting this month via our social media channels.

 We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded funding from the European FARE Network to support the promotion of LGBTQ+ inclusion during this February's Football vs Homophobia month of action. Proud Baggies were one of only 2 recipients of funding in the UK. 

 This years' Stonewall Rainbow Laces fixture on Monday 3 December vs. Brentford. There were many activities taking place including a special Rainbow Laces Fan Zone by Blind Monkey Brewery, big screen graphics and videos, a Sky TV interview with 2 Proud Baggies members and first team players warming up in Proud Baggies T Shirts. See more of the campaign at the link below and our  gallery pages. 

 On Monday 3 December, we joined our good friends Apna Albion and groups from around the country for the annual Football Supporters Federation awards having been nominated for the Fans for Diversity award. Congratulations to Proud Lilywhites who were winners on the night. 

On Sunday 25 November Proud Baggies met WBA Women as part of the Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaign at their game vs. Bedworth. An injury time winner saw us take all 3 points in a closely contested match. 

On 22 November, we were delighted to be awarded bronze for Best Supporter Group & Club relationship at the Football Business Awards. The only LGBTQ+ group to be nominated we are delighted to be recognised for our 1st years' work at such a prestigious event. 

 Proud Baggies' founder Piero Zizzi joins BBC Sports reporter Jack Murley for his latest LGBT Sports Podcast sharing his personal experiences as well as talking about the work of Proud Baggies. 

 Richie Anderson, broadcaster and Proud Baggies Patron has won a prestigious RTS Midlands award for his short film on coming out to his football team. We're all delighted for him and incredibly proud to call him one of our own! 

 Our Proud Baggies rainbow badges are now on sale at both the Stadium and Merry Hill stores as well as on line at www.wbashop.co.uk. Get them while they last and show your support! 

We are delighted to announce that we have been nominated in the Football Business Awards under the category of best Club and Supporter Group Relationship.  We think this is a massive achievement and underlines the support we have received from everyone at the club and the commitment to equality and diversity shown by all.  

 Proud Baggies joined over 200 leaders from across the sports sector on Friday at Wembley Stadium for a series of panel discussions and networking sessions around improving diversity and inclusion in sport.  

 On 23rd August, we were invited to Kick It Out Live to celebrate Kick It Out's 25th anniversary & their work towards equality and inclusion in Football. It was great to see WBA so heavily represented. Pioneers of diversity and inclusion in Football. A club that has broken down barriers on and off the pitch and continues to do so.

 Thanks to a generous benefactor, Proud Baggies will be sponsoring first team regular Oli Burke for the forthcoming season. You'll see our logo and details against his name in every home programme as well as on the big screen at games, supporting our aim of increased LGBTQ+ visibility at the club. 

Last night (16th August) saw the launch of Birmingham LGBT's Ageing with Pride campaign. Run in conjunction with Ageing Better Birmingham, the campaign aims to  promote the lives and lived experiences of older LGBT people from across the city. More soon on how we aim to support this initiative.

We're delighted to announce the East Stand will be home to our new Proud Baggies flag next season. Having a permanent presence at The Hawthorns will help us to further promote LGBTQ+ visibility & inclusion at WBA, a club welcoming of all. 

On 5th July, our founder Piero joined fellow panelists Ryan Atkin, Claire Harvey and Jay Lemonius at Dentsu Aegis for a discussion on the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport. You can see highlights via our YouTube channel. 

We've been extremely busy since our launch back in September 2017! Download our 2017/18 Season Report below and find out more.

Proud Baggies were the only group to have club support alongside them when they joined forces with representatives from over 40 LGBTQ+ fan groups from all divisions at the weekend at Pride in Football's annual #CallItOut symposium. 

Up Front work to normalise mental health issues amongst young people using he medium of football. We are delighted to be supporting them on LGBTQ+ issues. 

A free programme of speakers, workshops, culture and leisure strands for LGBTQ+ football fans, club & league staff, campaigners and other stakeholders, CALLITOUT 2018 will be held at the City Ground Nottingham on Saturday 9th June.

 We welcome all Proud Baggies members, friends & family to join us at this year's Birmingham Pride. 

If you're interested in joining us in the parade through Birmingham city centre please email us at info@proudbaggies.com. 

Sandwell Beam is an Emotional Health & Well Being Service for young people in the Sandwell area.We are delighted to be supporting them on all LGBTQ+ issues.

 Join us in the Fan Zone from noon until kick off on Saturday as we celebrate the life-changing impact of the charitable arm of our Club. You can find us in front of our flag in the marquee. 

Richie Anderson and Beccy Wood raised nearly £15,000 for Sport Relief with their Peaky Pentathlon challenge. Congratulations to them both from all of us at Proud Baggies!

Proud Baggies' Secretary Neil has joined the Club's Equality Advisory Group.

 Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion organisation, has released a film featuring players from every Premier League club which seeks to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion in football.

Proud Baggies' Richie created a film on Homophobia in Football for BBC One's The One Show. 

Throughout February we will be celebrating LGBT History Month 2018.

Throughout February we will be supporting Football v Homophobia's Month of action. 

Proud Baggies will join Pride in Football and fellow LGBTQ+ Supporters' Groups at Pride in London on Saturday 7th July.

We will be representing West Bromwich Albion and it's LGBTQ+ Community at Birmingham Pride 2018 on Saturday May 26th.