London Titans FC condemns homophobic abuse at Club des Sports, Acton; calls for accountability from Hire a Pitch.
London Titans Football Club has publicly reported on their social channels a homophobic incident that occurred during its GFSN (Gay Football Supporters Network) League match against Nottingham Lions on Saturday 25 April 2026 at Club des Sports, Acton.
During the second half, a group of young males repeatedly entered the pitch and disrupted the match. When asked to leave, the group directed sustained homophobic verbal abuse at players and officials. The referee abandoned the match after the abuse escalated and a physical confrontation occurred.
The club has reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police, provided witness statements and filed details with Ealing’s Met Police LGBTQ+ liaison officer. London Titans also submitted a formal complaint to Club des Sports (site owners) and Hire a Pitch (pitch management) and has shared copies of all its correspondence with members and the GFSN committee for transparency.
London Titans is deeply concerned by Hire a Pitch’s response and the conduct of its onsite representative, which the club says showed an unacceptable lack of site control during the booking. London Titans FC had paid £400 for exclusive use of their 4G football pitch to Hire a Pitch. The club’s written account states the representative failed to protect paying customers and, when the offending group finally left site, the Hire a Pitch representative apologised to them. London Titans rejects what it describes as inaccurate statements in Hire a Pitch’s reply and has asked for full cooperation with the police investigation, including prompt preservation and release of all relevant CCTV and incident reports.
London Titans FC exists to promote inclusivity and equality in football and to provide a safe, welcoming environment for players of all sexualities, genders, ages, races and abilities. The club will not tolerate homophobic abuse or site-management failures that place members at risk.
The club in its correspondence with Hire a Pitch have called on them to:
· Acknowledge the incident and provide a full account of site-management actions during the booking period.
· Implement training and clear protocols for all site and Hire a Pitch representatives on handling hostile situations, particularly where racial or homophobic abuse is involved.
· Introduce immediate measures to prevent unauthorised pitch access and pitch-side harassment, including trained staff, effective perimeter control and site stewarding.
After what it describes as insufficient engagement from Hire a Pitch, London Titans has ended its five-year relationship with Hire a Pitch and Club des Sports and moved to new facilities. The club has urged other teams to review their arrangements with Hire a Pitch.
Commenting, Club Chair Thomas Croxall-Ingram said: “To those five young men involved: your words and actions were unacceptable. However, I invite you to train with us, wear our shirt, get to know us and you will discover the shared humanity that makes forgiveness possible. To Hire a Pitch: I am astonished that, despite years of custom, you have not constructively engaged with our concerns or taken steps to handle incidents of hate crime appropriately. We urge you to put better protocols in place.”
GFSN Chair, Paul Williams added “The GFSN is deeply saddened by the reports concerning the match between London Titans FC and Nottingham Lions. It is profoundly disappointing that in 2026, football matches are still being disrupted by such incidents. The safety and well-being of players and officials must always be the priority. We call upon all those responsible for managing and providing sports facilities to ensure that every environment remains a safe, inclusive space for everyone to play without fear of harassment or abuse. We remain committed to supporting our member clubs and ensuring the game is truly open to all”.
