Football Inclusion & Unity

With Class of ’96: Rise of a Nation launching on Netflix Africa this week, I felt drawn to reconnect with producer John Barker, someone I’ve known for years through our shared South African roots.

The series looks back at South Africa’s 1996 Africa Cup of Nations win, a moment when football meant more than football, and briefly gave a newly democratic country something to hold onto together.

The timing felt right. The documentary’s release coincides with the launch of the West London Queer Project LGBTQ football sessions, which are built on a similar belief: that the game can still create connection and belonging. With that in mind, I wanted to speak to John about where football sits today when it comes to LGBTQ inclusion, what’s changed, and what still hasn’t.

Promotional image for Class of ’96: Rise of a Nation

Organising these sessions has been a reminder of how difficult it can be for LGBTQ+ people to be taken seriously in sporting spaces. While planning a programme split across two venues, one major sporting institution cancelled our booking twice, despite months of notice. The disruption was frustrating, but more telling was how easily we were pushed aside. At one point, we were offered half an hour of football, followed by half an hour of paddle, as if that were a reasonable substitute. It may sound minor, but moments like this underline a familiar message: that LGBTQ+ participation in sport is still often treated as flexible, or optional, rather than equal. It’s why creating our own spaces isn’t just helpful, it’s necessary.

It’s also worth saying that this work hasn’t happened in isolation. A key reason these LGBTQ+ football sessions exist is because parts of the professional game have been willing to engage seriously. Brentford have already come on board and have been open, supportive, and proactive from the outset, and we’re hoping to announce a second Premiership club’s involvement soon. That kind of backing matters, it signals that LGBTQ participation in football isn’t peripheral, but something the game itself has a responsibility to protect and grow.

Despite all of that, this feels like a moment worth marking. I’m proud of the work the West London Queer Project is doing to make sport more accessible, and I’m equally proud of John, a fellow South African telling stories that remind us what football can represent at its best. In different ways, both are trying to hold onto the same idea, that sport works best when people feel welcome in it, and that real unity doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built, slowly, through care, effort, and visibility.

Producer John Barker with José Mourinho, reflecting the series’ global football perspective & Robert Marawa, narrator of the series.

Interview

Aubrey: What motivated you to create Class of ’96 – Rise of a Nation, and what was the greatest challenge you encountered during its development?

John: I wanted to tell the untold story of my father, Clive Barker, and the unforgettable Bafana Bafana team that won AFCON ’96 at the first time of asking and went on to qualify South Africa for our first-ever World Cup in France in 1998.

It was a team filled with larger-than-life characters, from captain Neil Tovey to ‘bad boy’ Mark Fish, from The Chief Lucas Radebe to the skilful Doc Khumalo, and from the charismatic Mark Williams to our greatest striker, Benni McCarthy. Together they formed an extraordinarily successful, diverse, and charismatic team, and a truly compelling story to watch, which naturally lent itself to an entertaining series. But what truly compelled me was the moment in history they represented.

The political backdrop of post-apartheid South Africa was central to the story. This was a group of players drawn from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds, cultures, and lived experiences. What fascinated me was how Clive and this team managed to unite, put their differences aside, and achieve so much in such a short space of time.

One of the greatest challenges was dealing with the emotional weight of the story, particularly SAFA’s decision to fire Clive on the eve of the 1998 World Cup, which effectively denied the team the chance to build on its success. That said, the spirit of the series is ultimately positive and celebratory. It captures a rare, hopeful moment in South Africa’s sporting history, with a good dose of Madiba magic running through it.

It was a very emotional two and a half year process telling this incredibly personal story

of my father.

Aubrey: The series features an interview with former Banyana Banyana captain and all-time leading goal scorer, Portia Modise. Why do you think she has often faced harsh treatment from the media, and despite her achievements, why has she received so little public and institutional support?

John: Portia Modise is one of the greatest footballers this country has ever produced, yet she has consistently been treated unfairly. A big part of that comes down to a combination of sexism, homophobia and discomfort with outspoken women who don’t conform to expected norms.

Instead of celebrating her achievements on the pitch, the media has often focused on her personal life or portrayed her as “difficult,” which is a label frequently applied to women, particularly LGBTQ+ women, who refuse to be silent or submissive. Institutionally, women’s football has historically been underfunded and undervalued, and players like Portia paid the price for that neglect.

Her story highlights how easily excellence can be overlooked when it challenges entrenched biases.

Aubrey: Football has historically been an unwelcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals. From your experience, have you observed any meaningful shifts in attitudes within the sport over the years?

John:There have definitely been shifts, but they’ve been slow and uneven. Today there is more visibility, more conversations, and a younger generation that is far more open-minded than in the past. That’s progress. However, football remains deeply rooted in traditional ideas of masculinity, which makes genuine inclusion difficult.

While attitudes are improving in some spaces, particularly among fans and players privately, institutional change often lags behind. Many people in football still feel safer staying silent than being fully themselves.

So yes, progress has been made, but there’s still a long way to go.

Aubrey: Homophobia in football continues to persist at both grassroots and professional levels. What practical steps can be taken to address this issue and ensure the sport becomes a safe and inclusive space for everyone?

John: The first step is education, starting at grassroots level. Coaches, administrators and players need proper training around inclusion, language and accountability. This can’t be a once-off workshop; it has to be ongoing.

Secondly, football authorities need to be clear and consistent in their stance. Policies mean very little if they aren’t enforced. Players and fans must know that homophobic abuse has real consequences.

Finally, representation matters. When LGBTQ+ players, coaches and officials are visible and supported, it sends a powerful message that football belongs to everyone. Creating safe reporting structures and genuine support systems is crucial. The Clive Barker Foundation is creating football festivals around the country and will focus on inclusion from the LGBTQ+ community in terms of coaching and selection.

Aubrey: The FA and the Premier League have recently ended their formal partnership with the Rainbow Laces campaign and are developing alternative initiatives aligned with broader inclusion efforts. Do you believe campaigns like these are effective, and if you were to design your own inclusion campaign, what would it involve?

John: Campaigns like Rainbow Laces are important because visibility still matters, especially in a sport where silence has long been the norm. However, campaigns on their own aren’t enough. If they aren’t backed up by real policy, education and accountability, they risk becoming symbolic rather than transformative.

If I were to design an inclusion campaign, it would focus less on branding and more on action. It would involve year-round education at youth and professional levels, clear reporting

mechanisms, and strong public backing from clubs and governing bodies when incidents occur.

Inclusion shouldn’t be a moment on the calendar, it should be part of the culture of the game. Unfortunately SAFA are well behind the rest of the world in this regard. Women’s football in SA gets very little if any support or coverage.

Streaming Release: 27 January 2026