February marks LGBT+ History Month, which aims to increase the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, their history, lives and experiences, in the wider community.
To celebrate the month, we spoke to lifelong Fulham supporter Barnaby Ambrose and his partner Chris Gallagher, who is a fan of a team we’ve got plenty of history with – Derby County.
For a long time, the 1983 fiasco at the Baseball Ground would be most fans’ go-to memory of Fulham-Derby encounters, but recent history has of course thrown up some happier occasions, for Barnaby at least!
Reflecting on our 2018 Play-Off Semi-Final win over the Rams, Barnaby recalled: “Chris said that the better side won. I was definitely gracious in victory!
“One of us had to lose, and he wished us luck in the Final. We’ll always cheer on each other’s team when they’re playing, but it’s not the same as supporting your own side of course.”
The couple were unable to attend the two-legged tie in person as they were away at the time, and they did not even watch the games together, such was the suspense.
“We had separate rooms because we were so nervous,” Barnaby recalled. “The tension was immense!”
Chris added: “We have managed to get to a few Fulham-Derby matches over the years, and they certainly are tense. A draw is usually not the worst outcome in these games for us!
“For the Play-Offs we were unfortunately away in Jersey for both legs. We managed to watch them on our iPhones in the hotel, though in separate rooms! Obviously our situation is quite unique so we were interviewed by Radio Derby at the time, asking our thoughts on the game and who we thought would end up disappointed.”
As we know, Barnaby ended up with the bragging rights, leading to a day at Wembley that he, and countless others, will never forget.
“I went to the Final on my own as I could only get hold of one ticket,” he explained. “I wanted to take Chris but tickets were in massive demand. I was amazed I managed to get myself one.
“Everything about that day was immense. The journey there, the pre-match build-up, the White Wall, the stadium, the sea of flags. It took my breath away and, of course, the lads did the job on the pitch.
“I’d say that game ranks up there with the best, although our rise to the Premier League, the European adventure, the Great Escape, all deserve special mentions in their own right.”
Barnaby grew up a literal stone’s throw from Craven Cottage, moving across the road midway through what was an eventful season for Malcolm Macdonald’s Fulham team.
“We moved to Finlay Street in January 1983, so if memory serves that will be a little time before our infamous game against Derby,” he said. “I knew of the history of Fulham and Derby long before I met Chris, as it was always a topic I spoke to my Dad about seeing as we moved to Fulham around that time.
“I first saw us play Derby County on 29th November 2000. We beat them in the League Cup when we were in Division One and they were Premier League. Two years later I was on MSN Chat and started talking to a Derby fan about that game. This person turned out to be Chris, so it was by sheer chance that we started talking. We met the following year for the first time when Derby played Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. You could therefore say Derby brought us together!
“I think it helps having a partner who understands your passion for football. For example, neither of our teams this year are as high up in the table as they could be, so we feel like we are in this together. We also have many Fulham and Derby County friends, so this also helps massively.
“We are very active on Twitter and have made a lot of friends on there. It’s great to interact with so many fans, and both Chris and I have benefited a lot over lockdown from this. It’s a difficult time for everyone at the moment so having football to watch is a massive release, but we both agree football will never be the same without fans. We miss Craven Cottage and Pride Park, respectively, so much.”
The Football versus Homophobia campaign has gathered significant pace in recent years as we aim to make it a sport for everyone.
Thankfully Barnaby has always felt welcome at matches, and he’s been pleased to see his heroes embrace the fight.
“I am so proud seeing the Rainbow Laces campaign,” he said. “I always feel pride when I see players adopt it.
“Fulham has always been a family club, and I love that. I’ve always felt safe and part of a family, never been afraid to be who I am. As they say, football is for everyone, so it’s great to see LGBT+ History Month getting more prominence in football. I think it’s vital, it’s an important message that football is for everyone and that everyone should be treated equally.
“Personally, I’ve never had an issue at Craven Cottage, or any ground I have been to. I know, however, that it’s not always like this and there are issues still going on. It makes what we are doing here all the more important. We need to respect everyone.”
