How football – and Peter Crouch – are making history on Transgender Day of Visibility

In the first game of its kind, a team of 11 transgender women is taking part in a football match today to mark this year’s Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV).

Amongst those making history will be Paula Griffin, a 57-year-old player for TRUK United FC, a team set up to support people in the transgender community.

The encounter will see Paula and her teammates take to the pitch to play a friendly against the South East London club Dulwich Hamlet Women’s team. 

And stepping in to help manage TRUK United FC is none other than former England striker Peter Crouch, who joined Dulwich Hamlet FC’s board of directors in June 2021. 

In aid of trans support line TRUK Listens, the charity match is also being filmed as part of Crouchy’s football documentary series commissioned by Discovery+ UK, telling the story of the footie legend’s quest to bring the 129-year-old club – which he played for as a teen – back to life. 

For South-Londoner Paula Griffin, there couldn’t be a better way to kick off World TVOD than to be taking up centre half position. Speaking from Dulwich Hamlet FC’s home ground, Champion Hill, she tells Metro.co.uk that despite so much excitement and anticipation for the event, there’s been little time to entertain any feelings of nerves.

‘It is so life affirming and brilliant to be accepted as a transgender woman in the world of football and the fact we are actually now playing a professional match is a dream come true,’ she explains. ‘It is the first professional game I have played since I transitioned and I think we stand a really good chance of winning.

‘The other team are so supportive of us and there has been only positive vibes from them. I was always worried I may not be accepted as someone who wanted to play