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Away From Home: The Untold Stories of Women Football Fans exhibition at the Beacon of Light.
"The partnership with Durham University, particularly the work of Professor Stacey Pope, is truly valuable. We have another a number of things going on with the Vice Chancellor of Durham University in the community. It's so prestigious for the Foundation of Light to be connected to Durham University." says Sir Bob Murray as a new exhibition opens Sunderland.
Following a successful launch at Durham University's Sports and Wellbeing Park, Graham Sport Centre, in October; the pop-up exhibition telling the stories of women fans of Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC from the 1950s to the present day is now on display to visitors at the Beacon of Light, Sunderland from 11th March to the end of the Premier League season.
Away From Home: The Untold Stories of Women Football Fans features the stories of Newcastle and Sunderland fans who share personal accounts of how they became supporters, their passion for football and their love for their clubs. The exhibition, co-developed with the Durham University Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions Team, includes hand-made football scarves made by Newcastle and Sunderland fans from across the Northeast and a football banner created by a Durham-based Creative Age group which is made up of adults living with dementia and their carers.
The exhibition is based on the research by DSES' Professor Stacey Pope, who is an expert in gender and football fandom. The fan accounts collected by Stacey and her team reveal a variety of positive and negative experiences of women supporting their club in a traditionally male-dominated space. Stacey’s wider research includes work with local police forces and the Premier League to ensure that attending football matches is a safe, inclusive and welcoming experience for everyone. To read more on this and watch an interview, see this BBC Sport article on Sexism in Football.
Sir Bob Murray, who attended a special event to celebrate the opening of the exhibition at the Beacon of Light said it is a “powerful reminder” of the importance of women in the club’s history. Sir Bob founded the club’s official charity, the Foundation of Light, during his time as Chairman. He said:
“Football clubs are nothing without their supporters, and this exhibition is a powerful reminder of the role women have played in Sunderland’s story across generations.
“When I first joined the club, the game was very different, largely male, with an older fanbase. I always believed football should be more inclusive and reflective of its community.
“Today, Sunderland has one of the highest proportions of female season card holders in the country and one of the youngest female fanbases attending games, something we’re incredibly proud of.
“Because without supporters, there is no football club, and without their stories, there is no history.”
An online version of the exhibition (which features stories from women fans of Newcastle United and Sunderland) is available to view here.