For Gyford, not only does that family include both his relatives and friends in his local South Norwood area, where he was born and raised, but also the wider community of Proud and Palace, Palace’s LGBT+ supporters group.
A Season Ticket holder since he was 10 years old, the now-36 Gyford, who co-chairs the group, says of Palace: “I just love how down-to-earth it is. Although it’s a Premier League club, it still feels like it used to – it still feels community-based.”
Proud and Palace is one such thriving community. The group has grown rapidly since its formation by Stephanie Fuller in 2014, inviting both LGBT+ supporters and allies to share their passion for the Eagles in a safe, welcoming space.
“It’s a community group which, first and foremost, is based around supporting Palace,” Gyford surmises.
“The coincidence happens to be that it’s mainly from the LGBT+ community, but we’ve got a wide range of people within the group, and friends of members always come along to our events and to meet before and after games.
“It’s grown. There are now a couple of hundred people on our mailing list, we’ve got a big WhatsApp group, and we’ve had various amounts of people represent us at different Pride events over the years.
“I first got involved in 2018. I saw them at Pride in London and didn’t realise that Palace had an LGBT+ supporters’ group. I got in touch with them, met Steph before a game, and now help quite a lot.
“Every now and then, we’ll put a message out to ask who’s keen on joining, and we always find a few more people who are interested! It grows a bit more every year."
