In the middle of the 1990s a number of gay football clubs were forming across the United Kingdom, primarily to offer LGBT people in their local region the opportunity to play football in a welcoming and friendly environment.
Eventually in 2002, a competitive league was formed, founded by four teams; Yorkshire Terriers F.C, Leicester Wildecats F.C, Leftfooters F.C. (based in London), and Bristol Panthers F.C. The first GNL fixture kicked-off on Sunday 29 September 2002, with Leicester Wildecats defeating Yorkshire Terriers 5-1.