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In 1980 an ad was placed in the Village Voice looking for gay men interested in playing soccer in an area of Central Park known as the Ramble. This was the birth of the New York Ramblers the worlds first organized openlygay soccer club. The club provided a safe space for Ramblers all with a mutual interest and love of soccer to meet and socialize outside of the traditional settings of bars and clubs. Since the inception of the club the mission of the Ramblers remains largely unchanged to provide a comfortable and fun atmosphere for all people to enjoy the competition and camaraderie of soccer regardless of skill level sexual orientation gender race or religion to break down stereotypes about LGBTQ people in sports and to forge new friendships as part of an ongoing Ramblers family.