Barely Athletic are in a league of their own. This incompetent five-a-side football team is the subject of Tom Wells’ comedy Jumpers for Goalposts, which comes to the Abbey Theatre from this week.

The play, which premiered at Watford Palace Theatre in 2013, is set in the changing rooms and follows the team as they attempt to compete for the trophy in the Gay, Lesbian and Transexual League in Hull. Their only success has been beating Tranny United - a team, as their name might suggest, who play in stiletto heels.

Barely Athletic nurse their wounds after each match - you can’t fault them for trying.

“It’s a witty, funny play, which at the same time is heart-wrenching,” says Gavin Mathers, who plays the gay busker, Beardy Geoff in the Company of Ten’s production. “It starts off like a comedy, but by the end it is a touching tragedy where you get invested in the characters and their relationships.”

Gavin goes on to talk about stereotypes in professional football, saying: “Footballers are afraid to come out as gay because of the stigma. The play flips this on its head. Everybody on the team is gay except for Joe and he is seen as the ‘token straight’. So everybody is quite open about their sexuality and they are happy about it.

“There are parts of the play that touch upon people still not accepting it, but it says that you can be a footballer and be gay, and you’re proud of that. A lot of people see gay people as being very flamboyant, in some cases that is true and that is who they are, but in terms of our characters, they are very much like everyone else.

“They don’t flaunt it. They are just who they are.”

Speaking about his character, the 25-year-old explains: “Beardy has a beard so I’ve grown a beard, which I have never done before - it’s come off okay I think, although most of my family don’t really like it.

“Beardy has actually had quite a traumatic experience being gay. He finds out that not a lot of people accept him for who he is. But what is good about him is that he doesn’t care what people think and is very much himself.

“He is also the glue that holds the team together, despite being very sarcastic and often making fun of the other players. But he loves them like a family.”

Gavin, who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa but has lived in St Albans for the past year, has a musical background and adds that he is similar to his character.

“He’s a 25-year-old busker who plays a guitar, but doesn’t play it the best in the world and that kind of is me. I play the guitar, I’m not the best player in the world but I give it a go. He sings, I sing. He enjoys sport, so do I.”

Gavin, who works as a complaints specialist, studied Modern Drama Studies at Brunel University where he also gained scholarship for singing and taught himself to play the guitar by watching Youtube videos.

The Arsenal supporter, who is getting married next year, says: “I’ve always been quite an active person. I’ve never been a footballer, I’m more of a rugby and I used to play a lot of rugby and cricket. But I can kick a ball around... I always enjoyed doing that and playing football.

“I used to do a lot of gymnastics as well and dance too when I was younger – although I don’t dance as much now.

Gavin fell into work after university so has not performed since but has missed being on stage.

“Juggling work, with rehearsals, planning a wedding and also buying a house is tough to say the least, so all my time it taken up. When I do have spare time I like to hang out with my brother, put a camera to my hand and take pictures, film and document things. I have always been a creative person and I ever want to lose touch with that.”

Abbey Theatre, Westminster Lodge, Holywell Hill, St Albans, June 10-18. Details: 01727 857861, abbeytheatre.org.uk