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Author Topic: Footballer in gay magazine  (Read 32473 times)

Offline pauliewalnuts

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Footballer in gay magazine
« on: January 03, 2013, 11:24:49 PM »
Fair play to Matt Jarvis.

Quote
Footballer in gay magazine: it's time to tackle the last taboo

West Ham United winger Matt Jarvis appears on cover of Attitude and says gay footballers should feel able to come out

West Ham United winger Matt Jarvis has become only the third footballer to feature on the cover of the UK's bestselling gay magazine in an effort to break one of the game's biggest remaining taboos. The footballer, who is married, follows David Beckham, who appeared on the cover of Attitude in 2002, and Freddie Ljungberg in 2006. The magazine has been published since 1994.

In an interview, the winger said it was time that a gay footballer felt comfortable enough to come out. "It's everyday life. It's not something that's going to be a shock," he said. "I'm sure there are many footballers who are gay, but when they decide to actually come out and say it, it is a different story. It's one that I'm sure they've thought about many times. But it's a hard thing for them to do."

In 1990 Justin Fashanu – the first black £1m footballer, who played for Norwich, Nottingham Forest and Hearts – suffered extended abuse after coming out. He killed himself eight years later.

The only footballer to come out since is Anton Hysen, a player in the Swedish lower leagues.

Asked about Clare Balding's recent comments that being out could help a sportsperson's performance, Jarvis said: "I'd agree with that. Because you've always got something you're worried about at the back of your mind. If you can let that go and then just concentrate on your one goal, which is whichever sport you're doing to the best of your ability, I think that would help. Definitely."

Jarvis told Attitude that he thought times had changed and an openly gay footballer would receive the support he needed. "There'd be support everywhere within the football community, whether it be players, fans or within the PFA [Professional Footballers' Association]. There would definitely be groups of people who would be supportive and help them through it," he said.

Homophobia in football remains a stubborn problem, said Alice Ashworth, policy officer at Stonewall. "Our polling has found that one in four football fans think it is an anti-gay sport, while seven in 10 fans had heard homophobic abuse on the terraces. There is still a culture in the game that means being gay is not tolerated in the same way as it is in other professions and society at large," she said. The charity works closely with the FA and the PFA following YouGov research in 2009 in which half of respondents felt key football organisations were not doing enough.

Matthew Todd, the editor of Attitude, said it was time football started tackling homophobia in the same way it addressed racism. "It's ridiculous that there are no openly gay players in professional football," he said. "There's rightly been a focus on ridding the beautiful game of racism, but there doesn't seem to be much effort to tackle homophobia. We know there are gay players – and fans who support the game religiously – so I hope this starts a discussion and is a small step in the right direction."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/03/football-homophobia-attitude

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2013, 11:35:35 PM »
Still can't see it happening anytime soon.

The reality is the player who comes out would have huge media focus on him, he'd probably have to do a million interviews for SSN, chat shows etc, the next game he plays would probably be on tv, all the opposition crowd would be on him....

Maybe come see a few retired players revealing it, bit like Justin Fashanu.

Online Sexual Ealing

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2013, 11:40:29 PM »
I don't go to games very often so I guess it's easy for me to say, but surely fans could be self-policing on something like this, i.e. when some fucking dickheads inevitably start giving out tiresome and unfunny abuse they just get shouted down and told to fuck off, like they would if they were being racist?

After Fashnu I know it'll seem like a big thing but, really, it's 2013, we all know and are friends with (or at least work with) gay people now. This shouldn't really be a thing, should it?

Offline Concrete John

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2013, 11:40:48 PM »
Still can't see it happening anytime soon.

The reality is the player who comes out would have huge media focus on him, he'd probably have to do a million interviews for SSN, chat shows etc, the next game he plays would probably be on tv, all the opposition crowd would be on him....

Maybe come see a few retired players revealing it, bit like Justin Fashanu.

I'd agree with the last bit, but then why haven't we seen that?   

Surely a gay former player now in say their late 30s would have trouble staying in the closet when it's time to settle down with someone?

Offline Chipsticks

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2013, 11:44:34 PM »
With regards to players, I don't really care about their sexuality. If someone comes out, so what? Why should I give one about what they do in their bedrooms. The problem is the fans and homophobic chants, that needs to stop.

We've all done it!

It says 'invalid YouTube link', but it was the Holte End signing to Upson:


Online Sexual Ealing

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2013, 11:47:54 PM »

Offline Salsa Party Animal

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2013, 11:48:39 PM »
Don't think it will happens very easily as football fans (and players/managers ) can be very very nasty to players with abuses. Football have enough problems with racism.

Offline Chipsticks

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2013, 11:51:51 PM »


We've all done it!



No, we haven't.

Well, not saying that you or I have, just that our club has done it.

Offline Greg N'Ash

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2013, 11:53:41 PM »
aye, its the fans. Its not about homophobia for a lot of them but exploiting a percieved weakness in the opossition and the oportunity to wind them up. Spurs fans kept that Sol Campbell thing going for years - I have no idea if he is gay but loads of people assumed he was because of it.

Online Sexual Ealing

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2013, 12:12:03 AM »


We've all done it!



No, we haven't.

Well, not saying that you or I have, just that our club has done it.

Fair enough then. But such a scenario isn't one where I'd be happy to be tarred with that brush, Villa fan or not. In fact, I'd rather not bother with Villa at all if it meant being a c*** on an industrial scale like that with 'fellow' fans.

Offline Hammer

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2013, 12:40:15 AM »
With regards to players, I don't really care about their sexuality. If someone comes out, so what? Why should I give one about what they do in their bedrooms. The problem is the fans and homophobic chants, that needs to stop.

We've all done it!

It says 'invalid YouTube link', but it was the Holte End signing to Upson:



To the tune of a Village People song popularised by the Pet Shop Boys.

Offline VinnieChase84

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2013, 07:16:27 AM »
I don't go to games very often so I guess it's easy for me to say, but surely fans could be self-policing on something like this, i.e. when some fucking dickheads inevitably start giving out tiresome and unfunny abuse they just get shouted down and told to fuck off, like they would if they were being racist?

After Fashnu I know it'll seem like a big thing but, really, it's 2013, we all know and are friends with (or at least work with) gay people now. This shouldn't really be a thing, should it?
aye, its the fans. Its not about homophobia for a lot of them but exploiting a percieved weakness in the opossition and the oportunity to wind them up. Spurs fans kept that Sol Campbell thing going for years - I have no idea if he is gay but loads of people assumed he was because of it.

There was a story not too long ago about Campbell and Craig David snogging in a club in London.

Offline PaulTheVillan

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2013, 07:44:14 AM »
Remember Robbie Fowler taunting Graeme Le Saux?

Offline garyshawsknee

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2013, 08:32:59 AM »
I remember when we played West Ham and Upson got some terrible homophobic stuff chanted at him,it was pretty loud,and this was only a few years ago.

Going to Luton matches in the 80s as a kid and every week there were chants about Elton John,and it was accepted back then,so I think things have improved,but there's a long way to go still,and things won't change until a PL player comes out.

Offline Lizz

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Re: Footballer in gay magazine
« Reply #14 on: January 04, 2013, 09:26:43 AM »
Sol Campbell is married and has a child, which I realise doesn't preclude him from being gay, though I don't believe he is.

 


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