?% Villa (is that a thing, that % business?) Homophobia in Football

[Lucky Eddie]

I for one shall warmly applaud the first gay footballer to come out during their career.

I think it smacks of cowardice that no one is prepared to lead the way for young teenagers struggling with such a brave decision themselves.

But that's just my opinion.

[Risso]

I for one shall warmly applaud the first gay footballer to come out during their career.

I think it smacks of cowardice that no one is prepared to lead the way for young teenagers struggling with such a brave decision themselves.

But that's just my opinion.

And unless you've had a similar decision to wrestle with, how could you possibly understand how hard it is?

[Lucky Eddie]

I for one shall warmly applaud the first gay footballer to come out during their career.

I think it smacks of cowardice that no one is prepared to lead the way for young teenagers struggling with such a brave decision themselves.

But that's just my opinion.

And unless you've had a similar decision to wrestle with, how could you possibly understand how hard it is?

I don't doubt for one moment it's the hardest decision a bloke can make, but plumbers make it, chefs make it, postmen make it; but millionaire footballers must be kept in glass cabinets.

[Risso]

Chefs don't work in the same environment and wouldn't have tens of thousands of people screaming abuse at them.

[Lucky Eddie]

Chefs don't work in the same environment and wouldn't have tens of thousands of people screaming abuse at them.

You're right - they tend to be the ones screaming abuse.

Ground breaking decision for the first footballer to make but one that embarrasses the whole of football until someone has the bottle to do it.

[Dave]

I for one shall warmly applaud the first gay footballer to come out during their career.

Justin Fashanu came out during his career back in 1990.

[Risso]

Chefs don't work in the same environment and wouldn't have tens of thousands of people screaming abuse at them.

You're right - they tend to be the ones screaming abuse.

Ground breaking decision for the first footballer to make but one that embarrasses the whole of football until someone has the bottle to do it.

It's a complicated subject.  Without wishing to stereotype, I can see why it's a much easier decision if you're say, an advertising executive in London than a reserve defender for Burnley.  Is football any worse than other male-dominated industries?

[Dave Cooper please]

It's a complicated subject.  Without wishing to stereotype, I can see why it's a much easier decision if you're say, an advertising executive in London than a reserve defender for Burnley.  Is football any worse than other male-dominated industries?

Exactly because in no other industry do you have thousands of booze-filled, adrenaline fuelled, predominantly male people watching your every move, and like it or not football fans are not exactly the most PC demographic are they?
 Look, my brother is gay, it took him years to even come out to his family never mind his workmates and the wider world, and he was just an advertising clerk for a travel company. Unless you have the experience I really don't think you can judge how difficult it is even in these more enlightened times, possibly even more so given the events of the last few months and the green light these events seem to have given to the bigots of this world.

[Lucky Eddie]

It's a complicated subject.  Without wishing to stereotype, I can see why it's a much easier decision if you're say, an advertising executive in London than a reserve defender for Burnley.  Is football any worse than other male-dominated industries?

Exactly because in no other industry do you have thousands of booze-filled, adrenaline fuelled, predominantly male people watching your every move, and like it or not football fans are not exactly the most PC demographic are they?
 Look, my brother is gay, it took him years to even come out to his family never mind his workmates and the wider world, and he was just an advertising clerk for a travel company. Unless you have the experience I really don't think you can judge how difficult it is even in these more enlightened times, possibly even more so given the events of the last few months and the green light these events seem to have given to the bigots of this world.

Do you think it might have been easier for him if there were several if not dozens of high profile professional footballers who'd been brave enough to be honest with their adoring fans over the last decade?

I have several adult sides that I'm involved with, odds are some of my own players are struggling to make a decision to come out which could be much easier on them if the pro game showed some bottle.

[saunders_heroes]

It's a complicated subject.  Without wishing to stereotype, I can see why it's a much easier decision if you're say, an advertising executive in London than a reserve defender for Burnley.  Is football any worse than other male-dominated industries?

Exactly because in no other industry do you have thousands of booze-filled, adrenaline fuelled, predominantly male people watching your every move, and like it or not football fans are not exactly the most PC demographic are they?
 Look, my brother is gay, it took him years to even come out to his family never mind his workmates and the wider world, and he was just an advertising clerk for a travel company. Unless you have the experience I really don't think you can judge how difficult it is even in these more enlightened times, possibly even more so given the events of the last few months and the green light these events seem to have given to the bigots of this world.

Do you think it might have been easier for him if there were several if not dozens of high profile professional footballers who'd been brave enough to be honest with their adoring fans over the last decade?

I have several adult sides that I'm involved with, odds are some of my own players are struggling to make a decision to come out which could be much easier on them if the pro game showed some bottle.

So you're suggesting they're the cowards for not coming out?

[MoetVillan]

I would suggest the pro game itself should be pro sexual choice, back anyone who wishes to come out and help educate fans about what it means. Its hardly cowardice to think you are being thrown to the lions, more self preservation. When has Match of the day spoken about it in general or sky sports?

[Chinchilla Bathhouse]

I really don't like the angle you're taking here, Eddie. Undeniably it would take considerable bravery for a professional footballer to come out, but it's incredibly harsh to label someone a coward for not doing so. It's a huge decision for someone to make, it's no one else's place to judge how easy it is or when it should happen. You seem to be saying that gay players have a duty to come out for the sake of others, and to not do so is a selfish choice. I think that's grossly unfair. I don't think that attitude helps at all.

[Ger Regan]

I really don't like the angle you're taking here, Eddie. Undeniably it would take considerable bravery for a professional footballer to come out, but it's incredibly harsh to label someone a coward for not doing so. It's a huge decision for someone to make, it's no one else's place to judge how easy it is or when it should happen. You seem to be saying that gay players have a duty to come out for the sake of others, and to not do so is a selfish choice. I think that's grossly unfair. I don't think that attitude helps at all.

Agree totally.

[Dave Cooper please]

I have several adult sides that I'm involved with, odds are some of my own players are struggling to make a decision to come out which could be much easier on them if the pro game showed some bottle.

No doubt, but put yourself in the shoes of a gay professional footballer (if you possibly can) who has seen what happened to the only player to come out (Justin Fashanu) and also the disgusting abuse the likes of Upson and Le Saux got even though neither were actually even gay.
 Would you do it? You might say yes, but then you aren't gay (I presume?).

 Ultimately it really shouldn't matter, and gay footballers should just say "Yes I'm gay" and we'd all shrug like the decent folk we mostly are, but it won't happen like that and deep down we all know it.

[Ger Regan]

I shudder to think what the daily mail's reaction would be like.