Remember that stuff about gay players?

[Risso]

I think the 'ladish' atmosphere football generates doesn't attract gay people to the game.  Of the gay friends I have, and admittedly it's not a big list, none of them like football.  So, in order for there to be gay footballers now, they would need to have a passion for and take up the game at a young age, which I find unlikely.  Of course, those that were unsure of their sexuality at an early age and are now finding they are gay, might well be playing somewhere.

Sorry if that sounds a bit homophobic, it's honestly not meant like that, but I just don't see young gay men being drawn to football.

I agree John, I don't think there are enough gay footballers to make it worthwhile for somebody to put his head above the parapet.  It's not like being the first is going to pave the way for dozens more to come out is it?

What do you base that on? The government figure for percentage of gay men in the UK is 6%. Why wouldn't there be a similar figure for footballers?

6% sounds low to me.

Sounds high to me.

[Chris Smith]

I think the 'ladish' atmosphere football generates doesn't attract gay people to the game.  Of the gay friends I have, and admittedly it's not a big list, none of them like football.  So, in order for there to be gay footballers now, they would need to have a passion for and take up the game at a young age, which I find unlikely.  Of course, those that were unsure of their sexuality at an early age and are now finding they are gay, might well be playing somewhere.

Sorry if that sounds a bit homophobic, it's honestly not meant like that, but I just don't see young gay men being drawn to football.

I agree John, I don't think there are enough gay footballers to make it worthwhile for somebody to put his head above the parapet.  It's not like being the first is going to pave the way for dozens more to come out is it?

What do you base that on? The government figure for percentage of gay men in the UK is 6%. Why wouldn't there be a similar figure for footballers?

Because as John says, it's not a sport that attracts many gay men.  .

Try telling that to these people.

http://www.gfsn.org.uk/

[Concrete John]

Because as John says, it's not a sport that attracts many gay men.  Government figures show that nearly 4% of the UK's population is made up of people of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin, but the actual percentage of professional footballers in this country from that group of people is pretty close to zero.

But surely that is because of social, cultural and historical factors, with Asian Britons traditionally preferring cricket, plus the history of racism in the game, whereas sexuality crosses all cultural groupings.

Although there's also an element of chicken and egg at play, I guess, in that if the sport doesn't attract gay men, it is probably because of the homophobia that exists around it.

Then there's the fact that whilst it is pretty easy to spot that a person is Asian, it is not so easy to identify a person's sexuality.

As good a word as any to desribe what I mean.

Young gay men have their own social and cultural scene, which football is very much not a part of.  For the same reason we don't get many of the aristocracy playing football we don't get many gays - it generally doesn't appeal to them.

If you want to say that's part of the problem, then I'd agree with you, but you can never take away that 'knockabout humour' from dressing rooms or the game as a whole.

[Villa'Zawg]

Because as John says, it's not a sport that attracts many gay men.  Government figures show that nearly 4% of the UK's population is made up of people of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin, but the actual percentage of professional footballers in this country from that group of people is pretty close to zero.

But surely that is because of social, cultural and historical factors, with Asian Britons traditionally preferring cricket, plus the history of racism in the game, whereas sexuality crosses all cultural groupings.

Although there's also an element of chicken and egg at play, I guess, in that if the sport doesn't attract gay men, it is probably because of the homophobia that exists around it.

Then there's the fact that whilst it is pretty easy to spot that a person is Asian, it is not so easy to identify a person's sexuality.

As good a word as any to desribe what I mean.

Young gay men have their own social and cultural scene, which football is very much not a part of.  For the same reason we don't get many of the aristocracy playing football we don't get many gays - it generally doesn't appeal to them.

If you want to say that's part of the problem, then I'd agree with you, but you can never take away that 'knockabout humour' from dressing rooms or the game as a whole.

top class footballers tend to begin playing organised football at a very young age, long before they have any awareness of their sexuality. If they are playing at an elite youth level when they do become aware of their sexuality in their teens, isn't it more likely that they just learn to keep schtum?

[Risso]

top class footballers tend to begin playing organised football at a very young age, long before they have any awareness of their sexuality. If they are playing at an elite youth level when they do become aware of their sexuality in their teens, isn't it more likely that they just learn to keep schtum?

I'd say they're statistically more likely not to make it as a footballer in the first place.

[DBTW]

top class footballers tend to begin playing organised football at a very young age, long before they have any awareness of their sexuality. If they are playing at an elite youth level when they do become aware of their sexuality in their teens, isn't it more likely that they just learn to keep schtum?

I'd say they're statistically more likely not to make it as a footballer in the first place.

Why?

[Olneythelonely]

top class footballers tend to begin playing organised football at a very young age, long before they have any awareness of their sexuality. If they are playing at an elite youth level when they do become aware of their sexuality in their teens, isn't it more likely that they just learn to keep schtum?

I'd say they're statistically more likely not to make it as a footballer in the first place.

I don't see why.

[Risso]

top class footballers tend to begin playing organised football at a very young age, long before they have any awareness of their sexuality. If they are playing at an elite youth level when they do become aware of their sexuality in their teens, isn't it more likely that they just learn to keep schtum?

I'd say they're statistically more likely not to make it as a footballer in the first place.

Why?

Because young English players, whether straight, gay, black white or whatever are statistically unlikely to make it as a Premier League player.  For every player that does make it, I bet there are twenty that have been released.

[DBTW]

top class footballers tend to begin playing organised football at a very young age, long before they have any awareness of their sexuality. If they are playing at an elite youth level when they do become aware of their sexuality in their teens, isn't it more likely that they just learn to keep schtum?

I'd say they're statistically more likely not to make it as a footballer in the first place.

Why?

Because young English players, whether straight, gay, black white or whatever are statistically unlikely to make it as a Premier League player.  For every player that does make it, I bet there are twenty that have been released.

Nobody mentioned English, just "Top Class footballers"

[Concrete John]

top class footballers tend to begin playing organised football at a very young age, long before they have any awareness of their sexuality. If they are playing at an elite youth level when they do become aware of their sexuality in their teens, isn't it more likely that they just learn to keep schtum?

In situations like that, I'd imagine they would find themselves moving away from football as their sexuality emerges.  

Imagine you just realise you're gay and your team has a player that cracks 'arse bandit' jokes in the dressing room, wouldn't you be less inclined to keep playing?  In an ideal world the player making the jokes, which would be relatively 'innocent' as he did not know a gay person was present, should be kicked out.  But in order to do that the lad would have to come forward, which he would be reluctant to do.  It's a similar story in all walks of life, but in the alpha male world of football I think the problem is magnified.

[darren woolley]

I think that if they are straight or gay there private life should remain private because it's the football we look forward to i'm not bothered about there sexuality.

[pauliewalnuts]

top class footballers tend to begin playing organised football at a very young age, long before they have any awareness of their sexuality. If they are playing at an elite youth level when they do become aware of their sexuality in their teens, isn't it more likely that they just learn to keep schtum?

In situations like that, I'd imagine they would find themselves moving away from football as their sexuality emerges.  

Imagine you just realise you're gay and your team has a player that cracks 'arse bandit' jokes in the dressing room, wouldn't you be less inclined to keep playing?  In an ideal world the player making the jokes, which would be relatively 'innocent' as he did not know a gay person was present, should be kicked out.  But in order to do that the lad would have to come forward, which he would be reluctant to do.  It's a similar story in all walks of life, but in the alpha male world of football I think the problem is magnified.

That's an indication of how attitudes to homophobia still need a bit of work.

It isn't acceptable to be racist just because there aren't any black people around, so surely, strictly speaking, the same thing should apply to homophobia?

[Concrete John]

I wasn't suggesting it was OK without a gay person around, just that it wasn't intentional bullying towards them.

[Risso]

top class footballers tend to begin playing organised football at a very young age, long before they have any awareness of their sexuality. If they are playing at an elite youth level when they do become aware of their sexuality in their teens, isn't it more likely that they just learn to keep schtum?

In situations like that, I'd imagine they would find themselves moving away from football as their sexuality emerges.  

Imagine you just realise you're gay and your team has a player that cracks 'arse bandit' jokes in the dressing room, wouldn't you be less inclined to keep playing?  In an ideal world the player making the jokes, which would be relatively 'innocent' as he did not know a gay person was present, should be kicked out.  But in order to do that the lad would have to come forward, which he would be reluctant to do.  It's a similar story in all walks of life, but in the alpha male world of football I think the problem is magnified.

That's an indication of how attitudes to homophobia still need a bit of work.

It isn't acceptable to be racist just because there aren't any black people around, so surely, strictly speaking, the same thing should apply to homophobia?

It should, but society is nowhere near at that level yet.

[Mac]

Yeah, it takes one brave man to start to change that. First one, then two then three and then, seasons later admittedly, gay footballers will become accepted by society as black players have.

It just takes ONE! Yet despite the bravado of the 2010 playing generation, none it would seem are brave enough. Shame on them!

One did come out a few years ago, he ended up committing suicide.

Didn't he get a tremendous amount of stick from his brother?