Footballer in gay magazine

[Ger Regan]

About 1.5% of the population consider them selves gay or lesbian.

you could assume that that would mean that about 1.5% of the football players are gay, however only 1% of men consider themselves gay so that reduces the potential gay footballers to 1%.

Now we can probably assume that a portion of gay people may not be drawn into football and then reduce that again by the number who actually make it.

So the numbers of actual players who are playing that may be gay is more than likely very very small

HA! How on earth can you come up with a statistic like that? Does this include all nations where being homosexual is considered a crime because I'm guessing they would not come forward freely to state they are gay. Also, I think this country, on the whole, is not set-up for homosexuals to just be themselves. I can imagine it being very difficult. Look at the stupid and ridiculous chanting that goes on when a footballer is even alleged to be homosexual!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/sep/23/gay-britain-ons

[Chris Jameson]

I can't see a player 'coming out' whilst the likes of much respected...cough...senior professional Rio Ferdinand have been known to use the term 'gay' as an insult, the stick Graham Le Saux got simply for reading the Guardian and being reasonably well educated served as a warning.

To be honest I wouldn't know how many gay people i've worked with over the years as I tend to never ask who they prefer sleeping with or what religion they are, I know what football team they support though if any. I work in the Theatre industry though which is without a shadow of a doubt 100% heterosexual.

[MonsXI]

Two Russian players have come out or may have been outed, I fear those two will have a tough time ahead in a country with some very backwards attitudes towards minorities.

[Risso]

I can't see a player 'coming out' whilst the likes of much respected...cough...senior professional Rio Ferdinand have been known to use the term 'gay' as an insult, the stick Graham Le Saux got simply for reading the Guardian and being reasonably well educated served as a warning.

To be honest I wouldn't know how many gay people i've worked with over the years as I tend to never ask who they prefer sleeping with or what religion they are, I know what football team they support though if any. I work in the Theatre industry though which is without a shadow of a doubt 100% heterosexual.

I think anybody reading The Guardian deserves all the stick they get, frankly.

[hawkeye]

About 1.5% of the population consider them selves gay or lesbian.

you could assume that that would mean that about 1.5% of the football players are gay, however only 1% of men consider themselves gay so that reduces the potential gay footballers to 1%.

Now we can probably assume that a portion of gay people may not be drawn into football and then reduce that again by the number who actually make it.

So the numbers of actual players who are playing that may be gay is more than likely very very small

Most Gays that I have known hate football, so I think this reduces the odds a bit.

[MarkM]

About 1.5% of the population consider them selves gay or lesbian.

you could assume that that would mean that about 1.5% of the football players are gay, however only 1% of men consider themselves gay so that reduces the potential gay footballers to 1%.

Now we can probably assume that a portion of gay people may not be drawn into football and then reduce that again by the number who actually make it.

So the numbers of actual players who are playing that may be gay is more than likely very very small

HA! How on earth can you come up with a statistic like that? Does this include all nations where being homosexual is considered a crime because I'm guessing they would not come forward freely to state they are gay. Also, I think this country, on the whole, is not set-up for homosexuals to just be themselves. I can imagine it being very difficult. Look at the stupid and ridiculous chanting that goes on when a footballer is even alleged to be homosexual!

What's with the 'Ha!' It's not my statistic it's from the ONS survey

[john e]

About 1.5% of the population consider them selves gay or lesbian.

you could assume that that would mean that about 1.5% of the football players are gay, however only 1% of men consider themselves gay so that reduces the potential gay footballers to 1%.

Now we can probably assume that a portion of gay people may not be drawn into football and then reduce that again by the number who actually make it.

So the numbers of actual players who are playing that may be gay is more than likely very very small

Most Gays that I have known hate football, so I think this reduces the odds a bit.

i've got a gay brother in law (long story)  he was very clever and used to go around the trivial pursuit board with ease in the 80's, untill he landed on sport, he was shit on sport, only thing i could beat him on

[Risso]

About 1.5% of the population consider them selves gay or lesbian.

you could assume that that would mean that about 1.5% of the football players are gay, however only 1% of men consider themselves gay so that reduces the potential gay footballers to 1%.

Now we can probably assume that a portion of gay people may not be drawn into football and then reduce that again by the number who actually make it.

So the numbers of actual players who are playing that may be gay is more than likely very very small

Most Gays that I have known hate football, so I think this reduces the odds a bit.

i've got a gay brother in law (long story)  he was very clever and used to go around the trivial pursuit board with ease in the 80's, untill he landed on sport, he was shit on sport, only thing i could beat him on

I bet he was ace at the show business category though.

[john e]

About 1.5% of the population consider them selves gay or lesbian.

you could assume that that would mean that about 1.5% of the football players are gay, however only 1% of men consider themselves gay so that reduces the potential gay footballers to 1%.

Now we can probably assume that a portion of gay people may not be drawn into football and then reduce that again by the number who actually make it.

So the numbers of actual players who are playing that may be gay is more than likely very very small

Most Gays that I have known hate football, so I think this reduces the odds a bit.

i've got a gay brother in law (long story)  he was very clever and used to go around the trivial pursuit board with ease in the 80's, untill he landed on sport, he was shit on sport, only thing i could beat him on

I bet he was ace at the show business category though.

he was well into the new romantics music scene,and would wear all the make up and flouncy clothes,
then when it went out of fashion he just kept on wearing it, thats when we started to suspect

[Bernie]

Justin Fashanu killed himslef after allegations of sexual assault were made against him in the US, not because of homophobic comments made on the terraces, sick that they are.

I never said that. Just that his brother disowned him. Fashanu liked to preach about the horrors of racism back in the day while his own prejudices against his gay brother were very much alive. Double standards indeed.

I do remember some time after the suicide a contrite John F. taking part in a related documentary and saying something along the lines of how ashamed he was of his reaction to Justin's coming out. How sincere his contrition was I've no idea

[Yossarian]

About 1.5% of the population consider them selves gay or lesbian.

you could assume that that would mean that about 1.5% of the football players are gay, however only 1% of men consider themselves gay so that reduces the potential gay footballers to 1%.

Now we can probably assume that a portion of gay people may not be drawn into football and then reduce that again by the number who actually make it.

So the numbers of actual players who are playing that may be gay is more than likely very very small

HA! How on earth can you come up with a statistic like that? Does this include all nations where being homosexual is considered a crime because I'm guessing they would not come forward freely to state they are gay. Also, I think this country, on the whole, is not set-up for homosexuals to just be themselves. I can imagine it being very difficult. Look at the stupid and ridiculous chanting that goes on when a footballer is even alleged to be homosexual!

What's with the 'Ha!' It's not my statistic it's from the ONS survey

That's about five players who are in a Premiership squad at the moment (using 25 players in a squad as a rough estimation, 20 teams, 1% gay footballers) who are gay.

I definitely heard a More or Less where they looked into the ONS Survey and felt that that it was probably an underestimate. Though it was definitely nowhere near McKinsey's 10% (he apparently asked men who had just come out of public toilets amongst many). It showed quite nicely the problems of attaining a fair sample and the problems of definition (what does gay mean;someone who is in a gay relationship now, someone who has dabbled, someone who has an attraction to another man?).

[damon loves JT]

Someone who is good with colours

[oldham_villa]

Well we probably have the lot then, as they are no finer colours then claret and blue

[Vancouver]

I can see it happening in the near future, a current player near the end of their career coming out. The attention, the money, the TV career, being on the front of all the magzines. It will be too much of an incentive to ignore.

[LeeB]

I can see it happening in the near future, a current player near the end of their career coming out. The attention, the money, the TV career, being on the front of all the magzines. It will be too much of an incentive to ignore.

Very cynical, but very true.