Der Hammer

[sali,salifou]

First post on here for a long time, but felt like this was worth sharing.
Tommy Hitz has just come out, becoming possibly the biggest name in football to do so.
Well done sir, well done indeed.
http://www.zeit.de/sport/2014-01/thomas-hitzlsperger-homosexualitaet-fussball  (it's in German, but Chrome and other browsers will translate it)

[Billy Walker]

One of my favourite players of the past twenty years.  Good man, Thomas, and best of luck.

[Clampy]

Fair play to him and good luck.

[dave.woodhall]

Good luck to him, he's a brave man.

[Chris Jameson]

It's a real shame that players are only able to come out once they've retired although to be honest I don't give a stuff about their sexuality. Like him as a player and as a man and wish him well.

[N'ZMAV]

Was as good player for us. I couldn't give a fuck if players are gay or not. Shame that some people do care and feel the need to abuse people about such a thing. I doubt more players will come out.

[Mortimer's Bear]

Shoooooooooot

Decent player for us and seemed to love the club, all the best for the future Der Hammer.

[UK Redsox]

Good luck to Der Hammer

[Concrete John]

Can only echo what others have already said.

It's sad that a player and man as well respected as him still doesn't feel able to do this while still playing.   

[Villan For Life]

What an incredibly brave thing to do. Good luck to Der Hammer.

[Dante Lavelli]

Didn't see that coming.  Were there even rumours in and around birmingham. 
I'm amazed that such things can be kept sectret.

It'd be nice if this news was met by a big shrug by the media and general public.  One day...

[Dave Javu]

Shouldn't really be news, but it bloody well will be.

Good on you Tommy. I suppose you're helping to make it that it will no longer be "news" in the future.

[Disco01]

Fair play to Der Hammer for coming out I always liked him as a player. Could do with him in out midfield right now.

[Darlo Dave]

It's a real shame that players are only able to come out once they've retired although to be honest I don't give a stuff about their sexuality. Like him as a player and as a man and wish him well.

This is exactly what I thought too. We now live in a more enlightened time, so the fact that he's had to / chosen to wait until he retired is very sad. 

[Matt Collins]

I seem to remember he had a gf at bham yin when he was here. So I assume he realised he was gay over time. It was probably seeing Gavin McCann naked that did it

Good that he's come out but a shame he had to wait till he'd retired. Genuinely unsure how modern players would react. Is it such a big issue for people under 30? Or am I just basing that on a fairly unrepresentative sample of pinko liberal post uni students that I hang around with?