Der Hammer

[Stu]

Good luck to you, Tommy. I hope this gives courage to others.

[cheltenhamlion]

The first thing that sprung to mind when I read this was pretty much what Frank covered above.

He is already very well respected for breaking down barriers in respect of his work re England and Germany. This could take things to another level of consciousness for something else that needs changing in the game.

The second was an extension of what Frank says about how football is still one of the last bastions of everything that isnt PC, for want of a better phrase, still having a home.

I was minded of Tony Soprano wanting to let bygones be bygones with a Captain in his family who was murdered as being gay was against Mafia rules.

He bollocks his replacement one day with "Maybe you should suck a cock as Vito brought in 3 times what you did on construction".

That really is how inconsequential it should be.

[go on the dog]

Great player, great bloke, wish he had come out a few months earlier I would have voted for him to be sports personality of the year. Very brave thing to do

[Rancid custard]

Good on you Tommy. Makes no difference to how I perceive the man or the player, I hope that it encourages others.

I think that on a supporting level, it would take the most universally adored footballer, someone of the likes Messi to come out to really make a 'it's really no big deal' type statement.

[purpletrousers]

I wonder if it will open doors for him in a way, maybe the normal punditry route (as he is eloquent and endearingly foreign-brummie) would be an ideal outcome, not making a 'thing' of it.

Alternatively I do wonder about a role as some sort of inclusion officer/ambassador for our club the FA/German FA etc. not that he should have to make something of it, but just an interesting thought.

I have to say am sick of hearing homophobic comments still at Football, and think I may take this as a confidence boost to challenge a fellow Villa fan if I ever hear some abuse. I've risked challenging racism before and things have got to change.

Here's to the day it's not news anymore.

Thomas Hitzlsperger is already a respected figure in German football. He writes an intelligent, provocative column for the newspaper Die Zeit and a few years ago he was given a prestigious award for his stand on racism in football. His opinion carries weight and his coming-out could do a lot of good.

Sadly, football crowds (not individual supporters) are the last stronghold of racism, xenophobia and homophobia. As an English member of the German Villans I was disgusted as recently as last summer to hear the Villa fans, guests in Bochum, chanting "Ten German Bombers". Thomas's statement has been applauded here and in Germany, but he'll never have to face a football crowd. I fear that it will be some time before the first gay player is able to come out, but today's news is a significant step on a long road.

Thanks, that's enlighteming and great to read, must catch up with my Villa best mate in Munich!

Without going too far off topic - still on the theme of stigma in football (and being a mental health professional myself) – can I ask you Frank has there been much impact following the suicide the German Keeper Robert Enke in 2009?  It always seemed a golden opportunity to really face some issues in our society & football but I’m not sure if that was ever seized?

To link the two together a little, as part of a trip a few years back, in a small way we highlighted a London mental health football project out in Uganda*, I'm going to get a feel of reaction to Tommy there from some contacts, they are so Premiership obsessed.

You may have noticed before Christmas that the Ugandan Parliament voted to a new act, including to imprison a same sex couple that touches each other, and imprison someone who doesn’t report gay people. If you indeed you do feel strongly about this issue it’s not too late to add to the opposition to try and stop it getting the final rubber stamp https://www.allout.org/en/actions/uganda-now
 
*Also a public promise before I go away/offline for 4months in April, I’ll put up some info about that trip and pics of the shirts in action, as a horribly belated thanks to those that donated Villa shirts to Uganda all that time ago. Also watched my second team SC Villa finally, on my last trip to Kamapla

[ciggiesnbeer]

Happy he is associated with our club and the reaction of our fans. Good for him.

[brian green]

He deserves and will get the praise his honesty deserves.   He is a good bloke and I wish him well.   At times like this I wish we were not so self congratulatory while other aspects of human behaviour continue to be met with bigotry.

I shall hang out the bunting when people who are fat, people who are uneducated, people who are poor, people who are dirty, people who are without work, people who are alcohol or substance dependent, people sleeping in the streets - are treated as perfectly legitimate members of the human race as we now, absolutely rightly, consider gay people to be.

[frank]

Without going too far off topic - still on the theme of stigma in football (and being a mental health professional myself) – can I ask you Frank has there been much impact following the suicide the German Keeper Robert Enke in 2009?  It always seemed a golden opportunity to really face some issues in our society & football but I’m not sure if that was ever seized?
 

Enke's death provoked great concern at the time and increased public awareness of mental health issues. There's always a danger that such cases will be forgotten after the initial shock, but the foundation set up by Enke's wife in his name is working tirelessly to promote the cause. They've made some progress, though perhaps the public understanding of the problem still isn't as great as they might have wished after 4 years.

[john2710]

He deserves and will get the praise his honesty deserves.   He is a good bloke and I wish him well.   At times like this I wish we were not so self congratulatory while other aspects of human behaviour continue to be met with bigotry.

I shall hang out the bunting when people who are fat, people who are uneducated, people who are poor, people who are dirty, people who are without work, people who are alcohol or substance dependent, people sleeping in the streets - are treated as perfectly legitimate members of the human race as we now, absolutely rightly, consider gay people to be.

Couldn't have put it better myself, except you forgot the mentally ill!

Unfortunately we'll all be long gone before that day occurs; if indeed it ever comes. It's human nature to have predudices, it's just that some are more extreme than others.

[Nelly]

One of my favourite Villa players of recent times. I've always wished him the best. Him and his Brummie accent!

[SoccerHQ]

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

Same for me. He left abruptly and it was a shame he never got a proper send off, wonder if the club will invite him back in the near future?

I can see this being a trend now of players retiring, moving away from the football environment (Hitz said when he retired in Sept that he was disillusioned with football) and then the ones that are are gay will out themselves. Why risk the amount of abuse you'd get as despite pretty much all of us on this fourm being cool with this, you just know a partisan home end would have a different take on things at most grounds across the country.

[class_of_82]

He pulled a villa shirt on and gave it everything he could, so I don't give a toss if he would of come out 5 mins before a game and told us he was gay,good luck to him

[puppyfeat]

 His last minute winner against the Boggies, and the celebratory singing to "Vindaloo" on the final whistle, was one of my favourite Villa memories.

Me too. Gay? I was fucking ecstatic!

[Legion]

[Legion]