http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20553795 Gareth Southgate believes that gay footballers would be accepted by other players, but also that they may not be tolerated by the fans. It comes after Anders Lindegaard spoke to the Telegraph saying that "homosexuals are in need of a hero". All this comes on the back of the story of Anton Hysen, a player in Sweden who has become the first player since Justin Fashanu to come out as gay. The issue of tolerance, be it towards race or sexuality or whatever, has been a hot topic in recent months in the run up to the Euros in Poland and Ukraine, with a lot of coverage being dedicated to bringing the issue to a wider audience (although admittedly a lot of this coverage wasn't exactly of the highest quality), so what do we as fans think of this? If one of our own players came out as gay, how would you react? Do we believe there are even gay players playing at the highest level?
Statistically it's very likely there are gay players in the premier league. I think Southgate is right, footballers are a more open-minded bunch than they are given credit for, after all they do work in an environment with several different nationalities, races, religions, languages and so on, why should they be shocked by one more difference? But as we've seen with the recent racist and anti-semitic chants, some fans are still living in the 70s and any player who came out as gay would have to be very brave indeed. It would take a player who is universally respected, and there aren't many of those, to get the fans to give him a chance. For that reason, although it's sad no-one will come out as gay when as Lindegaard says a Gareth Thomas figure is needed in football to change attitudes, I can hardly blame the players for keeping it quiet.
Yes, I would've thought law of averages suggests there are some gay footballers at the top level. I don't see why it should bother me if someone on my own team or another were gay or not. Same way I don't care whether our players practise a religion, or what culture they come from. Be it Lambert, Ramirez, Mayuka or Yoshida - I want them all to do well because that means the team can do well. It certainly wouldn't make me biased against them for it. I can see how it would open you up to abuse more from the opposition than anything, but that's pretty low. But then if fans are going to chant racist things, then they probably would abuse players over this. Tough one.
Lindegaard is from the most progressive part of the world, where intolerant arseholes are clearly in the minority. I don't think we're quite ready for that in the UK. I think we put on a tolerant, liberal facade, but there is a large proportion of people who are racist and homophobic, but don't speak out about it because they're afraid of the "PC brigade". When they're in large crowds of their own kind, however, they speak their minds. I think an openly gay footballer in the Premier League would receive unbearable levels of abuse from the stands.
Have you heard the story of a boxing fight between Benny Paret and Emile Griffith? Paret taunted Griffith at the weigh in by calling him a maricon (Spanish for ***got), as there were many allegations about his sexuality. He almost decked him there and then, and when the fight came about, Griffith hit him until he was out cold, and kept hitting him until the referee broke it up. Paret was knocked unconscious, fell into a coma and eventually died 10 days later. Griffith was also almost beaten to death in 1992 when he was found leaving a gay club, although to this day he still does not reval what his sexuality is. Just one story about how sexuality can open you up to abuse from your peers.
There are over 500 players in the top flight, some of them are bound to be gay. I couldn't give a flying **** if they are or not, but you know they would be on the wrong end of a torrent of abuse every weekend, so I can't see many of them making it public anytime soon. Didn't someone recently say there was definitely a gay player at Reading?
Is it naive of me to think that none of our fans would have an issue with a gay player? That's so 70s! Not sure other nationalities would be so tolerant but that's one of the many good things about us English, we're an accepting lot on the whole... lol - on the (w)hole - is that what's called a freudian slip.....
As pass the football said, for a player to come out you'd have to be very brave. There's must be a large number of gay players around, but there's a reason not one has spoken out. When Steven Davies came out, it was a massive deal and everyone said he was very brave to do so, so imagine what it'd be like in a sport with crowds like football. Sadly, there are too many morons about, and you could guarantee homophobic chants in almost every game.
Yeah, I do think that's a bit naive. I think this country is full of homophobes, who keep it quiet most of the time, but are prone to mob mentality at football matches.
Many of us might recall Graeme Le Saux clattering Robbie Fowler a few years ago, when the latter taunted Graeme about his "sexuality" throughout a game between Chelsea and Liverpool. Well done Graeme!! Afterwards Fowler got a three-match ban whilst Le Saux only one!
Nice to know those of us on this particular thread are in the 5% category! Can we boo morons instead??
Would make no difference to me and I'm sure there are quite a few gays in football (just as in every walk of life). However, your footballing life is a relatively short time...do you really want to give ammunition to opposition fans. Remember only last season that our fans were mocking Brighton fans. It's not that people are necessarily homophobic, but football is associated with chanting at the other team. Racist chanting has been virtually wiped out...so one day so will homophobic chants.
Think footballers don't really care about this kind of thing. Most teams have different races, nationalities etc. Most players hug each other when they celebrate. It's the fans that need to evolve The strange part with Steven Davies is he didn't get a better run in the England team. He's better than Kieswetter with the bat and keeping wicket (and Prior in limited overs).
