Monthly article on gay footballers

As promised:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27606171

This time Wenger is putting himself on the pedestal of all things morally just. I don't watch tennis and wonder if the players are gay or straight, I don't watch rugby and question whether they're screwing women or blokes after the game so I sure as hell don't worry about it during football matches. Why the **** is it such a big deal to people? What is with the obsession people have in wanting professional sportsmen and women to be gay and telling the world about it? I bet there's hundreds of gay athletes across all sports in this country and maybe, just maybe, they don't fancy telling the world about their private life because, surprise, it's fooking private.

I would love (random example) if Sturridge went out for his next England press conference and said, "By the way guys, I'm straight and I've been ****ing this chick for the last year". Would anyone give a ****?

 

#ziggywould

 

A footballer is a footballer his sexuality is irrelevant.

 

It's like a safari hunt, the media use all these guys like beaters, they set them up to beat the undergrowth in the hope some poor guy pops his head up so they can all have a shot at him

The media think utd fill the pages nicely that's all

 

You've answered the question yourself. Why if theres obviously plenty of gay footballers out there, do we not know about them? This isn't mirrored in any other walk of life, as people generally feel comfortable with others knowing their sexuality. So why not in football?

The answer is simple. Footballers obviously don't feel that the sport will accept them if they come out, so they choose to keep quiet. This is what the issue is and why it needs to change. As football is 25 years behind the times

 

No comment.

 

Bring in the wisdom of Solomon

 

Tobes is right

There are two forces to my mind

The dressing room and the media/fans

I think the fear is being completely austrcised by your team and then fans being vile.... It'd be a lonely place to be IMO

 

Get on the ****ing Cheese thread

 

My point remains though, why is there such a desire for the media to find out who the gay players are? I didn't arrive at my new job last summer and announce that I was straight - It was none of their business and makes no difference to my working relationships. Not one of the gay people I know met me with an introduction to their sexual preferences, it's just something that came about in passing conversations over time as we became friends. I don't see why anyone should feel they have to tell the world they're gay, just because they're a 'celebrity', when they don't need to tell the world if they're straight. I think the media/FA are simply trying to make an example of someone so they can say, "Hey everyone look, a gay guy who's a professional footballer! Now you've all got a role model and we can safely say we're giving gay players the same opportunities".

Dressing room and fan support isn't an argument imo. The fans because the ones who hurl abuse will do so regardless; they'll just find something else to attack players on, be it sexuality, hair colour, race, weight, nationality, whatever. Alot of players get targeted simply because they're on the other team. And if the dressing room fails to support players (although I would be willing to bet that there are gay players in the PL whose team mates do know but just don't tell the world because it's private), then if racism isn't tolerated within the club, neither should homophobia and I'd hope the club would act just the same.

 

Since this is a media issue, surely they're behind the times too? And since they "print what the people want to read" so to speak, does that suggest the public are 25yrs behind too?

 

It's not a media issue, it's the games issue

The fact that gay footballers don't come out whilst still playing, shows that they don't feel comfortable in doing so, which shows that the game is out of touch with the times and that includes the clubs, supporters et al

 

Its a society issue. I agree that someone being gay or not is irrelevant and doesn't need to be publicised at all. However, every ****er likes a gossip and wants to know what everyone else is up to. Most will claim not to care but they'll still want to know for some reason. Why do we need to know that a celebrity as been caught speeding or taken drugs?

 

It's not a society issue, as in every other walk of life, a gay man doesn't have an issue with having to hide his sexuality.

The media could 'out' numerous footballers tomorrow if they wanted to, so don't kid yourself. They choose not to. You only have to read the words of Thomas Hitzlsperger to get a handle on this issue from a players perspective

 

Your only looking at the smaller picture. You say the media could out them which I don't disagree with, what I am saying is why should they need to out them? Who gives a **** if people are gay or not? Papers print what people will read so society must give a ****!

 

You're missing the point.

Would anyone be interested in reading that a celebrity in any other walk of life was gay or not? No-one gives a **** in general life about it anymore, but football doesn't reflect the rest of society at present and that's why there's some intrigue, as everyone knows that people in the game are living a lie. The reason they are still doing so, is down to the games inherent homophobia

 

I personally don't think anyone within the game would give that much of a **** TBH. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if players have told teammates or whoever in the past (obviously not high profile ones) but kept it from the media.

I don't think people help themselves by making said announcement either. When Tom Daley "came out", was anyone surprised or bothered...? It raised attention. If he hadn't announced it but instead was sen holding hands with another male, would anyone have cared...? In fact, did anyone care anyway...?

I get what you're saying about footballers not having come out already until after they've retired, they are obviously bothered by it. My point was more about why are they bothered.

 

The reason they're bothered is that the game is inherently homophobic mate. From the training ground to the terraces, it's all back slapping, testosterone fueled 'manliness'. An openly gay footballer would need skin like a rhino in the game at present and the game needs to address this disconnect from mainstream society in 2014.

 

Isn't a pub full of back slapping and testosterone? People don't seem too bothered there. I think blaming football culture as the reason is a bit lame and short sighted myself. However, we're clearly not going to 100% agree here so I'll propose to respect each others views and move on pal

 

As long as they're keeping their eye on the ball and not the balls it shouldn't matter.