Food for footy thought...

Good article. But posted under "adult swinger dating". Gonna guess the site doesn't have clear queer friendly tags...

News - Why are there no openly gay footballers?

Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse has vowed not to kiss his team-mates after scoring a goal for fear of being thought of as gay. As football authorities make tackling homophobia a priority, why are there no openly homosexual players?

Figures from politics and showbiz come out and few people bat an eyelid, but the most popular sports remain a bastion for casual sex dating movie
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The decision of any well-known players in football, rugby or cricket to come out is no-one else’s to make, but the football authorities have acknowledged the working environment could be a barrier to them being honest.

The Football Association held its first “homophobia summit” this week to launch a strategy aimed at dealing with anti-gay abuse regularly heard on the terraces and occasionally on the pitch. A Hull City supporter was recently convicted and fined after taunting Brighton fans.

I’ve had players over the years who were single and read books and so others said they must be gay Alan Smith Former football manager

But Cisse’s comments, which were probably meant as light-hearted fun, suggest there is some way to go before gay players feel sufficiently comfortable to come out.

Among 4,000 professional footballers, it would be impossible for some not to be gay, says Alan Smith, who managed Crystal Palace and Wycombe Wanderers. He thinks there are probably fewer than in the rest of society because the potential abuse would put young gay men off pursuing football as a career.

“Football is a profession that doesn’t allow anyone to be different,” he says. “I’ve had players over the years who were single and read books and so others said they must be gay.

“I suspect it may have bothered them but they got on with it because that’s what they wanted to do.

“I think being openly gay would be something very difficult to live with in football.”

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Players are crude about it, he says, with comments like “shirt-lifter” commonly made as a way to fit into a macho culture.

“You can get drunk and beat up your wife and that’s quite acceptable, but if someone were to say ‘I’m gay’, it’s considered awful. It’s ridiculous.”

Former Ireland international Tony Cascarino says coming out could end a player’s career and his life would be a misery, and the experience of the UK’s only openly gay player to date backs up that claim.

Justin Fashanu, who played for Norwich, Nottingham Forest and Hearts, endured abuse after coming out in 1990. After his suicide eight years later, the coroner said the prejudices he experienced, plus the sexual assault charge he was facing at the time of his death, probably overwhelmed him.

Cover-up

Maybe it’s no surprise to hear that gay players apparently go to great lengths to try to hide their sexuality. PR guru Max Clifford has claimed he was approached twice by major clubs to help make players present a “straight” image.

Fashanu was the first black 1m footballer

But players lower down the leagues face greater abuse, says Richard Columbell of the Gay Football Supporters Network, because the corporate atmosphere of the Premiership makes it more politically-correct.

What the FA is doing is a start, he says, but the clubs must follow their lead.

“I think football managers need to say it doesn’t matter and clubs need to say it will be tackled in the same way as racist or sexist language.

“You can’t change what people think but you can change what they are allowed to do.”

If you ask the traditional footballer supporter or anyone involved they will say footballers are not gay Martin Perry Chief executive Brighton and Hove Albion Managers decline debate

Despite the FA’s stated aims, the issue appears taboo among managers. When BBC Radio Five Live wrote to the 20 Premier League managers with three questions about homophobia, all 20 refused to answer.

It seems the UK may be waiting a few more years before players emerge from the “closet”, but there is a precedent to be found in Australia.

Ian Roberts, who played one of the world’s toughest sports, rugby league, came out in 1994, six years before he retired. The reaction, he says, was generally positive.

Lions touch down in Townsville

Lions touch down in Townsville

4:23 PM Wed 6 February, 2008 | Back

By Jennifer Witham

Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network

News

THE Brisbane Lions have touched down in Townsville to conduct the first-ever Telstra AFL Community Camp in the steamy northern Queensland town.

The club was officially welcomed by the deputy mayor of Townsville Cr Jenny Hill, who was presented with a framed Lions jumper from the 'Three-peat' era by coach Leigh Matthews.

"It's magic to have them here. It's the first time ever we've been able to get an AFL club here, and it's all 46 senior players," Cr Hill said.

"They're going out into the community to encourage kids to play sport, which I think it's a fantastic idea.

"Hopefully next year we'll be able to convince the AFL to let us have a pre-season game in Townsville."

Matthews, who stepped off the team bus into Townsville's unescapable humidity, said the weather didn't come as a surprise.

He also encouraged the public to attend the Lions' training session at Tony Ireland Riverway Stadium on Thursday night, which is set to be a more intense session than originally planned owing to the cancellation of Tuesday's intra-club hit-out.

"We all represent the sport ultimately, so it's great to be able to spread that message, and bring the Queensland AFL team to Townsville," he said.

"We're going to have a much more worthwhile viewing training session on Thursday night.

"We would have otherwise only been doing some pretty basic work. That gives the opportunity hopefully to see how the top AFL players move and kick and handle the footy.

"We'd encourage everyone to come out late in the afternoon to see that."

Lions co-captain Jonathan Brown said the purpose of the week would be to try and influence a rugby league-orientated town towards Australian Football.

"I haven't been to Townsville before so I'm looking forward to getting around and catching up with everyone," he said.

"You're trying to spread the message, and it's obviously a challenge trying to spread the message in Queensland, but we're up here and our main objective is to try and educate people about AFL, especially the younger community.

"It's also good to get away from training. We're using this as a lighter week, the boys have had a pretty difficult pre-season, which started back in October.

"It's a good chance for us to have a rest week."

AFLQ regional manager Richie Lyons said Australian Football has a following of over 1500 Auskick kids and around 700 actually playing. He also said he hopes the Lions' visit helps to further develop the game at grass roots level.

"It's fantastic to have them here. It's a big coup for AFL Townsville that we have a professional team here," he said.

"I think this is the start for us, as long as we do everything right, hopefully we can now aim for some pre-season games for the future.

"Junior kids in Townsville don't get to see professional players up close; they have to travel to Brisbane or Melbourne to see that, so we'll try and really make an impact at grass roots level."