8% of football fans would not watch their team with a gay player

[Paul Reids Sock]

That implies education has no value.

People aren't born homophobic - it's a learned trait. It can be unlearned.

I think that may be a little simplistic

As people grow they get their own opinions on things and I wouldn't say that these are all learnt. Some people will have made the decision for themselves or not agree with it for religious grounds (Whole different can of worms)

 

[sydney]

This isn't about dividing 'gay communities' from 'straight communities' - I've no idea where you got that from. You can't extrapolate that from those sets of figures.

Fair enough you don't give a toss about whether a player is gay or not - none of us should have to.

But to say there are 'far more important issues', would only ever depend on your viewpoint of society. If one in 12 fans can't accept gay players - even in their own team - what chance would someone who is gay have watching football? I can think of some gay friends who won't come to the Albion because they're still judging the dog's abuse they believe they'd get on their experiences of growing up in the 1970s and 80s.

From that survey, it appears some other knuckle-draggers haven't moved on.

Why should anyone who is gay be made to feel excluded from something they like - football in this instance - just because they're gay? So if you have far more important issues to concern yourself with, fine. But to those who are made to feel revulsed or intimidated by homophobic abuse (which can easily become personal, or even violent), I'd suggest that's a far more important issue than you're prepared to give credit for.

fair comment....not being a knuckle dragger myself and having never reviled gay people in any way then i guess i do have a blinkered view........you can pretty much pigeon hole the gay abusing section of the football public as the nasty element of society that also abuse people of different races and probably their spouses after numerous ales.....i would be interested to see what percentage of that 8% are female......i realise my "more important "comment may appear offensive to gay people who have been abused at football and for that i am sorry but we are all so easily offended these days........look at the world for goodness sake , basically the entire middle east are blowing eachother up , the pacific islands will be largely under water within 20 years+ large parts of Europe , there is that much crap in our food that life threatening and debilitating diseases are endemic ......arms companies , pharmaceutical companies and banks are raping the western world......as a non knuckle dragger and a non- gay abuser i find that more important personally.......

 

[sydney]

This isn't about dividing 'gay communities' from 'straight communities' - I've no idea where you got that from. You can't extrapolate that from those sets of figures.



a pointless ,divisive poll published by the good old bbc......imho.

 

[MattBackHome]

Am I the only person a little heartened by this? I thought it would be a fair bit more than 8%. It certainly would have been 20 years ago.

I'd be very interested to see an age breakdown of the 8%.

Yeah I agree - I would have guessed at a higher number.

The worst bit of that is Greg Clarke's tacit implication that the league isn't quite ready for openly gay footballers.

 

[Buzzer]

Anyone who doesn't want to watch a game of football just because there's someone in their team that fancies blokes really needs to sort their life out.

 

[MattBackHome]

From the same survey question:

89% would be comfortable if their club signed a player from an ethnic minority.

 

[cunning fergus]

Am I the only person a little heartened by this? I thought it would be a fair bit more than 8%. It certainly would have been 20 years ago.

I'd be very interested to see an age breakdown of the 8%.

Indeed, and it's not just age, what is the religious dimension of the 8%?

If the poll was relative of the UK population I could would expect a cohort within the 8% would be supportive of chucking gay players from the tops of football stands.

They might be relatively young.....

 

[MattBackHome]

Am I the only person a little heartened by this? I thought it would be a fair bit more than 8%. It certainly would have been 20 years ago.

I'd be very interested to see an age breakdown of the 8%.

Page 3 of this link has this question broken down into gender, age, ABC12DE group and employment. In terms of the 8% there aren't any notable indicators that any of these (except gender) are likely to influence their thinking.

http://www.comresglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ComRes_Homophobia-in-Sports_Tables.pdf

 

[The Albion Roar]

This isn't about dividing 'gay communities' from 'straight communities' - I've no idea where you got that from. You can't extrapolate that from those sets of figures.



a pointless ,divisive poll published by the good old bbc......imho.

The only thing I can see it would divide is the homophobes from decent society.

Which suits me.

So no, not pointless at all.

 

[alfredmizen]

Well 8% of fans had better stop going right now then.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

Page 3 of this link has this question broken down into gender, age, ABC12DE group and employment. In terms of the 8% there aren't any notable indicators that any of these (except gender) are likely to influence their thinking.

http://www.comresglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ComRes_Homophobia-in-Sports_Tables.pdf

So from reading that it says that 8% in the NET Uncomfortable figure - this includes 5% that are 'Fairly' Uncomfortable. If the question is as stated on there:

'Q.2 How comfortable or uncomfortable would you be if your favourite club signed a new player that was ...
Gay
Base: All who have watched followed attended any of Football, Rugby, Cricket, Hockey, Netball, Athletics, Basketball'

Then how the hell have the BBC come up with a story stating that 8% of people would stop going to football altogether?!

Also I think what that link shows up is the level of people that would be uncomfortable if a player was diagnosed with depression - crikey. We have a lot of work to do as a society if those figures (albeit potentially not a representative sample) are to be believed

 

[MattBackHome]

Page 30:

Table 63Q.3 To what extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about sports?I would not want to watch my team if there was a gay playerBase: All who have watched, followed or attended any of Football, Rugby, Cricket, Hockey, Netball, Athletics, Basketball

Football:
NET Agree 8%
Strongly Agree 3%
Tend to Agree 5%.

 

[SAC]

Page 3 of this link has this question broken down into gender, age, ABC12DE group and employment. In terms of the 8% there aren't any notable indicators that any of these (except gender) are likely to influence their thinking.

http://www.comresglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ComRes_Homophobia-in-Sports_Tables.pdf

Thanks for posting this. It indicates that 9% (page 38) of football fans are either fairly uncomfortable or very uncomfortable (of signing an openly gay player). Yet 7% (page 51) agree with the statement that "I would not want to watch my team if there was a gay player".

This seems to indicate that 80% of those who feel uncomfortable seeing a gay player would not attend matches. I just find that impossible to believe that someone would feel so uncomfortable that they stopped supporting their club.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Did it stop people supporting Martina Navratilova?

As far as lesbians I think many fans that watch women's sport think the lesbians are generally better athletes and want to see more of them.

 

[GT49er]

92% of fans are OK with the idea of gay player(s) in their team? Excellent. That's a lot of progress over the last - I don't know, 20 years, 40 years, however far you take it back. Given that you're never going to get 100% of people - football fans or not - on-side, whether it be with regard to sexual orientation, religion, race, colour or whatever. So 92% doesn't seem bad to me - yes, could be better, should be better, campaigning will go on (quite rightly). I don't think it'll ever be 100% though.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Well I support BHA come what may, if the whole squad was gay, and they won the league I'd even shower with them! Though I'd probably keep my pants on...cant be too careful.

What a misguided post. In many public swimming pools in France the showers are group showers and shared between the genders. Many people just strip off and have a shower. Using your logic the women should worry about the straight men there ! What do you think is going to happen if you don't keep your pants on ?

 

[Albion my Albion]

There is some hope for us fans.
I much prefer this result:-

More sports fans (12%) would feel uncomfortable with a rival player joining their club than a gay player (8%)



Although what if that player happened to also be gay?

Obviously somewhere between 12% and 20%. This is one of the maths I can do.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Obviously somewhere between 12% and 20%. This is one of the maths I can do.

What if the 8% are included in the 12% but some who would not like a rival player signed would like a gay player signed then it could be less than 12%

 

[Triggaaar]

Your post is quite right. It doesn't matter how much you promote Gay Rights and so on, you will always get people who will not accept it.

I disagree. I bet you the figure is higher in backward countries like Russia and much of the middle east. And the figure would have been higher here in the past. We must continue to bring those places into the modern world.

For example, given their upbringing it's highly unlikely my children will grow up being anti-gay. The same won't be true of others.

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

Page 30:

Table 63Q.3 To what extent, if at all, do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about sports?I would not want to watch my team if there was a gay playerBase: All who have watched, followed or attended any of Football, Rugby, Cricket, Hockey, Netball, Athletics, Basketball

Football:
NET Agree 8%
Strongly Agree 3%
Tend to Agree 5%.

Ahhh, I didn't read to page 30!