[Football] The Gay Footballer

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Huge male grooming payday for the first gay player to break ranks. Fill yer boots son!

20 years from now, or hopefully far less, this discussion will seem as antiquated as it should.

 

[Chicken Run]

Yes there is, Somerset's Steve Davies (and an England international too)

He wasn't the first out cricketer though - Sussex's Alan Hansford came out some years earlier (but only after he'd quit the game)

I use to play against Alan Hansford, should of known, at under 16 level he had the oddest bowling action.

 

[The_Viper]

Just musing why there are so many openly gay women in professional sport (particularly cricket & football) and yet no male gay footballers or cricketers.

Why do women feel that it's not a problem to be "out & proud" whilst men hide it away? I really don't know the answer.

(Worthing Pride this Saturday 13 July - Parade starts at noon)

From the above it seems there already is that in Cricket, I wouldn't say for sure though because I haven't a clue.

I think the reason is simple, it's still a working mans sport despite the money being pumped into it at the top level and a lot of those people grew up with prejudices pushed on them by their parents, friends and communities. I'm not saying that rich people can't be homophobic or racist or whatever either, I just think those attending football games think less before they speak. Black men still get abused across Europe, how welcome will these people be in Qatar in a few years time, or Russia in 2018? Its sad but most definitely a step in the right direction this lad doing this.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Just musing why there are so many openly gay women in professional sport (particularly cricket & football) and yet no male gay footballers or cricketers.

Why do women feel that it's not a problem to be "out & proud" whilst men hide it away? I really don't know the answer.

(Worthing Pride this Saturday 13 July - Parade starts at noon)

Women are far more accepting of other women, than men are of men. Men feel a need to put others down to make themselves feel better (I know that's a generalisation)
I knew women in the forces who were gay back in the 60s, and only witnessed one person being nasty to them. It wasn't allowed then either, but none of us would've dreamed of reporting it.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Didn’t Thomas ‘Der Hammer’ Hitzelsperger come out once he’d retired?

Yes he did. Robbie Rogers came out after he left Leeds in 2013 and also retired for a while but came back to play for LA Galaxy and be the first openly gay male in any of the 5 major sports leagues in the US (others had come out before him but only after they'd retired and a few others playing in the big 5 have come out since).

 

[Gwylan]

Just musing why there are so many openly gay women in professional sport (particularly cricket & football) and yet no male gay footballers or cricketers.

Why do women feel that it's not a problem to be "out & proud" whilst men hide it away? I really don't know the answer.

There are probably a multitude of reasons but one will certainly be that homosexual acts between males were illegal until 1967 (and for under 21s until 2003). I imagine the threat of prosecution would have had something to do with it

I use to play against Alan Hansford, should of known, at under 16 level he had the oddest bowling action.

I remember playing for Sussex - he still had an odd action when he was a professional

 

[TSB]

Brave man. Especially facing Milwall, Derby and Leeds neanderthals twice a year.

 

[Triggaaar]

Can we judge him when we see his WAB ?

HAB shirley?!

This

 

[pornomagboy]

and the sun use a photo from the brighton v man city game even though he player plays in the championship

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[albionfan37]

and the sun use a photo from the brighton v man city game even though he player plays in the championship

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

The sun remains classy as ever

 

[Chicken Run]

There are probably a multitude of reasons but one will certainly be that homosexual acts between males were illegal until 1967 (and for under 21s until 2003). I imagine the threat of prosecution would have had something to do with it



I remember playing for Sussex - he still had an odd action when he was a professional

Simone just told me his twin brother is gay too, wasn’t he called Adrian?

 

[pasty]

Just musing why there are so many openly gay women in professional sport (particularly cricket & football) and yet no male gay footballers or cricketers.

Why do women feel that it's not a problem to be "out & proud" whilst men hide it away? I really don't know the answer.

(Worthing Pride this Saturday 13 July - Parade starts at noon)

I was reading something about this the other day. It assumed, rightly or wrongly, that there was still a perception that "women who play football must be gay anyway" so when they come out, people aren't surprised.

 

[darkwolf666]

and the sun use a photo from the brighton v man city game even though he player plays in the championship

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Maybe, like many on here, The Sun thought we would get relegated last season!

 

[LamieRobertson]

To be discussed on Jim Whites show on Talkshite this morning..well probably afternoon

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Maybe, like many on here, The Sun thought we would get relegated last season!

I doubt it. The season finished over two months ago. There are two sets of fans who get homophobic abuse at games, Brighton & Man City. The Sun is just perpetuating it.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I doubt it. The season finished over two months ago. There are two sets of fans who get homophobic abuse at games, Brighton & Man City. The Sun is just perpetuating it.

I didn't know that about city. Why is that?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I didn't know that about city. Why is that?

Manchester has a large gay community and their fans have reported homophobic abuse to the FSF.

 

[nickbrighton]

Not quiet sure what to think of this. It seems a strange way of doing it. It would make more sense to have had all the discussions first, and then done it. By announcing a forthcoming announcement there is plenty of time for gutter press and the more undesirable websites to poke their noses in and preempt the whole thing with a "world exclusive"

If it is genuine then all power to him. It would be a massive deal to a lot of young gay guys struggling with the whole coming out thing, especially if he is a well known player outside his club. Its hard to explain to those who ask why its a big thing and that its a big deal about nothing, just what being a young gay person is like. There is a constant barrage of negativity directed (usually unknowingly by the perpetrators) against you. Comments like " That's so gay" being one that is endemic .Relevant to football is the homophobic "banter"and chants that on occasions turns downright nasty. A constant drip feed of negativity quite simply eats at you inside, and at a very difficult and confusing time. To hear all your mates making fun of who you are, telling you that something is so bad its just like you is soul destroying. So having a young , successful footballer stand up and say "I'm just like you" IS a huge thing.

IF this however, is all a hoax, or worse some misguided publicity stunt it will have the opposite effect and further delay any footballer who wants to come out from doing so.

 

[Napper]

if there are any other gay footballers be brilliant if they just came out before this attention seeker

 

[Postman Pat]

A further update