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[LTLF] Gay footballers – appreciated or unwelcome?

L

LTLF

First Team Squad
Back in June I posted about a survey tackling the issue of homosexuality in football, and largely reinforcing the general view that it’s rather a taboo subject. *Hopefully a few of you clicked through the link and filled in the survey as a result to help the study – certainly there must have been a [...]

More...
 
I think the main hurdle in gay footballers being more open about their sexuality is that it gives the 'fans' something to berate them with, should they have a bad game.

I don't think even the most homophobic of Forest supporters would have any issue with a gay footballer playing for us, should he score goals that get us promoted/score against Derby/be competent at Left Back. However, judging by the abuse that some players get for not performing, it makes me wonder whether an openly gay player could inadvertently increase the level of homophobic abuse at football grounds simply by not being a very good player.

At Forest we have always, as far as I can remember, had the attitude that if you are good enough, and you see to care about playing for Forest, it doesn't matter what you look like. We played black players when it was almost unheard of, famously Viv Anderson went on to be the first black player to play for England, we've had openly sexually diverse people play for us in the guise of Shilton and Collymore, but in reality who wouldn't want either of those two playing for us in their pomp again?

Even though racism is, for the most part, universally seen as bad you do still hear borderline racism aimed at players who aren't performing.

To be fair, though, when a player isn't performing they are always attacked for who they are. How often was a poor Commons game greeted with 'useless fat so and so'?

Could a player risk such abuse if it was about something as psychologically draining as sexuality?

Away fans would have to be another consideration. It's ammunition for them to try and put a player off his game.

There was a rugby player, I forget his name, who came out last year. Whilst there are similarities as such that it is a mainstream sport, it's worth mentioning that by and large rugby fans are better educated and better behaved. Plus, the rugby player was about 19 stone of pure muscle, are you really going to call him a fairy?

It's an interesting topic, and whilst the stats don't apply owing to the the environments that create great footballers, I often wonder if the world may have missed out on another Pele or Maradona because he happens to prefer having sex with men than women. That would be a huge shame.

Actually, I seem to recall reading that Pele lost his virginity to a man. Can't remember exactly but it was something along the lines of 'all the boys from the football club are sent to him'. Seemed f**ked up.

To summarise, have sex with whoever you want providing they consent. If you play for Forest I'll support you.
 
:leacock::leacock::leacock:
 
For all those of you puting your little homophobic digs in, I should re mind you that you're all more than happy to post on the only football forum (to my knowledge,) with an all Gay moderating team.

Just keep it civil.
 
I'm not sure they're all gay, so much as you just got them drunk and they went with the flow.
 
Rich said:
we've had openly sexually diverse people play for us in the guise of Shilton and Collymore
Click to expand...

Is that a reference to the time Shilton got caught shagging some bird in the back of a car? I'd hardly call that sexually diverse.
 
VanHooijdonk said:
2 words........

chris gunter
Click to expand...

What about him? go on lets hear what you have to say?

Actually lets not you say a lot but its usually comes to f*** all in reality.
 
Rigler said:
Is that a reference to the time Shilton got caught shagging some bird in the back of a car? I'd hardly call that sexually diverse.
Click to expand...

I heard he was into dogging. Indeed, the at the evening with Kenny Burns he talked about Shilton being one of the 'originals' in the dogging scene.
 
Rich said:
I think the main hurdle in gay footballers being more open about their sexuality is that it gives the 'fans' something to berate them with, should they have a bad game.

I don't think even the most homophobic of Forest supporters would have any issue with a gay footballer playing for us, should he score goals that get us promoted/score against Derby/be competent at Left Back. However, judging by the abuse that some players get for not performing, it makes me wonder whether an openly gay player could inadvertently increase the level of homophobic abuse at football grounds simply by not being a very good player.

At Forest we have always, as far as I can remember, had the attitude that if you are good enough, and you see to care about playing for Forest, it doesn't matter what you look like. We played black players when it was almost unheard of, famously Viv Anderson went on to be the first black player to play for England, we've had openly sexually diverse people play for us in the guise of Shilton and Collymore, but in reality who wouldn't want either of those two playing for us in their pomp again?

Even though racism is, for the most part, universally seen as bad you do still hear borderline racism aimed at players who aren't performing.

To be fair, though, when a player isn't performing they are always attacked for who they are. How often was a poor Commons game greeted with 'useless fat so and so'?

Could a player risk such abuse if it was about something as psychologically draining as sexuality?

Away fans would have to be another consideration. It's ammunition for them to try and put a player off his game.

There was a rugby player, I forget his name, who came out last year. Whilst there are similarities as such that it is a mainstream sport, it's worth mentioning that by and large rugby fans are better educated and better behaved. Plus, the rugby player was about 19 stone of pure muscle, are you really going to call him a fairy?

It's an interesting topic, and whilst the stats don't apply owing to the the environments that create great footballers, I often wonder if the world may have missed out on another Pele or Maradona because he happens to prefer having sex with men than women. That would be a huge shame.

Actually, I seem to recall reading that Pele lost his virginity to a man. Can't remember exactly but it was something along the lines of 'all the boys from the football club are sent to him'. Seemed f**ked up.

To summarise, have sex with whoever you want providing they consent. If you play for Forest I'll support you.
Click to expand...

Great post.
 
This thread is silly. As if any mighty Forest fans are facking gay!.....
 
What about gay fans. I.e if I was to go to a game with a boyfriend what would be the reaction of fellow supporters?
 
Statistically uk surveys have shown one in 16.66 people.

So in a full city ground that's about 1800??
 
Don't forget about Justin Fashanu, he was the first (and only) football player I'd heard of that was gay.

Personally I don't give a flying f*** which bus a footballer is on. If he's gay and he plays for Forest I hope he turns in a good game every game, and if a player on the opposition's side is gay I hope he has a crap game, just like every other player on their team.

Football is a passion for fans but for players it's also a job, and like everybody else once they get home from work and close their front door their business is their own; unless it's something illegal that they're doing. Homosexuality is no longer a crime in this country so I don't care where a player sticks his spam truncheon.

The problem is, as has already been pointed out, that coming out of the cleaning gear locker is likely to lead to abuse from the fans, but should enough players come out then attitudes will (slowly) change, just as they have done towards black players.

From a very brief bit of interweb research it appears that about 4% of men are gay in the UK. Obviously some professions attract more homosexuals than others, but assuming a figure of about 4,000 professional footballers in England/Wales then that would indicate around 160 are brown hatters.

I know there have been rumours about certain players being gay but I honestly couldn't state any names without googling for them, and I'm not going to because I really don't care if a player is a marmite miner or not.
 
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