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Gay premier league footballer

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Oli Wagkz said:
Look at the problem with racism in the game. So inevitably anyone that came out would attract the attention of bigots. Unfortunately that’s the society we live in.

Its a sad state of affairs that anyone would feel like they needed counselling or any kind of help to be accepted for who they are.
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The thing is i’ve got friends who are gay and workmates and no one gives a shit about their sexuality just as it should be because they are who they are and just people living their lives. It should be the same for any footballer that comes out, there will be a minority as you say but i’d like to think the majority of us would back them up in the stadium and confront any abusive supporters just as we would/should with racism.
 
cook said:
With everything else going on around the world I'd like to think the vast majority of folk wouldn't even bat an eyelid.

If it was one of ours they wouldn't get any less support from me.
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Sitting near the back of the East stand during the Man Utd U23s game was enough to show me that this would be a big deal and there are absolutely elements of our fan base that would not be supportive. It shouldn’t matter at all, but it would.
Daz_3000 said:
The thing is i’ve got friends who are gay and workmates and no one gives a shit about their sexuality just as it should be because they are who they are and just people living their lives. It should be the same for any footballer that comes out, there will be a minority as you say but i’d like to think the majority of us would back them up in the stadium and confront any abusive supporters just as we would/should with racism.
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Confront it? I think there’s too many “hero” stories in the press. Confront large groups of people as an individual does not usual end well. As yet I’ve never encountered a person on their own being overly racist or homophonic etc. always in the company of a crowd!
 
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Gadzooks said:
Sitting near the back of the East stand during the Man Utd U23s game was enough to show me that this would be a big deal and there are absolutely elements of our fan base that would not be supportive. It shouldn’t matter at all, but it would.

Confront it? I think there’s too many “hero” stories in the press. Confront large groups of people as an individual does not usual end well. As yet I’ve never encountered a person on their own being overly racist or homophonic etc. always in the company of a crowd!
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True
 
What sort of insecure dud thinks abusing someone for being gay is "cool" ? Would be so cringe hearing grown blokes shout or sing about stuff like that. Not saying it wouldn't happen, which is depressing!
 
Lewis said:
If their sexuality is irrelevant to how they perform as a footballer,and of course it is,why announce it at all ?
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Because otherwise the press/social media will announce it for them, and they will be currently hiding the fact, not going out in public with their partner for example.
 
Sadly until someone actually does come out and others follow it will be big news even though it shouldn’t be. Hopefully pretty quickly lots more do it and it becomes an irrelevance. As it should be.
 
Without wanting to turn this into a mag bashing thread, I really do think the PL have fucked up for things like this. If gay players really were thinking about coming out, it would likely be happening now because of all the support in place. The PL, however, have now proved that all the talk of inclusivity, all the support for rainbow laces, is just a corporate exercise in being seen to do the right thing. Their actions, allowing homophobic owners into the league, shows where their priorities and morals really lie. Look at that journalist (who wasn't even the one who asked Howe the question), immediately an inbox full of homophobic messages from Saudi trolls. They've opened that Pandoras box and let these people into the game. Any player coming out now will have to contend with the fact that not only do these trolls exist, they've been emboldened and welcomed into the fold.
 
I dont think its the fear of abuse that is stopping gay players coming out, players get abused all the time and develop a way to filter it all out.

I think its more to do with the fear of it defining your career and potentially overshadowing your achievements in the game. The media coverage of the first premier league player will be enormous and the expectation on the player to become the "poster boy" probably puts people off doing it.

Its a sad state of affairs that people coming out is even newsworthy these days
 
Given the UK at present, I think it’s for the best the footballers at present keep it under cover, the reason why simple given the racism that seems to have reared it’s head again, if the players were to tell the world, I think a lot of the knuckle dragging, animals that seem to find a home with other like minded knuckle dragging creatures, in the game,it wouldn’t make it an easy life for them, in certain parts of the UK I think it would be rather hostile for the players in question.
 
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Lewis said:
If their sexuality is irrelevant to how they perform as a footballer,and of course it is,why announce it at all ?
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It’d be great if you are a 14/15 year old lad struggling to understand your sexuality/suffering abuse from other lads your age, to see a hugely successful footballer in a position of power come out. Might also make bullies think twice about giving them shit.

while it is not newsworthy in itself, the presentation of the story as a positive, forward thinking development that further proves this is acceptable in society, is very significant
 
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