Did the Surrey wicket-keeper (Davies ?) get any abuse after he came out ? I understand that football crowds are different to most cricket crowds, but, after the round of interviews and reports about him nothing now is mentioned. Maybe if a footballer came out it may allow other gay players to open up (obviously it is their own choice) and let them be open about their lifestyle. Or is football so homophobic that players genuinely are afraid ?
It smacks of gesture politics and seems insignificant to me. It would be deplorable if homophobia puts gay footballers at a disadvantage, but I don't see the point of Stonewall encouraging gay players to "come out" - that's surely a deeply personal matter for the individuals themselves. I defy any of us to notice or even think about the players' bootlaces during the match on Saturday.
At a slight tangent, I was never much enamoured of Rob Elliot's pink goalkeeper's jersey - not for any gay connotations, but simply because it defied the football tradition of darker, more intense colours. Yet someone on here made the very interesting point that light, bright colours attract the eye and in the heat of battle opposing strikers might be subliminally drawn to aiming directly at the keeper, rather than to his left or right.
I love our colour of deep red - it has psychological connotations. Red means danger and blood.
"By wearing rainbow laces players will send a message of support to gay players and can begin to drag football into the 21st Century"
Somehow i can't see any gay footballers rushing to 'come out' just because a few fellow pros wear rainbow laces
"Begin" is the operative word. I don't think anyone is suggesting that by wearing rainbow coloured laces football will suddenly become a bastion of tolerance and acceptance in our society.
This isn't about promoting homosexuality, it's about saying that homophobic abuse at football matches is unacceptable. Anyway a Charlton gay names XI? No offence intended.
Peter Shirtliff Madjid Bougherra John Bumstead Amdy Faye Keith Peacock Dick Plumb Darren Bent Marcus Bent ??
I dont think they would have come up with this initiative if football provided a level playing field for all sexualities. Players dont get berated from the stands for being in a hetrosexual marriage.
Hes got two kids Hes got two kiiiiiddds The guy on their team Is married with kids.
Its a good initiative that does no harm to anyone and at the very least will get people talking about the issues which I guess is the whole point.
I wasn't just referring to this initiative. I was referring to what appears to be a concerted world wide push to legalise gay marriage. In the lead up to the recent election here it has been a huge issue. It has been plastered all over every paper and every news bulletin. I don't like it when such issues are bought to the attention of young impressionable children, especially mine.
I don't think homosexuals should be unduly abused.
You do think that they should be duly abused?
If they, you, me or anyone else does something to merit abuse then we deserve it.
As you well know really that's what "duly" means!
I might be old fashioned but in many ways I feel that singling out groups like "ethnics," "homosexuals" etc is discriminatory in itself and self-defeating.
We are all people at football what does it matter what colour or where one prefers to place one's naughty bits when being intimate?
Totally irrelevant to whether or not Wilson should play ahead of Solly when fit etc,etc.
So what does merit abuse? As far as I'm aware nothing warrants abuse. Crimes merit criminal sanction by those with the power to enforce them (ie the courts) and lifestlye choices are lifestyle choices which no one has the right to abuse.
What on earth possibly merits (to be deserving of) abuse (to address rudely or insult)?
What a ridiculous idea. Who's says there are any gay footballers anyway.
I think it's a pretty safe assumption to make, given the basic law of averages. In fact, given a conservative estimate of 5% of the population being homosexual, with there being approximately 2000 professional footballers in the top four divisions, there would, by law of aervages, be around 100 gay footballers in England. Of course, this is purely professional footballers in the top four divisions, it doesn't take into account those playing professionally in other divisions/leagues, nor indeed non-professionally. In any case, the two (that I know of) openly gay footballers that have been teammates in the past, and the entirely gay team that I've played against in the past make me 'who'.
What a ridiculous idea. Who's says there are any gay footballers anyway.
If there are ,say, 2,500 professional footballers in England then there almost certainly must he at least one (and I'd imagine many more) than that number who are gay.
I think the point about the laces is being missed. It's not about undermining straight culture and it's not about encouraging gay players to come out, as above that's a deeply personal decision. It's about starting to turn the tide in England so we have a culture and an atmosphere where players feel like they could come out if they wished. Rainbow laces aren't the solution on their own but they've worked in getting people talking and perhaps thinking about their own attitude which seems like a good start.
1/10 men are gay. As Se9 says, there are 2,500 pro footballers in this country, i wouldn't be surprised if theres a hundred or so, some at the very top level, that are gay.
My dad had a chat with a gay guy at work who said there are a few premier league footballers who are gay and their teammates know about it, it's just they're terrified of the reaction from the stands.
The fact that he's gay and lives in brighton doesn't exactly qualify his statement as fact, but he's probably seen one or two surprising people at his traditional haunts. Then again, doesn't necessarily make them gay. I've been to a couple of gay clubs in london and actually had a great time, no one's stuck up and I think I may well have been well off people's gaydar as no one hit on me
Low key and harms no one. Small show of solidarity from footballers and brings the topic out into the open which is at least a starting point for football stadiums. The more that happens the more homosexuality should become less of a taboo within football so it makes sense.
Low key and harms no one. Small show of solidarity from footballers and brings the topic out into the open which is at least a starting point for football stadiums. The more that happens the more homosexuality should become less of a taboo within football so it makes sense.
There is nothing wrong with being a gay. There is no problem with gays in football. Wearing rainbow laces is a outdated idea. For many many years any footballer or fan that wanted to show the world that they are a gay has worn a red and blue vertical top with an eagle crest on it as a symbol of being gay.
If some blokes are wearing multi-colored laces on the pitch, how on earth does it make a difference? It makes none whatsoever. People on the terraces will have their views, bigoted or offensive or whatever - a bunch of shoe laces isn't going to change that.
If some blokes are wearing multi-colored laces on the pitch, how on earth does it make a difference? It makes none whatsoever. People on the terraces will have their views, bigoted or offensive or whatever - a bunch of shoe laces isn't going to change that.
Can you think of an example of where a certain demographic of society was subject to abuse and intimidation at football matches but through the concerted efforts of organisations, at the forefront of which was our own club, those attitudes are being changed ?
1/10 men are gay. As Se9 says, there are 2,500 pro footballers in this country, i wouldn't be surprised if theres a hundred or so, some at the very top level, that are gay.
My dad had a chat with a gay guy at work who said there are a few premier league footballers who are gay and their teammates know about it, it's just they're terrified of the reaction from the stands. The fact that he's gay and lives in brighton doesn't exactly qualify his statement as fact, but he's probably seen one or two surprising people at his traditional haunts. Then again, doesn't necessarily make them gay. I've been to a couple of gay clubs in london and actually had a great time, no one's stuck up and I think I may well have been well off people's gaydar as no one hit on me
What a ridiculous idea. Who's says there are any gay footballers anyway.
I think it's a pretty safe assumption to make, given the basic law of averages. In fact, given a conservative estimate of 5% of the population being homosexual, with there being approximately 2000 professional footballers in the top four divisions, there would, by law of aervages, be around 100 gay footballers in England. Of course, this is purely professional footballers in the top four divisions, it doesn't take into account those playing professionally in other divisions/leagues, nor indeed non-professionally. In any case, the two (that I know of) openly gay footballers that have been teammates in the past, and the entirely gay team that I've played against in the past make me 'who'.
It's doesn't necessarily follow that the % of gay people is spread evenly amongst society. For example, I would suspect that the % of gay dancers or fashion designers would be a lot higher than the % of gay footballers.
It would be interesting to know what the % of gay footballers actually is, surely the PFA could do a confidential survey to find this out?
What a ridiculous idea. Who's says there are any gay footballers anyway.
I think it's a pretty safe assumption to make, given the basic law of averages. In fact, given a conservative estimate of 5% of the population being homosexual, with there being approximately 2000 professional footballers in the top four divisions, there would, by law of aervages, be around 100 gay footballers in England. Of course, this is purely professional footballers in the top four divisions, it doesn't take into account those playing professionally in other divisions/leagues, nor indeed non-professionally. In any case, the two (that I know of) openly gay footballers that have been teammates in the past, and the entirely gay team that I've played against in the past make me 'who'.
It's doesn't necessarily follow that the % of gay people is spread evenly amongst society. For example, I would suspect that the % of gay dancers or fashion designers would be a lot higher than the % of gay footballers.
It would be interesting to know what the % of gay footballers actually is, surely the PFA could do a confidential survey to find this out?
Maybe a persons sexuality is more accepted in some sectors of society than in others so I agree there will not be an even spread amongst the whole workforce.
What a ridiculous idea. Who's says there are any gay footballers anyway.
I think it's a pretty safe assumption to make, given the basic law of averages. In fact, given a conservative estimate of 5% of the population being homosexual, with there being approximately 2000 professional footballers in the top four divisions, there would, by law of aervages, be around 100 gay footballers in England. Of course, this is purely professional footballers in the top four divisions, it doesn't take into account those playing professionally in other divisions/leagues, nor indeed non-professionally. In any case, the two (that I know of) openly gay footballers that have been teammates in the past, and the entirely gay team that I've played against in the past make me 'who'.
It's doesn't necessarily follow that the % of gay people is spread evenly amongst society. For example, I would suspect that the % of gay dancers or fashion designers would be a lot higher than the % of gay footballers.
It would be interesting to know what the % of gay footballers actually is, surely the PFA could do a confidential survey to find this out?
I agree with this. Considering most gay people say they knew they were gay at a very early age it's unlikely that they would pursue a career in a very heterosexual job such as profesional football although i have no doubt there will be one or two .
I work with a guy who is in a civil partnershp with a Championship footballer. All his teamates are aware he's gay - he just doesn't want to be open about it, mainly because of the abuse he know's he'll get from the terraces.
I work with a guy who is in a civil partnershp with a Championship footballer. All his teamates are aware he's gay - he just doesn't want to be open about it, mainly because of the abuse he know's he'll get from the terraces.
This, I wouldn't be surprised if some journos know about it but quite rightly acknowledge its a private issue and not in the public interest.
Wasn't there a rumour flying round that ibrahimovich and piqué had a fling when ibra was at barca?
If some blokes are wearing multi-colored laces on the pitch, how on earth does it make a difference? It makes none whatsoever. People on the terraces will have their views, bigoted or offensive or whatever - a bunch of shoe laces isn't going to change that.
Can you think of an example of where a certain demographic of society was subject to abuse and intimidation at football matches but through the concerted efforts of organisations, at the forefront of which was our own club, those attitudes are being changed ?
The point I was going to make, only put so much better than I would have done. It is only a small thing Tom, and probably it isn't going to make a great deal of difference at this stage, but it can't do any harm, and it is better than doing nothing, don't you think?
I work with a guy who is in a civil partnershp with a Championship footballer. All his teamates are aware he's gay - he just doesn't want to be open about it, mainly because of the abuse he know's he'll get from the terraces.
This, I wouldn't be surprised if some journos know about it but quite rightly acknowledge its a private issue and not in the public interest.
Wasn't there a rumour flying round that ibrahimovich and piqué had a fling when ibra was at barca?
More likely the paper knows it would face a massive backlash for outing the poor bastard and would lose advertisers.
Comments
I understand that football crowds are different to most cricket crowds, but, after the round of interviews and reports about him nothing now is mentioned. Maybe if a footballer came out it may allow other gay players to open up (obviously it is their own choice) and let them be open about their lifestyle.
Or is football so homophobic that players genuinely are afraid ?
At a slight tangent, I was never much enamoured of Rob Elliot's pink goalkeeper's jersey - not for any gay connotations, but simply because it defied the football tradition of darker, more intense colours. Yet someone on here made the very interesting point that light, bright colours attract the eye and in the heat of battle opposing strikers might be subliminally drawn to aiming directly at the keeper, rather than to his left or right.
I love our colour of deep red - it has psychological connotations. Red means danger and blood.
Anyway a Charlton gay names XI? No offence intended.
Peter Shirtliff
Madjid Bougherra
John Bumstead
Amdy Faye
Keith Peacock
Dick Plumb
Darren Bent
Marcus Bent
??
What on earth possibly merits (to be deserving of) abuse (to address rudely or insult)?
I think the point about the laces is being missed. It's not about undermining straight culture and it's not about encouraging gay players to come out, as above that's a deeply personal decision. It's about starting to turn the tide in England so we have a culture and an atmosphere where players feel like they could come out if they wished. Rainbow laces aren't the solution on their own but they've worked in getting people talking and perhaps thinking about their own attitude which seems like a good start.
My dad had a chat with a gay guy at work who said there are a few premier league footballers who are gay and their teammates know about it, it's just they're terrified of the reaction from the stands.
The fact that he's gay and lives in brighton doesn't exactly qualify his statement as fact, but he's probably seen one or two surprising people at his traditional haunts. Then again, doesn't necessarily make them gay. I've been to a couple of gay clubs in london and actually had a great time, no one's stuck up and I think I may well have been well off people's gaydar as no one hit on me
Low key and harms no one. Small show of solidarity from footballers and brings the topic out into the open which is at least a starting point for football stadiums. The more that happens the more homosexuality should become less of a taboo within football so it makes sense.
If some blokes are wearing multi-colored laces on the pitch, how on earth does it make a difference? It makes none whatsoever. People on the terraces will have their views, bigoted or offensive or whatever - a bunch of shoe laces isn't going to change that.
It would be interesting to know what the % of gay footballers actually is, surely the PFA could do a confidential survey to find this out?
Wasn't there a rumour flying round that ibrahimovich and piqué had a fling when ibra was at barca?
Can't see Roman batting for both sides TBF.