Any player that does this needs to get Max Clifford or similar onside before making any announcement. Let the pros manage the media, and they should be able to ride the publicity wave until the storm passes.
Then just concentrate on what’s important, playing the game. Acting exactly as before will win the fans over much more easily than constantly appearing on chat shows.
I can see this problem from both sides.
I’m sure many gay players feel trapped and isolated being unable to come out, and where it might be relatively easy as say an Olympic athlete to do so, the heart and soul of football has always been the team spirit thing and the associated macho camaraderie. I can just imagine the childish giggles and comments in the showers after a game.
That said, it would only take one to make a crack in the ice, and it might just open up a lot more. Clarke Carlisle claims he knows 8 players, but how many does he not know of? There could be considerably more out there desperately waiting for somebody to make the move. It only takes one brave enough to set the dominoes falling.
Justin Fashanu tried it many years ago and it sadly backfired on him through the lack of support he needed from others, including his own family, but I think times have moved on now and there would be a much larger safety net to help anyone willing to make that massive leap of faith.
That’s all very well – but I’d rather see the institutionally homophobic FA announce how they will support its gay players ie details of lifetime bans for any fan or player engaging in homophobic behaviour.
The FA regards racism as being more serious than homophobia.
This article has made the suggestion that the first player will attract a lot of media hype and intrusion. Surely the way around that is for whichever player feel able to do so to come out as a group. In this way there won’t be a first player but also the players that do come out in a group will have others who are going through the same situation at the same time.
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Any player that does this needs to get Max Clifford or similar onside before making any announcement. Let the pros manage the media, and they should be able to ride the publicity wave until the storm passes.
Then just concentrate on what’s important, playing the game. Acting exactly as before will win the fans over much more easily than constantly appearing on chat shows.
They’ll try any angle to weasel them out, won’t they..
It’s become an obsession to get these gay footballers to publicly declare~
Especially on Gaydar!
Isn’t it blindingly obvious that if all 8 came out at once it would avoid too much pressure on one person…
Didn’t you post that the other day somewhere else…?
It’s not a bloody club you know….let’s all hold hands and walk out on the stage like the finalists in XFactor! Lol
Sheesh!
I think its a brilliant idea !
Why not?
It’s a common natural occurrence, it’s called “safety in numbers”.
Take on one of us, and you take us all on…
I can see this problem from both sides.
I’m sure many gay players feel trapped and isolated being unable to come out, and where it might be relatively easy as say an Olympic athlete to do so, the heart and soul of football has always been the team spirit thing and the associated macho camaraderie. I can just imagine the childish giggles and comments in the showers after a game.
That said, it would only take one to make a crack in the ice, and it might just open up a lot more. Clarke Carlisle claims he knows 8 players, but how many does he not know of? There could be considerably more out there desperately waiting for somebody to make the move. It only takes one brave enough to set the dominoes falling.
Justin Fashanu tried it many years ago and it sadly backfired on him through the lack of support he needed from others, including his own family, but I think times have moved on now and there would be a much larger safety net to help anyone willing to make that massive leap of faith.
That’s all very well – but I’d rather see the institutionally homophobic FA announce how they will support its gay players ie details of lifetime bans for any fan or player engaging in homophobic behaviour.
The FA regards racism as being more serious than homophobia.
This article has made the suggestion that the first player will attract a lot of media hype and intrusion. Surely the way around that is for whichever player feel able to do so to come out as a group. In this way there won’t be a first player but also the players that do come out in a group will have others who are going through the same situation at the same time.