gay footballers

[dumpweed]

There's no gay footballers as they are all playing rugby or ice skating.

[th1stleandr0se]

16 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

Maybe they should have trophies to attract gay players? I've never seen a footballer on a bus unless he was holding a trophy.

Perhaps a gay limo would be a better idea?

Maybe they should introduce quotas.

Seriously though, why should anyone care?  It's in the same league as wanting to know if a player is a Protestant or Catholic.  They're just people who like to chase balls after all.

[welshbairn]

33 minutes ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brighton-pride-2018-gay-footballers-premier-league-empty-bus-lgbtq-a8475766.html

 

Now forgive me for being cynical, but I think this is patronising, counter-productive, borderline threatening and extremely cynical, aimed at generating publicity for Paddy Power much more than advancing any LGBT+ cause. If I were a gay footballer who wasn't open about it I'd feel under a lot more pressure from stuff like this than I would the thought of anyone finding out.

Much as I agree about the cynicism of Paddy Power with this stunt, I appreciate the use of LGBT+ which you repeated. The acronym was expanding to alphabet length incrementally. 

[101]

I think PaddyPower are just using it as a cheap stunt. To be honest how do we know that there are no players in the SPFL that are gay or Bi sexual? I couldn't point out a players wife or girlfriend so I doubt I would notice if they had a husband or boyfriend. It's not like when they do an interview after signing on at the club anyone asks what sexuality they are. No-one should care as long as its two consenting adults

[Albertlegend]

Is there a bus for every profession? What gives the public the right to know the sexuality of a person just because they play football? 

[Bairnardo]

Taking something that we all agree SHOULD be a complete non-issue, and turning it into a big, side of an opentop bus public issue seems counter-productive in my mind.

[killiefan27]

Agree about it being a stunt by Paddy Power, and if I were a gay man I'd probably be a bit irritated by all these big companies trying to use pride for a bit of free publicity.

I also agree that this kind of thing may make it more of a big deal for a gay footballer to come out, given there appears to be pressure from both sides.

That said, I think the general move in football to make a big deal out of pride (rainbow laces etc) is a good thing, given that statistically speaking there are certainly gay footballers, but there are no openly gay footballers (there may be one in MLS?).

Of course if those people would rather keep it to themselves then that's absolutely their choice, but I think a big factor is the general attitudes among football fans.

To be clear, I don't think most football fans are homophobic, and I can't imagine most players are. But all too often you'll hear people shout things like "ya big poof", "ya big Jessie" or worse. Indeed I remember being at a Killie game away at Inverness when Craig Brewster was manager and being embarrassed by a chant about him being gay.

If players started coming out as gay it might do a lot to change perceptions. Of course the first few would get abuse from rival fans, but I think the more there were it would become less of an issue.

There have been enough vile homophobes outside of football who have radically changed their views when they realised they had a gay son or daughter.

I think 99% of football fans would be completely unfazed by a player being gay as long as they performed on the pitch, and knowing they had a gay player might even make them think twice about the language they use, which is probably partly what makes being openly gay in football such a rare thing in the first place.

[LondonHMFC]

46 minutes ago, killiefan27 said:

Killie game away at Inverness when Craig Brewster was manager and being embarrassed by a chant about him being gay.

Never heard about that? Somewhat surprised as he has recently moved into the same street with his wife and kids. 

The bloke who organised it for PP was on Talksport this afternoon and it didn't come over as a publicity exercise. Said that the organisers loved the idea. Just trying to highlight the fact it's 2018 and there is still yet to be a professional in the top flight come out as gay whilst playing. 

Personally still think it will be a few years before a player does come out.

Rather sad really.

[LincolnHearts]

Paddy Power are a bunch of fucks looking to jump on anything for a bit of publicity.

They even ran a book on 'next player to be burgled' in the North-West a couple of years ago after a spate of break-ins at the homes of EPL players.

[The OP]

2 hours ago, LincolnHearts said:

Paddy Power are a bunch of fucks looking to jump on anything for a bit of publicity.

They even ran a book on 'next player to be burgled' in the North-West a couple of years ago after a spate of break-ins at the homes of EPL players.

Won £10,000 on Steven Gerrard and got myself a 4k TV, a couple of watches and a very nice shellsuit into the bargain. Nae Premier League winners medals but 

[Bert Raccoon]

If a player came out up here he would get slaughtered by opposing fans, perhaps only a small minority but we'd be crazy to pretend any different.

[Sergeant Wilson]

Every work place now does anonymous diversity and equality surveys. Do the football authorities? I not, why not, or are they done and people lie?

[killiefan27]

6 hours ago, LondonHMFC said:

Never heard about that? Somewhat surprised as he has recently moved into the same street with his wife and kids. 

To be clear I’m not saying he actually IS gay, just that was the rumour at the time and there some pretty moronic chants about it.

[Guest bernardblack]

Paddy Power are the worst

[The OP]

1 minute ago, Sergeant Wilson said:

Every work place now does anonymous diversity and equality surveys. Do the football authorities? I not, why not, or are they done and people lie?

Every workplace? Mine doesn't. 4 gays,  one married guy who has had sex with men, 3 muslims and 17 ******s though. 

[drs]

Paddy Power failing to recognise that there are openly gay players in football but that there is a massive difference between being openly gay (and what a terrible phrase that is) with your friends, family and work colleagues and being openly gay in announcing it to the world.

Its your own sexuality, its personal - cretins like Paddy Power explain why people are comfortable with only their close circle knowing.

[ICTChris]

There were rumours about Craig Brewster being gay when he was our manager. He isn’t gay. I know that he was asked, off the record, about it by a journalist and he confirmed he wasn’t.

[Kennboy1978]

If a player came out up here he would get slaughtered by opposing fans, perhaps only a small minority but we'd be crazy to pretend any different.

Was anything said on the other side of the fence when Fashanu played for us or Hearts? I certainly don't remember any chants or songs.

I dare say Mark Walters had more abuse directed towards him than Fashanu ever did.

[Bert Raccoon]

1 hour ago, Kennboy1978 said:

Was anything said on the other side of the fence when Fashanu played for us or Hearts? I certainly don't remember any chants or songs.

I dare say Mark Walters had more abuse directed towards him than Fashanu ever did.

Quite certain I heard abuse when he was playing for Airdrie but I was quite young at the time. 

[Brother Blades]

Quite certain I heard abuse when he was playing for Airdrie but I was quite young at the time. 

My mind may be a little fuzzy, but I do think he played against Montrose during his time at Airdrie, if he did, I don’t remember any homophobic chants, but then again.
1. He may never have played against Montrose.
2. If he did, there may well have been shocking homophobic chants.
3. My mind has gone, but I have a vague re-collection.

Anyway, Paddy Power are highlighting this issue, not because they care, but because it’s cheap publicity.
I’m uncertain about the reaction of fans of opposing teams if one of the opposition was openly gay, I understand the football mentality where any dig you can get into the opposition is celebrated, however, as a society, I think we are maturing & social consciousness is increasing year on year.
It’s a terrible thing to recall but black players in the 80’s & even 90’s were met with terrible racial abuse & outside a few idiots, this has died, indeed most people with a modicum of sense will take issue with this amongst their own support & self police the arseholes.
Sexuality is an entirely private matter & no individual should feel they have to “come out” & less so because Paddy Power say they should.
I’m hoping that outside a few arseholes, gay players wouldn’t receive abuse from the general support nowadays. It goes without saying, 1 episode of abuse is 1 too many.