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Coming Out in the World of Soccer

Mick Daly

Having seen a BBC Inside Sport documentary on there a while ago I made a few discoveries.

John Fashanu is the only footballer to come out as gay.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gerard Pique were snapped in a gay pose in May 2010.

(http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/barcelona/26222/whats-the-deal-with-zlatan-ibrahimovic-and-gerard-pique.html)

Never heard about the Barcalona stars gay image before. This is surprising. I would have presumed that the Irish Sun, Mirror, Star would have had a field day with it?

The documentary also showed Donal Óg Cusack of Cork hurling fame.

What are ye're opinions on the whole thing? Max Clifford says there are a few stars who he has advised to stay in the closet. Any big Premier League stars who don't have a girlfriend? Could Jamie Carragher be gay?

It's all a bit sad that people's opinions will change when some of them come out.

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Dyr

In all fairness other players might feel a bit weird if they knew that a team mate they were hugging, kissing and slapping on the arse every weekend was gay.
:pac:

Kiera

Unique User Name wrote: »

Isn't Freddie Ljungberg openly gay?

I heard rumours about Sol Campbell a few years ago but I don't know how true they are.

Still "Camp" "Bell" hardly a coincidence

Lunchbox Ljungberg is not gay.

Trashbat

Kiera wrote: »

Lunchbox Ljungberg is not gay.

Quite right, but obviously the media being the bastions of intelligence that they are, have decided to raise questions of his sexuality becasue he likes fashion and doesn't cavort "WAGS".

Its similar to the gay witchhunt of Graham Le Saux, who read the guardian and had an interest in the arts, so therefore must be gay. Or Sol Campbell, who is emotionally sensitive and wanted to be a fashion designer, rather than a footballer when he was young. Or Ashley Cole, who liked to put a mobile phone up his bumb and have his team mate text him so the vibrate function would do funny things to him. Its pure bigoted to assume any of this behaviour equates to being gay.

Trashbat

Bambi wrote: »

In all fairness other players might feel a bit weird if they knew that a team mate they were hugging, kissing and slapping on the arse every weekend was gay.
:pac:

Really? Because they've all been transported back to the 1950's? If someone thinks this, then they're the one with the problem.

Kiera

Trashbat wrote: »

Quite right, but obviously the media being the bastions of intelligence that they are, have decided to raise questions of his sexuality becasue he likes fashion and doesn't cavort "WAGS".

Its similar to the gay witchhunt of Graham Le Saux, who read the guardian and had an interest in the arts, so therefore must be gay. Or Sol Campbell, who is emotionally sensitive and wanted to be a fashion designer, rather than a footballer when he was young. Or Ashley Cole, who liked to put a mobile phone up his bumb and have his team mate text him so the vibrate function would do funny things to him. Its pure bigoted to assume any of this behaviour equates to being gay.

Yeah they always pick on the pretty boys!

bonerm

Kiera wrote: »

Lunchbox Ljungberg is not gay.

You wish.

Bob the Seducer

Nulty wrote: »

I heard rumours Gary Neville, John O'Shea and Ashley Cole were gay. But then I heard Andy Reid doesn't like tomato ketchup...

I was so disappointed

I'm pretty sure that the John O'Shea thing comes from City fans realising that O'Shea and Gay rhyme.

Kiera

bonerm wrote: »

You wish.

He's ghey for me!

Trashbat

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that the John O'Shea thing comes from City fans realising that O'Shea and Gay rhyme.

Those Genius City fans! They are like a modern day Lord Byron with their poetic genius!

Dyr

Trashbat wrote: »

Really? Because they've all been transported back to the 1950's? If someone thinks this, then they're the one with the problem.

Literal poster is literal

bonerm

Kiera wrote: »

He's ghey for me!

You actually turned him ghey? Didn't realise you were that bad.

Kiera

bonerm wrote: »

You actually turned him ghey? Didn't realise you were that bad.

Yup, sack of spuds i am

bonerm

Trashbat wrote: »

Those Genius City fans! They are like a modern day Lord Byron with their poetic genius!

Cole = Hole.
Fashanu = Lash the poo.

Hmm, you may be onto something here!

rovert

aDeener wrote: »

bloody hell the way some are going on here you would swear there are tens of thousands of soccer players wanting to come out but are not being let. no one here should be telling them what they should or should not do, it is up to them if they wish to come out or not. entirely their choice, not the militants on here.

I think you are missing the issue

bonerm

Kiera wrote: »

Yup, sack of spuds i am

I don't know what that means but I'm guessing it's not good.

Chucky the tree

JupiterKid wrote: »

This is an issue that shouldn't even be up for debate. It's high time that footballers came out. It's the only way vile scumbag homophobia in the terraces, the locker rooms and the club boardrooms will be tackled.

The degree to which football is behind other sports let alone society in general on the issue of openly gay players is breathtaking.:(

Excellent article here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/feb/10/can-gay-footballers-come-out

What other sports? AFAIK only 1 rugby player has ever openly admitted to being gay, he did so at the end of his career and only 1 GAA has done it as well, towards the end of his career too. Both have only done it recently as well. I don't know any openly gay cricketers, snookers players, rugby league players or in fact many openly gay sports people at all.

Trashbat

bonerm wrote: »

Cole = Hole.
Fashanu = Lash the poo.

Hmm, you may be onto something here!

Totally, There's patterns emerging:

Lampard = Camp and Hard

Although I think Darren Bent is a little lacking in subltety, as was former Arsenal Keeper from the 70s (i think) Jimmy Rimmer.

Thepones

Kind of unrelated as it is rugby, but this is a very good article about Gareth Thomas, former Welsh Rugby Captain and how he came out. He speaks really honestly about the pressures he was under etc.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1168953/index.htm

Trashbat

Bambi wrote: »

In all fairness other players might feel a bit weird if they knew that a team mate they were hugging, kissing and slapping on the arse every weekend was gay.

Bambi wrote: »

Literal poster is literal

I'm struggling to see a metaphore

so you were'nt saying straight players would have a problem with non-sexual physical contact with a gay men?

Risteard

Trashbat wrote: »

-Gareth Thomas. Important to note that he only came out after his career was finished. Rugby carries a bizarre combination of Machoness and homoeroticism (highlighted by drinking games such as "dance of the flaming arseholes" and various "insertions" i witnessed while working in a rugby club bar - all in the name of banter apparently). I would think that the rugby fanbase wouldn't necessarily be the problem, but the players might be, which makes coming out fine after retirement.

He still plays Rugby League though and has said that his coach at Wales, Scott Johnson knew he was gay as did a few of his team-mates.

Also Nigel Owens, one of the top referees came out as gay a few years ago.

Trashbat

Risteard wrote: »

He still plays Rugby League though and has said that his coach at Wales, Scott Johnson knew he was gay as did a few of his team-mates.

Also Nigel Owens, one of the top referees came out as gay a few years ago.

I didn't know he was still playing, but in fairness, i'd say some of the time the players, regardless of sport, would know that their team mate was gay, but its the media and supporters that make it a bigger issue.

With Justin Fashanu, there's a story about brian clough being annoyed with him for going to gay bars ("you get bread from a butcher, you get a leg of lamb from a butcher, so what are you doing going to those bloody poof bars" apparently what he said), but i presume a large proportion of his teammates knew and got on with life.

Obviously this is not a rule, just look at John Amechi, the basketball player, who did everything he could to hide his lifestyle.

MJ23

Ashley Cole, definitely. Going off with those hairdressers was only a cover up. A bit like Robbie Williams.

aDeener

rovert wrote: »

I think you are missing the issue

enlighten me so. there is no issue unless people are being forced to pretend they are straight against their will

rovert

aDeener wrote: »

enlighten me so. there is no issue unless people are being forced to pretend they are straight against their will

Professionally they are being forced to be closeted.

aDeener

rovert wrote: »

Professionally they are being forced to be closeted.

advised ≠ forced

johnnyjb

Nulty wrote: »

I heard rumours Gary Neville, John O'Shea and Ashley Cole were gay.

Heard that too from an unreliable source that said him and Chezza was a smokescreen. Wouldnt take it to heart though

rovert

aDeener wrote: »

advised ≠ forced

You are playing with semantics here end result is the same.

Sid_Justice

I'm struggling to think of any male athletes who are famous (so top level) that are openly gay other than Gareth Thomas and Dónal óg. The tennis legend Martina Navatilova is lesbian.

There are more openly gay people in the fashion, movie and music industries but again I'm struggling to think of an openly gay person who isn't type casted by their sexuality.

nacho libre

well it's known that Max Clifford has set-up a sham marriage for a top premiership player to hide his homosexuality. We know it has been done before for leading Hollywood people.
The again it could be playing soccer cures most people of their gayness.

[Deleted User]

Sid_Justice wrote: »

There are more openly gay people in the fashion, movie and music industries but again I'm struggling to think of an openly gay person who isn't type casted by their sexuality.

The cast of Fraiser and the dude from How I met Your mother. Some of the charachters from both shows are womanisers in the shows but are gay in real life.