Is English football homophobic?

There are currently 20 teams in the Premier League, with a squad of 25. The Championship has 24 teams and squads of 26. Ultimately, there are 1,124 players in the top two divisions. Not one is openly gay.

Homosexuality in football is a longstanding issue, to say the least. The first player to come out, Justin Fashanu, killed himself eight years later. This was a result of the abuse he received.

American footballer Robbie Rogers came out in 2013, after he had retired - which he believed made his decision easier. He has since rejoined the game, plying his trade for L.A. Galaxy.

However, there’s still not enough support for this issue. With the age we live in, footballers shouldn’t be afraid of being open about their sexuality. It’s wrong that some are afraid.

Liam Davis, an openly homosexual semi-professional footballer, said that most of his abuse came from other players, which is absolutely shameful.

As a result gay players see coming out as marking themselves as a target for abuse. This mentality cannot be expressed more than in the adamant denials of Luke Shaw when rumors suggested he was gay. I mean fair enough for setting the record straight, but he seemed concerned about it all… The intense media attention he received for mere rumours could only have been off-putting for others. This, and the negativity experienced by Fashanu, can only serve to convince other players it’s best to stay quiet.

The fact that players have previously been advised to keep quiet is atrocious. Some say it is to avoid abuse, others in order to not hamper their careers. Those who have recommended it include agent Max Clifford and former player Tony Cascarino of Ireland.

The fact that there are openly homosexual politicians, actors and so on, who are still accepted, says something. That it’s okay in the eyes of fans. That a player will still be appreciated.

Keegan Hirst, the first openly gay British rugby player, also provides an important example a little closer to home, in the sporting world. Fans gave him a standing ovation at the home game following his brave decision to come out.  

In 2009, most fans said they’d like to see homophobia removed from football. Chris Sutton has said that the time is right for footballers to come out, if they desire to. Personally, I agree with him. There’s a website, FootballVHomophobia.com , which you can support. It’s time for everybody to be who they are, and be accepted into the beautiful game.

Perhaps just one player needs to set the trend. I can barely imagine how intimidating it might be, but those who do will take a big step in the battle for LGBTQ+ acceptance.