sadoldgit

They will have their own reasons. And if those reasons are because they are afraid of the reaction they will get, then isn't that an issue that needs to be addressed. I believe that The Mirror says that two players will "come out" next season. I can only assume that they are leaving it a while so that we can all brace ourselves for the revelations. If they weren't so worried about the reaction, why not come out now?

I think Norway was referring to the fact that the term is often used in a pejorative sense. If you say that someone is gay because they are that is just stating a fact. If you call someone gay because of something they wear or do or act then isn't that using the term as a negative?

I agree NS. We are still hung up in this country about what other people do as consenting adults behind closed doors. It wasnt that long ago that the Sunday papers were full of naughty vicar stories and the tabloids are still peddling rubbish about celebrity sh*gs now. Add same sex canoodlings and you hit the jackpot. As someone posted earlier, people know it is not PC to say things that are perceived to be "anti-gay" so you don't hear it so much - but I have heard "gay" used in the contexts you describe and still get the feeling that we deal with a different race better than we deal with a different sexuality.

No we cant assume anything, but as I say, there has to be a reason for it because a) by the law of averages a number of professional footballers are gay and b) they are keeping quite about it. You don't have to be homophobic to make a gay person's life difficult. You just have to be a tw*t and as you say, we all know that the terraces are full of tw*ts!

Nail on head Norway. I am sure it is because our expectations of him have been so high because of the cash involved. The injuries have not helped. He is still only 25 and has plenty of time ahead of him, either here or with another club. If he is going to leave, I hope it is on a high note.

No I don't but we are talking about football here, specifically professional football. I don't hear people taking the **** out of the Munich Air Crash or the gassing of Jews in the pub or on the streets but it still goes on on the terraces and that is our issue here - footballers not coming out and why? You can rightly say that it could be because it is no one else's business. You could also surmise that they don't fancy the back lash either. Gay people have come out in all kind of sports and other fields of life but very few, in fact hardly any, in football. There has to be a good reason for that.

Agreed. He is a real threat from set pieces and with him Pelle and Fonte we are going to cause defences major problems this season from corners and free kicks.

I think we use the word out of context. Surely homophobia means a fear of gay sexuality? We are talking about people using someone's sexuality to belittle or bully them.

Just thinking the same thing myself Turks!

Prince Albert

I am not sure that you can say that with a measure of certainty Hypo. Look at what happened to Justin Fashanu. I know it was a while back but the fact that it is hard to think of anyone else who has "come out" in football since then is significant. It happens in other sports but not in football. There has to be a reason more than they just think it is no one else's business. When you know you are going to have your face splashed all over the tabloids that is a good enough reason not to go public in many people's opinions. Not to mention the stick from the terraces and the "banter" from opposition players. Fans think it is funny to make hissing noises at Spuds fans (because as we all know the Holocaust was really funny) and make jibes at United over the Munich Air Disaster. What about Victoria Beckham taking it up the b*m? Taking the **** out of someone because they happen to be gay, just because we are supposed to be "tolerant" now, is hardly going to put them off making the players life hell week in week out. You'd have to be very tough skinned to put yourself through that.

strip poker

Wayne Bridge

Indeed. And it is possible to do a difficult job without being a complete ahole.

Just as well he wasn't here under a Nicola then! Apart from that scoreline the best bit was the wonderful dribble and chip by MLT. Pure class.

I agree that is not as widespread as it was but the fact that a tabloid newspaper is making a thing about it and the fact that we are discussing it here shows that it is still an issue. If it weren't a problem the players, whoever they are, wouldn't be talking about coming out, they would be "out" already.

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And the vast majority didn't used to get involved in fights in the 1970s either but they happened all the same. There is always a minority that spoil if for the rest. And just because they might not be homophobic or racist some will still make unacceptable remarks.

Disaster? No one died. It was just a transfer that didn't work out. Some don't and he isn't the only one. He can clearly play but it didn't work out with us. That is not a disaster, it is football and happens everywhere.

I read somewhere that it is to do with the turf that is used nowadays. Apparently it doesn't "give" as it used to and leads to more twisting of limbs.

Ain't that the truth!

I am not sure that the gay scene in Brighton has a great deal to do with air crew??? Yeah, I did used to go to games in the 70s and yes I appreciate that things have changed. I am not saying that there is hatred involved, just that calling someone gay is often still done so in a pejorative way - otherwise what is the point? There is no one in Brighton and Hove who doesn't know that they live in an area with a large gay population so what is the point of chanting at them that they live in a community with gay people? The whole point is to have a dig - just as the chants about the Munich Air Disaster and making hissing gas noises against the Spuds fans is having a dig. I doubt very much if anyone is anti-sematic when they make those noises, they are just using something they think will wind up the oppo fans. Also you say that nobody is throwing bananas at John Barnes but there is still a great deal of racism in football, especially abroad. If there wasn't there would be a Kick It Out campaign.

Is it? Brighton is a pretty cool place.

De-