Football 2012-2013

[pink_triangle]

I suspect football dressing rooms have changed since cascarinos days with evolving attitudes and a huge change in the make ups of changing rooms. I suspect it would be more of a problem in the lower leagues where clubs have often evolved less. I suspect if a player was good enough fans/players wouldnt care. The trouble is as soon as they ducked a tackle, comments would be made how he wasn't a real man, dspite straight men doing it all the time.

[kaosmark2]

Totally agree but again I would say if newcastle player did it to win you silverware you wouldnt mind.

[The Nal]

I suspect football dressing rooms have changed since cascarinos days with evolving attitudes and a huge change in the make ups of changing rooms. I suspect it would be more of a problem in the lower leagues where clubs have often evolved less. I suspect if a player was good enough fans/players wouldnt care. The trouble is as soon as they ducked a tackle, comments would be made how he wasn't a real man, dspite straight men doing it all the time.

[eFestivals]

My opinion is that there are extremely few gay pro footballers.

all the facts outside of pro football suggest very strongly that that view is entirely wrong.

[The Nal]

all the facts outside of pro football suggest very strongly that that view is entirely wrong.

[Sketchead]

My opinion is that there are extremely few gay pro footballers.

[kaosmark2]

What facts? The "1 in every 5 people are gay" fact?

[jump]

I think I read somewhere the PFA have only been contacted by 8 gay players in the past.

[eFestivals]

What facts? The "1 in every 5 people are gay" fact?

yeah, that one (tho it's more like 1 in 20), plus the sorts of things which lots of openly gay footballers have said.

[eFestivals]

I think I read somewhere the PFA have only been contacted by 8 gay players in the past.

I don't think that's really surprising.

Because pro footie is very much in the closet, players are unlikely to reveal themselves to any body within football (even if it's supposed to be an org which sticks up for players).

[eFestivals]

I thought it was 10?

one in ten is the more standard saying.

But in recent years it's starting to be said that that's always been an over-statement, and that the reality is more like one in twenty.

[pink_triangle]

My opinion is that there are extremely few gay pro footballers.

[The Nal]

yeah, that one (tho it's more like 1 in 20), plus the sorts of things which lots of openly gay footballers have said.

Edited October 11, 2012 by The Nal

[pink_triangle]

Yeah but they'd have to go through those lower league changing rooms first.

[eFestivals]

Thats an average in society though right? Not specific to any profession. My (completely unfounded) opinion is that that percentage would be significantly lower in football.

The suggestion from the likes of members of the few gay teams there are is that gay footers are above the society average.

Think about it. It makes a lot of sense that they could be right.

[The Nal]

The suggestion from the likes of members of the few gay teams there are is that gay footers are above the society average.

Think about it. It makes a lot of sense that they could be right.

[pink_triangle]

.Nah I don't think so. Theres only so many times a gay person can be called "faggot", "gay", "fucking queer" and so on before they bow out and do something else.

[jump]

Rooney is gonna be the England captain agaisnt San Marino.

[eFestivals]

There are gay teams?

yeah, amateur ones of course. There's a few around the country I think. There's defo one, anyway - I've seen stuff about them on TV on quite a few occasions.

[The Nal]

I can see how that would apply to openly gay people, but I imagine there are a lot of gay players who most teamates wouldnt have a clue about their sexuality.

Edited October 11, 2012 by The Nal

[pink_triangle]

Sort of backs up what I'm saying though? They're not comfortable enough in "regular" footballing society to feel they can integrate without prejudice.

[The Nal]

I dont think its a case of not being comfortable enough in regular footballing society, most amateur footballers are amateurs because the arent good enough to be professional, straight or gay.

[eFestivals]

Sort of backs up what I'm saying though? They're not comfortable enough in "regular" footballing society to feel they can integrate without prejudice.

nah, it's not quite like that. It's more the case that they could play in 'normal' teams, but they don't have to so they don't.

It's not so much that there's insurmountable issues with them playing in a normal team, more that they know they won't have any issues around that if they play with a gay team.

If things were as bad as I feel you're suggesting then they wouldn't get a match.

[TheGayTent]

I'm pretty sure there are 'gay' leagues.

Are there (m)any openly gay females in top level women's football?

[eFestivals]

I get you. But my point is that the level of commitment it requires to get to a level where a player may be considered by the pro clubs is huge due to prejudice in the earlier part of any gay players career. They would have to go through years and years of abuse, openly gay or not. And after all, its only a game.

but if they never come out, no one knows and none of that happens.

Not coming out is the default state for a gay man remember - blokes are considered to be straight unless they come out (unless they're Julian Clary camp, perhaps). So they don't have to put any (extra) effort into hiding their sexuality, it's what they're doing anyway.

The way it is now with academies and the like, a kid would be well on the path to being a pro footballer before he even got to know what his sexuality was half the time, so with their eye on the prize they've already been working towards for years they'll just carry on doing what they've been doing and no one will know.

And meanwhile they're surrounded by fit young men of their dreams. Imagine yourself with the chance to change and play with a team of fit women - if everything else was equal, would you give that up to play with blokes? As I said, think about it!

Theres also (bordering on a sweeping generalisation here) the fact that a lesser percentage of gay men, as opposed to straight men, would have as much of an interest in physical sports or just sport in general. Goes for most gay blokes I've met anyway.

my experience of gay men is the complete opposite - that they're a bit mad about keeping fit.