The lack of gay footballers

[Peter]

Cheers, Bobb.  I don't watch as much football as I used to!

[CAMRAMan]

Judging by his on-field behaviour, I wouldn't want to be a tenant in one the houses in Robbie Fowler's 80-strong property empire.

[Biff]

The blog by Le Saux is very moving, not to say horrifying in parts (vile abuse from a 10 year old??)

There doesn't seem to be a link here, so here it is:

http://reflectionsasia.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/graeme-le-saux-how-gay-slurs-almost-wrecked-my-career/  (Its from 2007 btw)

[CAMRAMan]

Thanks for the link, Biff. You never think of pro footballers as fragile creatures, but he clearly was. That's meant as an observation, btw, not criticism. Some big names dropped there who should be ashamed.

[Peter]

I don't think he's fragile, just normally sensitive.  Anyone who isn't at least as sensitive as that is some kind of failure.

[Wowbagger]

Quite right. If you've got a few thousand people all simultaneously indulging in outright bullying it must be absolutely mortifying. I'd say that Le Saux, rather than being "fragile", is one hard bastard.

[CAMRAMan]

Well, I meant fragile in the same sense as we all have our own personal frailties. Footballers have that aura of invincibility about them on the pitch, which is where most of us see them. It is rare, though heartening, to read that they are as human as the rest of us.

And yes, to have endured those years of abuse does mean GlS is indeed a tough nut.

[bobb]

you've got a few thousand people all simultaneously indulging in outright bullying...

...plus opposing players and incredibly, your own team mates. And whilst all that is going on, it is completely ignored by the officials.

It's no wonder he felt so alone

[bobb]

BBC article today about Liam Davis

[Hot Flatus]

Would we expect anything different from the world's stupidest millionaires and their cretinous fans?

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26084748

Casey Stoney was inspired to come out after seeing the positive response Tom Daley got. 

[clarion]

If the England captain is out, that's a very good example.

[Dibdib]

Slightly worrying that we appear to be outpaced by even the 'Mericans too:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/american-football/26119059

[Nuncio]

BBC article today about Liam Davis

He plays for 'my' team.  The fans (on the forum, at least) are fully supportive - they are a lot more enlightened than they were when I was a regular, which is to be expected and welcomed. I  was also amused to see that one fan has suspended himself for the rest of the season after his impromptu racist remark at a referee caused some opprobrium from his fellow fans.

[Jakob]

Slightly worrying that we appear to be outpaced by even the 'Mericans too:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/american-football/26119059

It's going to end in tears, although you have some of the old guard rooting for him.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Olc5C4SXAYM&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Olc5C4SXAYM&rel=1</a>