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The Gay Footballer

Postby Stoney » Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:21 am

Maybe not Stags related so mods can move if they wish.

A unknown footballer has created an account on Twitter called TheGayFootballer. He states he is a Championship player and over the past few days he has come out to his family, his manager and the chairman.

He is due to come out publicly in the next few days or weeks and I for one hope he gets supported! Apparently this will be the first openly gay professional footballer since Fashanu 29 years ago, Hitzslsperger came out after he retired and I believe there is Liam Davis playing for Torquay. Hopefully this will encourage others to come out and times will change.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby stagmanrob » Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:59 am

Stoney wrote:Maybe not Stags related so mods can move if they wish.

A unknown footballer has created an account on Twitter called TheGayFootballer. He states he is a Championship player and over the past few days he has come out to his family, his manager and the chairman.

He is due to come out publicly in the next few days or weeks and I for one hope he gets supported! Apparently this will be the first openly gay professional footballer since Fashanu 29 years ago, Hitzslsperger came out after he retired and I believe there is Liam Davis playing for Torquay. Hopefully this will encourage others to come out and times will change.

Martin Riley replied to his tweet saying there was a gay footballer during his time with us, but later deleted it.
I've always thought it was Simon Heslop who was here during his second spell with us.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby James » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:28 am

Just out of interest, why Simon Heslop?
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby stagmanrob » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:37 am

James wrote:Just out of interest, why Simon Heslop?



Watch that and tell me what you think...

It was said around that time that we had a homosexual footballer in our squad (I think Dan mentioned it?) so putting the time scale together, and that he played at the same time as Riley....along with the obvious... then either my Gaydar is way off and he is the campest looking/sounding heterosexual footballer to play for the Stags and I am wrong.

That's how I sort of came to that conclusion though.

I just remember my Dad hearing his first interview on StagsPlayer and giving it the Duncan Norvelle "Chase Me" impression after hearing him speak, and that sort of stuck in my mind.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby wayno cordiniho » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:52 am

Married with a kid so hiding it well
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby Jimstag » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:53 am

Can’t believe this is a big story in this day and age, that said I don’t think we should be naming (or is it hunting) homosexual players from our past and present. I’m sure there’s a reason they haven’t disclosed it and you could be wrong? Hopefully in many cases it because they’re comfortable and it’s not a big deal to them rather than fear of responses.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby Parkinsons Perm » Wed Jul 10, 2019 6:42 am

Thought I read somewhere this Twitter account was a fake one set up by a teenage Reading fan??
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby Sneag » Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:02 am

Perhaps he was just happy?
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby Foresttownstag » Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:10 am

Woodclanger 1 wrote:Thought I read somewhere this Twitter account was a fake one set up by a teenage Reading fan??


Yeah I saw that as well.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby I am Spartacus » Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:22 am

As a lot on here have pictures of men as their profile pictures, noticing that Forest Town Stag has Lawrence as his, are a lot hiding something???? :lol:

Or as others have intimated, it is the 21st Century, move along, nothing to see here.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby my name is jonas » Wed Jul 10, 2019 7:31 am

Don’t really get why they are creating an anonymous twitter hyping it up like it’s a soap opera reveal.

In this day and age does anyone really care, there are openly gay people everywhere.

The whole big reveal makes it more of a publicity stunt to get whoever it is a big front page news spread, prob a load of money from it and play on the fact he’s gay.

Whole thing seems a bit fake and set up to me.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby lifestags » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:08 am

The first person to come out really does need support, if he encounters any trolls on twitter, any inappropriate comments then it will deter anybody else coming out.

At the end of the day it comes down to what he does on the pitch that matters, whatever happens in his private life is his business.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby m1cksut » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:18 am

so, given that footballers have shared communal baths since the year dot, they kiss and hug each other after scoring a goal, and are often very emotional at the end of a game/season etc, is anyone at all surprised that there are gay footballers?
the only surprise is that so few have come out!
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby m1cksut » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:18 am

:good_post:
yeah, what he said!
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby 88BenM » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:19 am

Why does it even matter? What has sexual orientation got to do with playing football? If you're scoring 30 goals a season and firing any side to promotion, nobody will care what you do with your private life.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby MTFCMAD » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:20 am

Is it just me what doesn't see this as a big deal.

In today's modern world i just take it as normal that someone is gay.

If a footballers gay ok it makes no difference to a footballer being straight im just happy that they feel comfortable being able to admit it.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby lifestags » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:21 am

m1cksut wrote:so, given that footballers have shared communal baths since the year dot, they kiss and hug each other after scoring a goal, and are often very emotional at the end of a game/season etc, is anyone at all surprised that there are gay footballers?
the only surprise is that so few have come out!



Is it though? I have just discussed this matter with a colleague and the first thing he said was ''I wouldn't want to share a shower with him''

I asked him what about if he had played alongside this footballer for the last 10 years and shared a shower with him loads of times, would he still not feel comfortable, he said no.

Says everything to me that.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby Billy the fish » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:37 am

We once had a bent chairman (allegedly) if that counts !!
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby oldweststander » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:41 am

Live and let live I say.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby MTFCMusings » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:47 am

Jimstag wrote:Can’t believe this is a big story in this day and age, that said I don’t think we should be naming (or is it hunting) homosexual players from our past and present. I’m sure there’s a reason they haven’t disclosed it and you could be wrong? Hopefully in many cases it because they’re comfortable and it’s not a big deal to them rather than fear of responses.


It's been made a big story by 'The Gay Footballer' themselves, creating a twitter account and teasing the reveal of their sexuality and identity. The media have then latched on to it from there.

If they were so terrified about revealing their identity, why go to the trouble of making an anonymous twitter account? Sounds like someone who is hungry for publicity.

As you say, it's such a non-event someone 'revealing' their sexuality, who cares?
Last edited by MTFCMusings on Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby Iliketrains » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:47 am

my name is jonas wrote:Don’t really get why they are creating an anonymous twitter hyping it up like it’s a soap opera reveal.

In this day and age does anyone really care, there are openly gay people everywhere.

The whole big reveal makes it more of a publicity stunt to get whoever it is a big front page news spread, prob a load of money from it and play on the fact he’s gay.

Whole thing seems a bit fake and set up to me.


I agree with this. Surely the manner in which the individual concerned has approached this adds to the pressure of 'coming out' which is the opposite of what gay footballers want to achieve? It isn't helping him or gay footballers and IMO it's got to be a hoax.

I'd imagine that most gay footballers would like to imagine a scenario where they reveal that they are gay and everyone just shrugs their shoulders and says big deal as that's what it should be to any person with a brain cell. No big deal. In an ideal world.

I am finding it difficult to understand why players don't want to reveal that they are homosexual anyway. Are they afraid it will affect their careers? We all know there is discrimination out there yes but just say for arguments sake that a Premier League footballer reveals he is gay and then when his contract ends he cannot even get a gig at Carlisle and he would have to end his career. I can't see that happening because the discrimination would be glaringly obvious.

Fans wouldn't be allowed (quite rightly) to chant homophobic songs at the player even though i don't doubt some would. Like with racist chanting, you'll always get one or two cretins doing it.

Perhaps the biggest pressure would be that of not knowing the reaction from team mates. I'd assume most would be supportive but you always get one or two secret homophobes that would appear supportive but underneath they harbour homophobic views.

Then there is the inevitable clamour from the media to deal with as they would love the chance to make something that shouldn't be an issue, an issue. A big one at that. It would be a circus for a while and the player involved would have to be strong enough to deal with this. Ultimately though if a player is gay then he's gay. End of story. Move on.

Regardless of all that, if a player IS gay then how the hell does he hide it from the public for the duration of his career?! He'll no doubt want to have relationships etc and someone somewhere will know or see him about with a man. How do you even manage that?
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby Stoney » Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:57 am

I'm pretty sure this isn't a hoax. Jim White from sky sports news has been speaking to him and tweeted about it.

I agree this shouldn't be an issue. In this day and age why should it matter what sexuality somebody is?

I do hope he gets support though.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby Jimstag » Wed Jul 10, 2019 9:02 am

Actually 1 question I do have regarding this is in the changing room in that Phil Neville is not allowed in the women’s changing room for a set period and team talks held on the pitch for fairly obvious reasons, would some sort of regulation like this have to happen for an openly gay player?
It is OTT for me but at the same time it opens a whole minefield for me.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby ParisStag » Wed Jul 10, 2019 9:05 am

m1cksut wrote:so, given that footballers have shared communal baths since the year dot, they kiss and hug each other after scoring a goal, and are often very emotional at the end of a game/season etc, is anyone at all surprised that there are gay footballers?
the only surprise is that so few have come out!


So you're saying that people can just become gay from being overly emotional or seeing naked men? It's not a whim that just happens or you decide to do. People are born homosexual, they don't learn it.
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Re: The Gay Footballer

Postby Iliketrains » Wed Jul 10, 2019 9:10 am

Jimstag wrote:Actually 1 question I do have regarding this is in the changing room in that Phil Neville is not allowed in the women’s changing room for a set period and team talks held on the pitch for fairly obvious reasons, would some sort of regulation like this have to happen for an openly gay player?
It is OTT for me but at the same time it opens a whole minefield for me.


It's an interesting point Jimstag and one i don't have an answer for.

Maybe if we equate it to women's football. I don't know the facts but i'm sure i read somewhere that there are quite a few gay women footballers at the moment and they obviously share a dressing room. Someone correct me if i'm wrong.

Minefield indeed.
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