First footballer to admit sexuallity

[latemodelchild]

I always assumed that one day a big name will come out and blaze a trail. I envisage them going to Nike or Adidas and having them back them with marketing etc to normalise it for the idiots. I'd have thought Nike would be delighted to have a pro sportsman on board. There's a lot of sportswomen who are out and proud as the saying goes, far fewer men, especially in football. They'd become a worldwide name overnight and I'd hope any negativity towards them would be shortlived and drowned out. 

 

I can't begin to imagine taking that step though, huge amount of pressure on them as soon as the news breaks. 

[Daniele Giovanni]

21 minutes ago, latemodelchild said:

I always assumed that one day a big name will come out and blaze a trail. I envisage them going to Nike or Adidas and having them back them with marketing etc to normalise it for the idiots. I'd have thought Nike would be delighted to have a pro sportsman on board. There's a lot of sportswomen who are out and proud as the saying goes, far fewer men, especially in football. They'd become a worldwide name overnight and I'd hope any negativity towards them would be shortlived and drowned out. 

 

I can't begin to imagine taking that step though, huge amount of pressure on them as soon as the news breaks. 

 What they do in their private lives has nothing to do with us and what happens on the pitch, sometimes it feels like the time when life was in black and white and everybody is wearing a flat cap, straight out of a coal mine, its 2021 FFS, so let others get on with their lives

[kopman9]

54 minutes ago, latemodelchild said:

I always assumed that one day a big name will come out and blaze a trail. I envisage them going to Nike or Adidas and having them back them with marketing etc to normalise it for the idiots. I'd have thought Nike would be delighted to have a pro sportsman on board. There's a lot of sportswomen who are out and proud as the saying goes, far fewer men, especially in football. They'd become a worldwide name overnight and I'd hope any negativity towards them would be shortlived and drowned out. 

 

I can't begin to imagine taking that step though, huge amount of pressure on them as soon as the news breaks. 

 

Just think of all the companies that are going to be fighting over him with endorsement deals.

[Salmonbones]

I might be being daft here, but I always thought this had happened years ago with a Wimbledon player (when they were Wimbledon and doing great guns) - or am I dreaming that?

 

I'm not going to mention the name I was thinking of in case I am remembering things wrong.

 

It shouldn't be an issue - I bet for every player the public don't know is gay, some of their close team mates do, which is probably how it should be.  

 

Just because you are in the public eye doesn't mean your personal circumstances should be for all to see.

 

 

 

 

[Salmonbones]

To my above, I got the player wrong - he never played for Wimbledon .

 

A player did come out in the 90's but not to the public.   His brother who did play for Wimbledon paid him not to do so publicly.   

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2021 by Salmonbones

[matthefish2002]

12 minutes ago, Salmonbones said:

To my above, I got the player wrong - he never played for Wimbledon .

 

A player did come out in the 90's but not to the public.   His brother who did play for Wimbledon paid him not to do so publicly.   

 

 

 

 

I think the player you are talking about is Justin Fashanu who sadly took his own life in 1998.

[Salmonbones]

11 minutes ago, matthefish2002 said:

 

I think the player you are talking about is Justin Fashanu who sadly took his own life in 1998.

 

Yes, apparently it was common knowledge he was gay to those around him but John Fashanu paid him not to go to the tabloids.    £75k is suggested as the figure.

 

 

[latemodelchild]

2 hours ago, Daniele Giovanni said:

 What they do in their private lives has nothing to do with us and what happens on the pitch, sometimes it feels like the time when life was in black and white and everybody is wearing a flat cap, straight out of a coal mine, its 2021 FFS, so let others get on with their lives

I'm not sure what point you're making here. Everyone is getting on with their lives, but a gay professional footballer is going to be big news. He can bring hope to so many and inspire people. A young, gay boy or girl seeing this will see themselves through his actions and can draw strength when they need it. 

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

That would be Fergus Suter DOB 21/11/1857  was a Scottish stonemason and footballer in the early days of the game. Arguably the first recognised professional footballer, Suter was a native of Glasgow and played for Partick before moving to England to play for Darwen and Blackburn Rovers as a professional. He revealed in the Darwen advertiser, rather than admitted, that he was straight and had a wife.

 

However, his sexuality was his own business and he was n't concerned one iota with Identity politics which was only a concern prying coppers and Home Office higher grades. People should be left to do as they choose as long as they are not injurious to each other, that way people get to enjoy their freedom. 

 

When it comes down to the rawest of raw topics, trans issues. I simply don't engage because I find it so,so complicated. Resolution may well be years off.   

[Señor Sam]

11 hours ago, Daniele Giovanni said:

 It takes a lot of guts to tell the whole world about one's sexuallity, but well done to Josh Cavallo to open up about this, hopefully now he can carry on with his profession without any problems, but I doubt it with all the trolls out there, good luck Josh 

I think Collin Martin was one of the first in the modern era, around 2019.

[scram]

This is ridiculous

 

I well remember this - just the 10 years ago!

 

https://www.farenet.org/news/swedish-footballer-comes-out-as-gay/

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

The framing is just plain Bonkers. "Admit"  FFS !

[McRightSide]

5 hours ago, latemodelchild said:

I always assumed that one day a big name will come out and blaze a trail. I envisage them going to Nike or Adidas and having them back them with marketing etc to normalise it for the idiots. I'd have thought Nike would be delighted to have a pro sportsman on board. There's a lot of sportswomen who are out and proud as the saying goes, far fewer men, especially in football. They'd become a worldwide name overnight and I'd hope any negativity towards them would be shortlived and drowned out. 

 

I can't begin to imagine taking that step though, huge amount of pressure on them as soon as the news breaks. 

All the top athletes are already under contract and the major brands know everything there is to know 

 

Many of the brand partners are long term and supported in many ways outside of the public eye. 
 

Different sport but Ian Thorpe was very carefully supported by adidas when he came out in 2014 and to this day he’s still a brand partner despite relatively low commercial value

 

 

[Plonk]

Not the first. One of the fashanu brothers ( it’s such a big deal I can’t remember which) Graham le Saul and that young lad at Wethersfield county all came out before this Australian lad.

But as others have said why does it matter? I want to watch them play football, I have zero interest what they do off the pitch. That applies to heterosexual players too, I don’t care where they live what car they drive or where their missus goes shopping. 

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

3 hours ago, Plonk said:

Not the first. One of the fashanu brothers ( it’s such a big deal I can’t remember which) Graham le Saul and that young lad at Wethersfield county all came out before this Australian lad.

But as others have said why does it matter? I want to watch them play football, I have zero interest what they do off the pitch. That applies to heterosexual players too, I don’t care where they live what car they drive or where their missus goes shopping. 

 

Graeme Le Saux has never come out, but rather became a non-gay spokesperson for gay footballers as a result of years of rumours and terrace taunts which seemed to stem simply from the fact that he's not your stereotypically 'macho' footballer.

[Ellis Rimmer]

8 hours ago, scram said:

This is ridiculous

 

I well remember this - just the 10 years ago!

 

https://www.farenet.org/news/swedish-footballer-comes-out-as-gay/

American player that was at Leeds too. They're just trying to milk thus

[Ellis Rimmer]

15 hours ago, OxonOwl said:

 

 

It isn't really anybody's business but neither are footballer's wives.

 

They are public figures so people are interested but those who are gay obviously feel they cannot be open about who they are.

 

They obviously feel they can't mention their partners in conversation or bee seen in public with them.

 

The reason is the first one or two to do so will come under massive scrutiny of the press.

 

There maybe be other reasons the do not want people to know. Possibly institutional homophobia, perhaps.

 

 

It is not about making an announcement or people having to know. It is about them feeling they are able to be open about who they are

 

 

Only top footballers wives that seek media attention become celebrities. I couldn't tell you the marital status of a single Wednesday player. The point is players could be 'out', the whole team, family etc may know, they don't have to go 'public' with that to be 'openly gay'. You're assuming that none go out in public with their partners. 

[Plonk]

Apologies if I got that wrong about lesaux. 

[Screen Door Slams]

2 hours ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

 

Graeme Le Saux has never come out, but rather became a non-gay spokesperson for gay footballers as a result of years of rumours and terrace taunts which seemed to stem simply from the fact that he's not your stereotypically 'macho' footballer.

 

The rumours were rife after an ugly incident when the scouse "charmer" Robbie Fowler bent over for him during a high profile match.

[OxonOwl]

1 hour ago, Ellis Rimmer said:

The point is players could be 'out', the whole team, family etc may know, they don't have to go 'public' with that to be 'openly gay'. You're assuming that none go out in public with their partners. 

 

 

I'll repeat, if an unknown player from the Australian league makes news headlines for being the first Professional footballer to come out as gay you can be pretty sure no one in the English league has come out publicly.

 

There would be paparazzi cover of anyone being out and about in public with a male partner. Because it would be massive news.

 

Even now, if it were the case, there'd be someone saying, hold on, he's not the first, there's so and so.

 

This is like trying to deny the moon landings

 

There just are no OUT professional footballers, other than Josh. and by OUT I mean able to feel free to do all the things heterosexual couples do.

 

 

Edited October 28, 2021 by OxonOwl