Almost a decade ago, I went to watch a football match. Nothing too surprising about that, I was a season ticket holder at Nottingham Forest at the time. Before kick-off, I’d got chatting to the bloke sat in front of me. He seemed fairly polite and mild-mannered; a Sunday at the garden centre personified. We were mid-discussion about the wisdom of the team selection, before he excused himself, and turned to face the pitch. Casper Ankergren, the Brighton & Hove keeper, was kneeling in front of their fans, sorting out his boots. “OI ANKERGREN, I BET YOUR FANS FUCKING LOVE YOU SHOWING YOUR ARSE”, and in case there was any doubt, he added “COS THEY’RE ALL BENT”. He then turned back, and calmly continued discussing the form of Lewis McGugan.
That was nine years ago, but it’s also still now. With this
as a backdrop, the recent news that Jake Daniels is the first professional
footballer in England to come out in 32 years is an incredible act of personal
bravery. The reaction and support from his teammates is heartening, suggesting
that homophobia in the dressing room is certainly on the way out. Jake’s own
massive step will help make it all that easier for the next player to come out
as well. Visibility and representation are essential, underlined by the fact
that Jake was inspired by Josh Cavallo, the Australian professional player who
came out last year. Every player who makes this brave step makes it easier for
the next, until it’s no longer something that needs to be announced.
The fact that it came out via a statement and interview with
Jake on his own terms is certainly something. The lurid clamour for a gay
footballer from the tabloids has led to countless stories of Premier League
footballers on the verge of coming out. Certainly, it’s classic tabloid fodder
– football and sex, with an added dash of homophobia; a transfer rumour linking
a player with a move away from heterosexuality. The slightly
self-congratulatory air of some of the football media, and the wider football
world just reinforced the hypocritical stance of many of them take.
FIFA were one of the organisations to congratulate Jake.
Reminder, that this year’s FIFA World Cup takes place in a country where
homosexuality is illegal. A gay football fan wishing to stay in one of FIFA’s
recommended hotels for the tournament would have to book separate rooms for him
and his partner. Qatar 2022 ambassador David Beckham is surprised that a gay
footballer has to come out in 2022, a kind of tin-earness that his vast sums of
wealth should be able to help ameliorate. Russia1 (2018 host) has,
amongst other discriminatory acts, been accused of turning a blind eye to the
horrific beatings and murder of gay men and women in Chechnya. For an
organisation that is so committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion within international football,
they sure do keep making the mistake of hosting the World Cup in countries
where LGBTQ+ people are likely to, at the very least, suffer discrimination.
Newcastle United also tweeted their congratulations to Jake on coming out.
Reminder, Newcastle are majority owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment
fund (Chairman: Mohammed bin Salman). The social media staffer may want to
avoid any pre-season trips to Saudi Arabia though, given in 2020 Yemeni blogger
Mohamad al-Bokari was sentenced to 10 months in prison for a social media post supporting
equal rights for all in Saudi Arabia. Yet Newcastle are hardly the only
petro-club to have an uneasy relationship with allyship and support for LGBTQ+ rights.
Whilst Manchester City and PSG2 support initiatives such as rainbow
laces or numbers locally, any gay fans back home in the UAE or Qatar may want
to refrain from lacing their own boots up with rainbow laces anytime soon,
given male homosexuality is illegal in both nations.
Let’s not kid ourselves though to think that homophobic
hypocrisy is restricted to the vassal clubs of oil states with questionable
human rights records. Chelsea fans are still consistently referred to as “rent
boys” by opposition fans, allegedly following a tabloid story where a Chelsea
hooligan was found in bed with a male prostitute. In January, the Crown Prosecution
Service announced that the chant is a hate crime, only just for a chant with unmistakable homophobic intentions. And this sort of abuse isn’t just
restricted to the terraces. Social media has made it rife, allowing homophobic
abuse to be broadcast freely and directly to footballers, fans, pundits or just
generally into the ether. Undoubtedly, some of these accounts are from
inherently more homophobic nations – a reflection of the globalisation of the
sport. It would be foolish, however, to think that a large proportion are
homegrown homophobes, with a grandstand to spout their vile views.
This isn't about particular clubs or sets of fans, but rather football itself. Homophobia still runs through its heart, but there
are some causes for hope. Grassroots LGBTQ+ inclusive clubs are thriving across
the country, as are LGBTQ+ supporters clubs, helping to provide a safer space
for queer footballers and fans. Top-down initiatives from football institutions
do help as well, even if they are superficial at best. But one gay footballer
does not a problem solve. Football needs to stop slapping itself on the back
for such a good job, and double down on challenging LGBTQ+ discrimination from
the dressing rooms to the World Cup.
Well done, Jake, your bravery is already helping those
across football.
1 In hindsight, awarding anything to Russia was a
fucking mistake.
2 Except Idrissa Gueye, who mysteriously gets
injured whenever he has to demonstrate support for the equal rights of queer
people