'Three gay Premier League footballers are in talks with FA about coming out’, MP says
THREE footballers are poised to make the “encouraging” move to become the first openly gay players in the Premier League.
MP Crouch: Authorities must support gay players coming out
Scottish National Party MP John Nicolson claimed the players were in talks with the Football Association over their sexuality during an evidence session of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
In October, FA chairman Greg Clarke told MPs that “it would be impossible for a gay Premier League player to come out” because they would suffer a “significant” level of abuse.
He added: “I’m cautious of encouraging people to come out until we do our part of the bargain and stamp out abuse.
“I am personally ashamed they don’t feel safe to come out.”
An SNP MP has claimed three gay players are in talks with the FA over coming out
I understand three players are in talks with the FA about coming out
However, Sports Minister Tracey Crouch insisted that there had never been a better time for a player to come out while she criticise Mr Clarke for his comments.
Ms Crouch told the MPs in attendance that she found his comments to be “incredibly disappointing” and “strange”.
She said“We don’t know if there is a player who is considering whether to come out at the moment but those comments say ‘don’t’ and that it is unhelpful.
“There has never been a better time for a player to come out.”
This prompted Mr Nicolson to say: “I understand three players are in talks with the FA about coming out and they haven’t done so yet.
Sports Minister Tracey Crouch slammed FA chair Greg Clarke who said players would suffer abuse
“It’s good to know that you’re encouraging people to come out.”
Justin Fashanu became the first player in England to come out as gay in 1990, but took his own life aged 37 in 1998.
No male professional has come out while playing in England since – former England women’s captain Casey Stoney was the first active footballer to come out in England since Fashanu, in February 2014.
And former Germany and Aston Villa player Thomas Hitzlsperger became the first player with Premier League experience to publicly reveal his homosexuality, in January 2014, after he had finished playing in the country.
Gay footballer Robbie Rogers on locker room homophobia
Openly-gay rugby union referee Nigel Owens also told the Committee that he disagreed with the comments made by Mr Clarke.
Mr Owens, who came out in 2007, said: “I can understand but tend to disagree with it – I think the majority of people would be supportive.
“I can imagine the pressure [the first player] is going to be under when he does come out, however – I was the first to come out [in rugby] and felt under a huge amount of pressure, and I was a ref not a player.
“The Welsh Rugby Union were hugely supportive.”