Playing on the same side? The last taboo

[sandman]

I was wondering why our defence kept losing concentration. all those men in shorts running around

They're probably more worried about why McCarthy keeps staring at their arses.

[loyalroyaldaz]

I hope its Jason Roberts.

[TFF]

I hope its Jason Roberts.

Why? Do you fancy him?

[loyalroyaldaz]

It would be funny after the kick it out stuff recently

[TFF]

Funny?

Don't get it.

[loyalroyaldaz]

Ironic

Dont try to understand, you either get it or you dont, i think it would be funny in an ironic sort of way but if i have to explain then you dont....

[TFF]

Don't see irony there either tbh.

If I try and humour you, just suppose our Jase (husband and father) did turn out to be gay you're suggesting that there's irony in having campaigned against one form of mindless discrimination he would be subject to another?

You'll have to try and explain.

[marcusopp]

I couldn't care less about the sexual orientation of anyone at the club, or my friends and family to be honest. I can't see how it bares any relevance to me. We are who we are, and nothing can change that.
For some reason, the culture in most countries among young boys and men is to tease each other about being gay. To be honest my school friends (from nearly 30 years ago) and I still do it! They call me 'margay' instead of marcus! It's all said in jest however and there's no underlying hatred, certainly not from me.
I was discussing Justin Fashanu with a gay colleague at work the other day. How hard must his life have been. To be 'out' and a black guy in the late 80's/ early 90's must have been a nightmare in terms of abuse received. He must have been pushed to the edge and hence took his own life.
Reading fans are (on the whole) a decent bunch (despite the petty arguments on hobnob sometimes) so i suspect an openly gay player would be made to feel just as welcome as a straight player. I fear this would not be the case at a more 'scummy' club for example (chelsea, millwall etc).

[Cripple Creek]

[quote="PBR"]For most of the footballing world and first world for that matter, England is a beacon of hope to the rest of the world. .[/quote]


That is one of the most absurd things I have ever read on here.

[Royal Rother]

The sexuality of any person let alone any football player (for Reading or anybody else) is of absolutely zero interest to me, and its a sad state of affairs that in the 21st Century, in the Liberal, enlightened country that we purport to be, people still see this subject as an issue that merits debate.

I'd suggest that the reason why it can be openly and intelligently debated now is because, in the 21st Century, we ARE a more Liberal and enlightened country than in the past.

It would be interesting to know how many gay people are put off pursuing a career in football as a result of homophobia, and whether that number / percentage is greater than the number of black people put off because of racism.

I suspect it is much greater.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

I don't think think any of our players would get stick from our fans - I wasn't even aware there was some kind of rumour anyway, and the "one third of the team" comments sounds highly unlikely - but I do think players on an opposition team would get stick from some.

[Stuboo]

Three gay players in the team. Is this why we're so good at coming from behind!

[floyd__streete]

Reading fans are (on the whole) a decent bunch

Allow me to paint a hypothesis. It is one year from now and one of the RFC players has come 'out'. For the sake of diversity let us say he is a white man who plays international football for Wales. A newspaper has carried the story in a sensitive manner and so when the player's name is read out before kick off as a substitute he is warmly applauded. Reading are playing Brighton in the Championship. 45 seconds after kick off Brighton fans start up with that generic brainless dirge about Reading being a sh*thole. Quick as a flash the response comes back from Y25 and Y26: "town full of faggots....."

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Ironic

Dont try to understand, you either get it or you dont, i think it would be funny in an ironic sort of way but if i have to explain then you dont....

I don't think anyone gets it.

[SLAMMED]

Three gay players in the team. Is this why we're so good at coming from behind!

We're not

[Royal With Cheese]

We're obviously givers, not takers.

[Royal Lady]

I think we all know who one is. But 3? Maybe one of our goalkeepers and the other one will be a reserve. I couldn't care less tbh. I would care if I thought the other players were treating them any differently - but I don't believe they would, so it would make no difference to anything whatsoever. Thanks for asking though.

[Bandini]

It certainly appears that our players have little idea what to do in the box etczzzzzzz

[Jay o/]

I think we all know who one is. But 3? Maybe one of our goalkeepers .

Such as? Macca and Feds have girlfriends. Andersen or Taylor then, or you're just speculating which is just what we don't need.

[soggy biscuit]

Hello everyone,
I've been posting on HNA? for just over six years now. Many details of my private life have obviously been disclosed in that time, but for those of you who don't know me, I am Irish (Reading fans' reaction to Doyle and Long was the reason I started reading HNA? in the first place), I now live in Germany, and I work in the entertainment business here. I am also one of the board's (it would seem) few bi- or homosexuals.

The city I live in, Nuremberg, is something of a centre of German football. The magazine 'Kicker' is based here, The German Academy of Football Culture, also http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_A ... all-Kultur A lot of the work I do is presenting and moderating on-stage events and I have gradually become involved in many football-related projects. One of them involves homosexuality in football and is due to become somewhat more public over the next year or so.

2013 is a summer without a major international footballing event in Europe (unless you count the Women's European Championships in Sweden) and there are hopes that homosexual footballers will make a joint statement next summer in an effort to combat homophobia in football. An individual player would face a storm of abuse but it is hoped that if a large group of players across Europe make a united stand, the challenge will be an easier one to bear. In England, the reaction has been mixed. None of the players from clubs playing in the Champions League or Europa League this season have so far been willing to 'come out'. Loss of sponsorship and what not, seem to be off-putting factors, but there has been a good response from the (apologies in advance) 'less glamourous' sides. There are two Premier League teams in which 3 current first-team squad members are earmarked to come clean about their sexuality next year. West Brom is one. The other is Reading, one of these players is (judging by comments on here) something of a fan favourite, and the club itself has been very supportive of the whole project.

So, my question, and the reason I put this thread on the Team Board at all. Do you think it will affect your support of Reading FC knowing that (potentially) almost a third of the starting line-up is openly homosexual? Would you prefer your players to keep their private lives to themselves? Do you think that being known as one of England's Gay Teams will affect the way you support your team? Opposition fans are obviously going to target this fact in future seasons, and it may well be a stigma that the club and supporters will have to carry for many years.

All feedback (positve or negative) much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

As a German based, football supporting gay campaigner I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the fall out from the Bundesliga player who recently gave an anonymous interview about his life as a secret homosexual in top level football.

While on the whole I think providing those gay players who find their secret life uncomfortable a platform on which to come out can only be a good thing I do also wonder if it would spawn a witch hunt type scenario, much of which would probably be down to social media, unregulated and used by immature folk.