As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Well known gay footballer comes out as having played for Aston Villa.
A prominent gay footballer made the shocking revelation today that he once played for Aston Villa. "It took a long time for me to come to terms with the fact that I was just more comfortable playing my football in a filthy west midlands shit hole surrounded by dour brummie *word censored*."
We got reaction from several gay football fans earlier today. "What people get up to in the privacy of their own stadium is their own business, I just happen to think that children shouldn't be exposed to that kind of shit football on television, they may not understand that such behaviour is totally inappropriate. If that makes me a Villaphobe then I suppose I'm a Villaphobe."
Pro Aston Villa campaigners are pleased by today's news but say that society still has a long way to go before people can openly play football for Aston Villa without fear or shame.
U.F.G Anfield '89 wrote:Well known gay footballer comes out as having played for Aston Villa.
A prominent gay footballer made the shocking revelation today that he once played for Aston Villa. "It took a long time for me to come to terms with the fact that I was just more comfortable playing my football in a filthy west midlands shit hole surrounded by dour brummie *word censored*."
We got reaction from several gay football fans earlier today. "What people get up to in the privacy of their own stadium is their own business, I just happen to think that children shouldn't be exposed to that kind of shit football on television, they may not understand that such behaviour is totally inappropriate. If that makes me a Villaphobe then I suppose I'm a Villaphobe."
Pro Aston Villa campaigners are pleased by today's news but say that society still has a long way to go before people can openly play football for Aston Villa without fear or shame.
Thomas Hitzlsperger has become the most high-profile footballer to come out, announcing on Wednesday that he is gay. The former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton player has given a long interview to the German paper Die Zeit, in which he says that he is talking about his sexuality because he wants "to further the debate about homosexuality among sports professionals".
Hitzlsperger represented Germany 52 times, played in a World Cup and a European Championship and won the Bundesliga with Stuttgart. He retired in September last year, having also played for Lazio in Italy and Wolfsburg. "It's been a long and difficult process" [of becoming aware of being gay]. Only in the last few years have I realised that I preferred living together with a man," Hitzlsperger added.
"In England, Italy and Germany being a homosexual is no big thing, at least not in the dressing room," he said, before adding: "I was never ashamed of being who I am but it was not always easy to sit on a table with 20 young men and listen to jokes about gays. You let them get on with it as long as the jokes are somewhat funny and not too insulting.
"Being gay is topic that is 'ignored' in football and not 'a serious topic in the changing room'. Fighting spirit, passion and winning mentality are intrinsically linked, that doesn't fit the cliché: 'Gays are soft'".
Hitzelsperger quote "In England, Italy and Germany being a homosexual is no big thing, at least not in the dressing room," kind of dispels the accusations of homophobia in top level football. He had a very good career as professional footballer and his sexuality didn't stop him from being an international footballer. If he came out and said he was discriminated against because of his sexulity then that is a newsworthy statement. Why is it so important for gay players to come out whilst still playing? It shouldn't make a difference.
In all seriousness I played football with a gay guy for a couple of seasons and had no problem with it, I did however only use "soap-on-a-rope" in the shower
LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:So DB10, when you coming out
In all seriousness I played with a gay guy for a couple of seasons and had no problem with it, I did however only use his "cock-in-a-sock" in my gicker
TBH - I find male homosexuality pretty gross. Sorry, not PC, but honest. That of course doesn't mean I hate gays or want them banned or persecuted or any of that old shite. I just think it's pretty gross in a physical sense. But I also believe in live and let live. Any person should be free to live their life openly and honestly without fear of persecution or violence or hatred no matter what religion, race, gender or sexual inclination they might be. Life, much like Spuddy and Lefty, is just too short to get bent ( ) out of shape over this stuff.