Would you care if a Southend player came out ?

[mrsblue]

2016 and this subject is still for some a bit dodgy.

My own view,

Who cares ?,my only thought is when they put the shirt on and cross that white line,they give 100%,nothing else matters.

The ladies game is open and honest and it's about time the men's game followed suit.

The thought of watching fellow fans openly abuse players who are gay feels me with utter dread and loathing of those same fans.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I had to unblock you to read this. For once you talk sense, it shouldn't matter a jot.

However no player will, until at least they retire as they'll get nothing but abuse on the pitch and in social media.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

If ANY player gives 100% effort and commitment for Southend United - I am happy.
PS. It helps if they are happy too!

 

[Shrimperforlife]

2016 and this subject is still for some a bit dodgy.

My own view,

Who cares ?,my only thought is when they put the shirt on and cross that white line,they give 100%,nothing else matters.

The ladies game is open and honest and it's about time the men's game followed suit.

The thought of watching fellow fans openly abuse players who are gay feels me with utter dread and loathing of those same fans.

The fans openly abuse players on performance let alone private issues , I can understand why they don't come out, the attitudes at games is pretty Neanderthal without issues such as this , for the record , as long as they pull a blue shirt on and play with pride, ( cure the responses now ) who really cares in this day and age ....???

 

[manor15]

The Mirror say 8% of fans would never watch their team if a player came out and he was selected.

Sincerely hope that would be 0% at SUFC, makes no difference to me, my life or how they will perform.

 

[Supernaut]

However no player will, until at least they retire as they'll get nothing but abuse on the pitch and in social media.

Have to agree with this. Doesn't matter a jot to me, but I can't see that being the case with all men who attend football matches. Abuse from the terraces would be rife I reckon.

 

[MK Shrimper]

The Mirror say 8% of fans would never watch their team if a player came out and he was selected.

Sincerely hope that would be 0% at SUFC, makes no difference to me, my life or how they will perform.

Ask yourself, what happens when we play Brighton, or even a "fan" like Spartan comes on this board. :zzzzz:

 

[mrsblue]

The Mirror say 8% of fans would never watch their team if a player came out and he was selected.

Sincerely hope that would be 0% at SUFC, makes no difference to me, my life or how they will perform.

We have an average crowd of 6000....480 of those according to the Mirror would not attend.....their loss then.

 

[amsemp]

Wouldn't care in the slightest. In fact they would probably become my favourite player instantly for having the sheer balls to do it.

Greg Clarke is right though, it's impossible for a gay player to come out in the current game. We may support them, but when that player finds himself in front of several thousand Milwall fans at The Den, it will be a totally different story. We've seen before with Justin Fashanu how that sort of abuse can affect someone's mental health.

Hope something changes, but don't see it happening myself.

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

The Mirror say 8% of fans would never watch their team if a player came out and he was selected.

Sincerely hope that would be 0% at SUFC, makes no difference to me, my life or how they will perform.

If we are looking at attendance / finance the pink pound is an untapped market and I wouldn't be surprised if that 8% was more than replaced. The inclusive atmosphere at Dulwich Hamlet means their attendance figures dwarf those of other teams in their division. Many people don't go to matches because they don't feel welcome - appealing to those could see a rise in attendance.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I saw Justin Fashanu play for Hearts many years ago against Dundee and the abuse he got for being gay (and English BTW) was criminal. Hopefully attitudes have changed since then but as the stats show there are still a small number of bigots out there. 8% of out and out bigots seems about right. Time to move on gentlemen. This is 2016.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

As long as they aren't breaking the law I don't really care what players get up to in their spare time. Their personal life choices are entirely up to them.

Echoing what amsemp has said though, we'll never see it happen, especially in the social media world we live in now where it's very easy to contact and message footballers and such like.

 

[RHB]

Football supporters are tribal by nature. The singing/chanting crowd can be a very potent weapon in putting the opposition players off their game and they will chant obscenities during a football match and it really doesn't matter who the target is.
Bizarrely, a lot of those that are obscene at football would never dream of being like that at, say, the theatre or cinema.

If more footballers were open about their sexuality it may help but it's going to take a very long time before it isn't an issue and I reckon most players would prefer to keep their counsel until they were no longer playing. I'm firmly in the 'it doesn't matter' camp and would happily say so to anyone who asked, but if I heard a chant that was aimed at a gay player which was 'funny' enough and put him off his game, I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't smile just a little bit.........absolutely not politically correct on my part, just being honest. Maybe there is a little bit of 'tribal' in all of us when we attend a football match.

 

[RobB11]

Absolutely not. I would have a hell of a lot of respect for him.

 

[TTS]

Great question, for me, who cares if the player is gay or straight ? If he gives 100% and acts as I expect all footballers to act, ie in their capacity as roll models, whats the issue.

I wonder if any of those 8% in the Mirror, ever supported a team that Lee Hughes played for ? Convicted , yet to some, more palatable than someone with a different sexuality.

What a sad world we live in where you are judge by your sexual preference.

 

[TTS]

We have an average crowd of 6000....480 of those according to the Mirror would not attend.....their loss then.

Maybe there could be a new group started ?

"The Homophobic and 1 Up Front Protest Group" :winking:

 

[mrsblue]

Circa 2013 we had just finished a match,one of the players brother was also in the bar celebrating a vital win,this guy is openly gay and it a very nice bloke,he also is tough as nails.

Couple of idiots at the bar decided to take the wee out of the brother which at first he ignored,his sister decided to give the idiots verbals and when one of them pushed her the brother went into meltdown knocking one dude clean out and had the other guy apologising like a baby.....motto is.....never ever underestimate anybody.

 

[Napster]

It never worried me when ******** played.

 

[Parold]

It wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference to me.

I suggest that you will get a very one sided view on this forum - I would be genuinely interested to hear from someone who would have a problem with it to try and comprehend their view as to why it would be a bad thing.

 

[Supernaut]

I suggest that you will get a very one sided view on this forum - I would be genuinely interested to hear from someone who would have a problem with it to try and comprehend their view as to why it would be a bad thing.

There'll be 1 or 2 I'm sure.