Rainbow laces

[Modo]

Players urged to wear rainbow laces for anti-homophobia launch

Footballers in England and Scotland have been invited to support a campaign addressing homophobia by having rainbow laces in their boots next weekend.

Laces have been sent to the 92 Premier League and Football League clubs, plus the 42 professional teams in Scotland by gay rights charity Stonewall.
The Right Behind Gay Footballers campaign wants players to wear the laces in games on 21 and 22 September.
Its focus is on changing attitudes rather than urging players to come out.

Stonewall deputy chief executive Laura Doughty said: "It's time for football clubs and players to step up and make a visible stand against homophobia in our national game.

"By wearing rainbow laces players will send a message of support to gay players and can begin to drag football into the 21st Century."

The 29 clubs supporting Football v Homophobia
Premier League: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, Norwich, Sunderland, West Ham, West Brom
Championship: Birmingham, Blackburn, Doncaster, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Leicester, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday
League One: Carlisle, Crewe, Gillingham, Leyton Orient, MK Dons, Peterborough, Preston, Tranmere
League Two: Bristol Rovers, Exeter, Dagenham & Redbridge, Northampton
Correct at 18 March 2013

In February, the Football Association issued a toolkit to clubs to help combat the issue as part of Football v Homophobia.
But a month later only 29 of 92 professional clubs in England were actively engaged in the campaign.
There are no known openly gay footballers in the English and Scottish professional leagues.


Who do you think will wear them?

My guess Enrique.
The Jamaicans? Hell no.

 

[Mystic]

Almost certainly Enrique will, just ask Suso. Oh and Boy George (Ilori).

 

[FoxForceFive]

Tbh I'd be disappointed if the club didn't tell every player to wear them.

A reported in radio five in the summer said he knows of at least twenty openly gay premiership players, openly as in most football journalists know, their families know, the club know, their fellow players know.

That tells me that within the game the issue isn't as bigoted & stigmatised as it is by fans.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Tbh I'd be disappointed if the club didn't tell every player to wear them.

A reported in radio five in the summer said he knows of at least twenty openly gay premiership players, openly as in most football journalists know, their families know, the club know, their fellow players know.

That tells me that within the game the issue isn't as bigoted & stigmatised as it is by fans.

I'd be more disappointed if the players had to be told

 

[FoxForceFive]

I'd be more disappointed if the players had to be told

True.

 

[ILD]

I saw Joey Barton tweeting about it yesterday/

 

[Modo]

 

[ILD]

With what looks to be a suit pants? RYAN?

 

[gkmacca]

We really are on Planet Stupid if we can only communicate via coloured ribbons or laces. Football's appetite for making morons of everyone is never satiated. Why not get a few to actually talk about it like grown-ups. 'Dad, Dad! Can I get some coloured laces, Dad? Can I, Dad? Dad!'

 

[Ossi]

There's too much politics in sports nowadays imo. I'm not anti gay but in principle politics and sports shouldn't mix.

 

[gkmacca]

More politics and fewer stupid gimmicks would be an improvement.

 

[Modo]

We really are on Planet Stupid if we can only communicate via coloured ribbons or laces. Football's appetite for making morons of everyone is never satiated. Why not get a few to actually talk about it like grown-ups. 'Dad, Dad! Can I get some coloured laces, Dad? Can I, Dad? Dad!'

The problem is what if they get someone who's religious to talk about it?

A Swedish runner (originally from Ethiopia) was asked if she supported the "silent" protest that a fellow Swedish runner did against Russia's anti-gay laws.
She said "my religion doesn't allow that, so I can't support it". Caused somewhat of a stir over here.

Imagine if they ask Sturridge and he says the same.

Point is, I'd rather not let them speak.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Whilst I agree in part, I can see why they've approached it at such a small, almost pathetic, level.

Most approaches to homosexuality in football have fallen before their first hurdle.

I personally think the best idea would be to persuade a group of premiership players who are open within the game to come out on masse.

Until that happens I doubt much will change.

 

[gkmacca]

Maybe like Barnes with the race issue, it'll take a player so bright and so good and glamorous to see the issue seriously undermined. But as with most other things, until the attitude improves elsewhere it won't improve at football grounds, which have never represented the vanguard of progressive public opinion.

 

[Brizzle]

One of my friends at uni runs a v popular youtube channel and released his 'coming out' video last week. Very brave move.

 

[tommyboy]

Maybe like Barnes with the race issue, it'll take a player so bright and so good and glamorous to see the issue seriously undermined. But as with most other things, until the attitude improves elsewhere it won't improve at football grounds, which have never represented the vanguard of progressive public opinion.

Ronaldo could just admit what we've all suspected since his Old Trafford days,the stands would be full of Raindow flags and parade floats the next day 🙂

 

[Frogfish]

News just in : In addition to the laces, pink handkerchiefs will be dangled from pockets sewn on the back of shorts for the submissive parties to hang onto.

Rainbow laces - pathetic. Seems a really half-arsed measure.

 

[Squiggles]

Football isn't exactly a manly or aggressive game so I don't understand the tough guy alpha male following.

 

[Athens]

They should make them wear pink triangles.

 

[Squiggles]

And to all those mocking the campaign, it's only coming from a small organisation, with fuck all funds, who are trying to raise an issue to the wider stage.

It's not like it's a FA, Uefa, or FIFA directive.

 

[Lippy]

Anyone who remains concerned about homosexuality in the game of football must be a bit dim.