Post by staggerstag on Oct 30, 2017 0:49:46 GMT
Ten years before he publicly 'came out'
35 goals in 90 Norwich appearances and subsequently 3 goals in 32 apps for Forest as Britain's first black million-pound player, but the poor relationship with homophobic Forest manager Brian Clough saw him leave the club after just a year. Many, many clubs followed, all around the world but he never regained that early form he'd honed as a Norwich youth/senior player. It all ended with suicide by hanging in May '98.
No player is going to 'come out' in the top flights. Wherever he plays he'll always be subjected to the taunts, abuse and mockery from ever-present piss-takers. How can he be expected to cope with that week in week out and on such a global public platform? It's bound to affect his on-pitch performance and overall state of mind. They can't be blamed for keeping it quiet. And I think, to be fair, the only pressure coming for players to 'out' themselves is coming from the gay community, I don't know. Very easy to live an easy-going, stroll-in-the-park-hand-in-hand gay relationship, but try it in the limelight and at [insert any top flight stadium here] on a wet Wednesday night or any day come to that. with ignorant bully boys calling you out every time you touch the ball.
Nah - it would be an extremely courageous thing to do but I can't see it happening anytime soon at all.
35 goals in 90 Norwich appearances and subsequently 3 goals in 32 apps for Forest as Britain's first black million-pound player, but the poor relationship with homophobic Forest manager Brian Clough saw him leave the club after just a year. Many, many clubs followed, all around the world but he never regained that early form he'd honed as a Norwich youth/senior player. It all ended with suicide by hanging in May '98.
No player is going to 'come out' in the top flights. Wherever he plays he'll always be subjected to the taunts, abuse and mockery from ever-present piss-takers. How can he be expected to cope with that week in week out and on such a global public platform? It's bound to affect his on-pitch performance and overall state of mind. They can't be blamed for keeping it quiet. And I think, to be fair, the only pressure coming for players to 'out' themselves is coming from the gay community, I don't know. Very easy to live an easy-going, stroll-in-the-park-hand-in-hand gay relationship, but try it in the limelight and at [insert any top flight stadium here] on a wet Wednesday night or any day come to that. with ignorant bully boys calling you out every time you touch the ball.
Nah - it would be an extremely courageous thing to do but I can't see it happening anytime soon at all.