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It is time for FIFA to back The F.A. on this controversial topic: Gay Footballers

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He’s slightly renowned for his controversy: he’s a man that can fall to the ground admirably – if it was a re-enactment of a battle scene from the Somme and not an Ivorian footballer putting his hand to Barton’s head – and plead he was punched in order to see the aforementioned sent off; yet, when he stands within centre metres of another footballer and moves his forehead forwards, he’s aggrieved that play-acting has got him sent off.

However, his controversy can be as unwanted and ugly as it is welcomed and warranted. Football is just a game and therefore, for argument’s sake, I can overlook his double standards on the pitch, when he is addressing other’s double standards off the pitch.

Take the F.A. for example: a weekend or two ago, Joey Barton tweeted his predictions for the weekend’s football games and a letter from The F.A. shortly followed, which provoked this response from my favourite well-read Scouse, who holds the Nineteen Eighty-Four author in high regard: “hopefully [the F.A.] stop trying to be an Orwellian organisation and get to grips with the change that’s happening in the world around them.” The last eight words of that stinging tweet are specifically poignant.

The F.A. had written to Barton, in what the Q.P.R. midfielder described as his, “weekly warning letter from FA headquarters, this time regarding tweeting about predicting the weekends’ Manchester double.” The F.A. issued a reply to Barton’s tweets: “He can treat our correspondence as he wishes. We’re not going to give any legs to his thoughts. He’s entitled to have an opinion,” making it perfectly clear the F.A. remains an organisation swathed in double standards and contradictions, in stating Joey Barton is entitled to his opinion, despite writing a letter to him over him having an opinion.

Yet, people like, or at least with the mentality of, Barton are what The F.A. needs: straight talkers.

On January 30th, BBC Three televised a documentary entitled Britain’s Gay Footballers, presented by Amal Fashanu; however, since Amal’s uncle, Justin Fashanu, there have been no gay footballers in Britain. At least, there are no openly gay footballers in Britain. There are only two openly gay professional footballers in the entire world and when the man’s game is portrayed in the manner it is, it is hardly surprising.

Justin Fashanu was the last openly gay footballer in Britain and he ultimately paid the price: he came out in 1990 and within 8 years, having been accused of sexual assault, unfounded, he was dead. He took his own life. He couldn’t take the pressure, the abuse and the attitudes he had to face on a daily basis.

Now, The F.A. are launching a four-year scheme to increase the participation of homosexual footballers at grassroots levels, to break the taboo, remove the discrimination and provide the support necessary for gay footballers.

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Budding Football journalist who blogs at www.maycauseoffence.com/ daily as well as writing here for ThisisFutbol and on www.onehellofabeating.com/ the England fan's page. Outside of writing is more football. I work at Southampton F.C and I manage a men's football team on Saturdays.