Football has always held a stereotypically laddish image. Shots of football hooligans tearing up seats and creating commotion in the streets seem to be the archetype that non-footballing supporting people hold.
There are so many beautiful things about football that make it the greatest sport on the planet – from its ability to emotively captivate supporters to the manner it has been used as a force for good in the cases of Bradley Lowery in his fight against neuroblastoma and Davide Astori’s touching tribute.
Even closer to home, the manner in which the club have stood with Simon Thomas and commemorated the life of Michelle Dack. In its greatest form, football truly is the beautiful game.
But it isn’t a perfect game. Sure, debates about VAR and Sky’s involvement will rumble on, but there are still pockets of ugliness and discrimination. In 2018, football should reflect a more inclusive and accepting society but still present within the game are clusters of people determined to spread hatred and archaic values.
The fight against racism continues to linger with scepticism surrounding the World Cup people held in Russia where racist chants are still heard in the stands. And in the fight against homophobia people need more education and need to learn that defining homophobic slurs and chants in the crowd as banter is just utter nonsense.
Football’s attitudes to sexuality are coming under increasing scrutiny from inside and outside the game.
In 1998, former Norwich City striker Justin Fashanu took his own life, eight years after being the first footballer to come out as gay. Twenty years after his death, homophobia in football is still rife. In a survey conducted by the UK’s leading LGBT equality charity Stonewall, three-quarters of football fans said they had heard homophobic at a match during the last five years.
Brighton and Hove Albion are regularly on the receiving end of homophobic abuse on the terraces, with chants such as “You’re from a town full of gays and we hope you all die of Aids”, being reported by Brighton fans in a 2013 dossier. Abuse at one ground was so bad that BBC Sussex had to turn off a crowd microphone and two fans were attacked outside another.
Football is a game for everyone.
Homophobia is an unwanted stain that football needs to clean away rapidly. This is the beautiful game, one which should celebrate diversity and be inclusive to all who share a devotion to the game. Yet, in 2018, we still feel years away from players being comfortable with embracing their sexuality in a sport with should be doing all it can to support them.
Why is sexuality such a taboo within football?
The Stonewall charity acknowledged that this might partly be to do with the ‘macho’ culture of the dressing room and team sports’ higher profiles and bigger fan bases. But discrimination isn’t accepted in society and it isn’t accepted in football either.
LGBT+ supporters group are active, visible opposition to a terrace culture that has ranged from unwelcoming to outright hostile to unseen thousands in their midst. At Norwich City, we are lucky to have the Proud Canaries, who became the second officially recognised supporter group after the Gay Gooners of Arsenal.
Their objective simple: to challenge discrimination whilst celebrating the diversity and being a fully inclusive organisation. Their work has been recognised nationally, with Kick It Out asking the group to deliver educational workshops in the hope to eradicate homophobia from football.
The FA invited the group to watch England as they continue their fight against prejudice, one which needs more awareness and education. Thankfully, in Norwich City, we have a football club which embraces sexuality at all levels. Whether it be through Stephen Fry in the boardroom or supporting the Proud Canaries in Fashanu’s legacy.
Amal Fashanu, Justin’s niece is a patron of the group and is determined to ensure discrimination within football becomes extinct and recognised. As a society, we need to challenge those who wish to share prejudice and discrimination within football stadiums and beyond. In 2018, it is shameful there homophobia is still present in our society.
What people require is awareness, and with the Proud Canaries organising a football team which has been visited by Christoph Zimmermann, we have an organisation we can all get behind. In Di Cunningham, Norwich possesses a national campaigner in the fight for freedom over expression in sexuality and gender.
On 30th July 2016, Norwich flew the rainbow flag for the first time as part of the Norwich Pride celebrations. This is a football club prepared to stand united in the face of hatred and ensure that discrimination, in all shapes and sizes, becomes nonexistent inside and outside terraces.
Homophobia has never been accepted as banter but simple prejudice and ignorance. At Carrow Road, stewards are trained to deal with homophobic incidents; in conjunction with the police if necessary. They also encourage those who experience homophobic discrimination to report it via the Kick It Out app.
Let’s all make the game we love less hateful. Choose love, choose inclusion and stand with the Proud Canaries and the numerous other LGBT+ groups in their ongoing battle against homophobia and transphobia.
Great stuff Connor.
I’ve been sketching out a plan for a while now to feature the Proud Canaries team for the LGBT tournament at Carrow Road on May 5 and if the stars are in alignment it will come to fruition as a future MFW article. You’ve stolen my thunder a bit:-)
I’m going along to support the games – you bet I am.
The Brighton reference is all too true. A few seasons ago it was: “Does Your Boyfriend Know You’re Here?” which their crew always applauded. Childish, mildly amusing but basically harmless. Then as you say there’s the truly nasty stuff which is beyond out of order.
I’ve heard extremely little homophobic stuff in the Upper Barclay and thankfully absolutely zilch in terms of racism in many years. But when there are utterances it always seems to come from the older generation, never the youngsters.
I don’t think any sane person gives a monkey’s about sexuality. My kids are in their late twenties and have never considered it an issue.
Unfortunately some (but fortunately not too many) of my generation (I’m 60) still retain certain types of prejudice. That’s not your loss or mine – it’s theirs.
I say let people LIVE their own lives the way they want.
Society has to many do gooders saying this is wrong and groups wanting the limelight.
I may be wrong and looking to be proved so but Kick it Out helps minority groups like LGBT and such I am 68 worked with all colours, sexual classes, religions and hopefully over the years got on with most.
I found while working in the Middle East your colour didn’t matter it was yout chosen religion that was mostly the cause for resentment, I was once asked why I didn’t convert to the first and true religion of islam my reply completely foxed the the person who asked when I said it is like a horse race and it was first past the post chistianity started many years before Islam so that was the first religion but thinking now Judaism is even older so in the religion race it is first.
Kick it out rants and raves about the underdog and abuse that minorities takes in life but at no time have I seen any condemnation from them about the abuse the minorities hand out to others, all races and colours are as bad as one another in abusing others that are different so please lets try and get some normality in the discussions.
No matter what colour, religion or your sexuality is you shouldn’t be subject to abuse anything that promotes harmony in all is good but we need groups to stop trying to exploit newspapers and the Internet to the extreme.
All groups have offenders that take their causes to the extreme these should be weeded out and made example off then we might get to see less abuse.
The older generation are not to blame how there were raised but are to blame for their own prejudices and during their life time should have learnt better, my education came in the RAF and working overseas
My social education came from an equally colourful life Alex.
I’m strange in that while I’ve been to just about every country in Europe I’ve never actually been out of it!
My 1920s born mother was incredibly racist (and gay people didn’t even exist in her mind) but dad wasn’t that stupid because he was in the RE during WWII and then a career policeman so he had the benefit of experience that she didn’t. Which he passed on to me whenever we were out of her hearing. She could be scary.
I do not – and will not – do religion or politics but I certainly believe football (and indeed life itself) should be all-inclusive.
Which I’m pleased to say it largely is in 2018, minus the views of a few cave dwellers.
Thanks Martin
Yes my Mother came from Gravesend and even in the 1920s when she was born it was very multicultural and my dad was a seaman, so grew up in a more open style family.
My best friend for a couple of years was Jewish and got to see how he was treated by others it learnt me how to be loyal to friends and tolerant to others.
All sport should be totally inclusive no matter what as should life it is a waste of everything we stand for and bigotry gets you nowhere.
Attitudes in society have shifted enormously in the last 50 years, and as the dinosaurs Martin refers to die out so too will their outlook on issues such as this.
I don’t think football has quite a big a problem this article suggests, but it has probably been slower to become tolerant than many parts of society.
Let’s face it, homophobia is a form of hatred, and if there’s anyone who knows how to do hatred it’s a football fan. See pictures from Liverpool last night, or any message board thread coming up to a local derby.
I suspect there are a lot of people who would feel proud to post on forums such as
the Pink’un how much they detest racism and homophobia only to tell us on another day how they also detest the scum who, by chance, come from Ipswich…. But I’m sure that wouldn’t happen here.
There is one point that I must make though.
“Choose love, choose inclusion” says Connor. Agreed.
How then is setting up a group that is only for LGBT fans inclusive? By definition it’s the opposite. It certainly does not “celebrate diversity” as it excludes people who are not LGBT. Diversity has to include everyone.
Yes, I know it’s good for publicity, for raising the issue, And of course it’s essential to have groups who raise those issues in society as a whole. But by attaching the group to a specific hobby such as supporting a football team, doesn’t it also perpetuate the problem? Wouldn’t it be more effective to work from within a group that includes ALL city fans?
Hi Keith,
Thanks for your excellent comment and time to read the article on what is an important issue. I would respond firstly by saying that three quarters of footbLl fans who undertook a survey said they’d encountered homophobia on their terraces. For me, that’s a huge problem and a staggering statistic.
Secondly, I think it’s inclusive because it offers people the opportunity to be comfortable with their sexuality (which they should be always), in an environment with likeminded people and link their football club. Previously, they had no place to express themselves and if families don’t agree with it or they are scared to be themselves, it provides that opportunity. It also displays the club are fully against homophobia and sends a message to those who see this kind of hatred as an option.
The club has so many wonderful supporter groups, there is always one you could belong to and if not; create one! They all do tremendous work and positive things for the community and the fan base.
I hope that counters your points and thank you once again!
Connor, I agree that the statistic sounds “staggering” but it’s not really. That 75% have heard something in 5 years – just once is enough to tick the box – isn’t that surprising. If a distasteful chant starts up 100% of those there will hear it, like it or not. It doesn’t mean they subscribe to it.
What’s really relevant is how many (or how few) actually sing these chants. I suspect it’s very few indeed, and even some of those who might join in are probably no more than low IQ sheep, rather than actively homophobic. I am a born-again atheist and sing in a number of choirs which are not Church based, but do sometimes involve taking part in services (like weddings for example). Believe me, resisting joining in with the Creed or the Lord’s Prayer when everyone else around you is chuntering away, is much harder than you might think! I guess if your at a game with your mates the peer pressure is much the same.
Keith, I think the point is to compare that statistic to what you might expect with other forms of discrimination. For example, I wouldn’t expect to hear that high a figure for racism. I hear more homophobic remarks than what I do racist comments (in society, as well as at football)
Regarding the setting up of an LGBT supporters group, Connor explains it very well. It’s easy to say that these sort of groups should not need to exist when not in an discriminated minority.
The LGBT team welcomes non LGBT players who want to show support the cause and have always said this from when the team was fully announced back in February, its inclusive of anyone who wants to play in that team, its a team to support pride in football, but is not exclusively for LGBT players
Excellent comment there, Keith.
Your final points are very interesting and the questions they pose I at least cannot definitively answer! My instinct tells me that the advantages gained by the successful raising of awareness and also keeping the issue in the public domain outweighs any concerns I might have about exclusion.
However I completely understand why many people would take the opposing view.
As a proud canaries member and player, anyone wanting to support us in the tournament (we still dont have many details on the opponents yet) is Saturday the 5th of May at 4pm, limited seats in the directors box only
Nothing to add – just an excellent and important article.