Topic: Gay Footballers

[Elmo!]

Hopefully not and there are many more to come. Great to see.

An hour later, the article has been updated...

Scottish referees Craig Napier and Lloyd Wilson come out as gay

Two Scottish referees have become the first to come out publicly as gay.

Category one officials Craig Napier and Lloyd Wilson follow footballers Josh Cavallo and Jake Daniels in coming out.

Napier said he was inspired by the players' decision and believes it is time "to see the climate change" within the sport.

"It's something that I never thought I'd be sitting here doing," he told the Scottish FA.

"It's something I've obviously lived with for a long time. It's been a difficult journey to get to this point. It's really important that people like me are willing to sit here and do this.

"I don't think this needs to be a news story but I think at the moment, it really does because we need to see the climate change so that people do feel that they can be their true self and live happily and comfortable in their own skin. And then that needs to transcend into football."

    'I'm proud my coming out inspired Jake Daniels'

When not refereeing, Napier, who took charge of 32 SPFL and domestic cup fixtures during the 2021-22 season, works for the NHS and revealed he had "never had a bad experience when I've had these conversations".

"I've always felt so much lighter after speaking about it," he explained.

"This isn't a conversation about me, this is a conversation about trying to change the culture in Scottish football.

"There is something about football, there's still that barrier. Hopefully here in Scotland I can play a small part in hoping that it can inspire whoever is out there to be more comfortable in who they are and have the conversations with their family, their friends, their team-mates and come out publicly if they feel able to.

"There are no footballers on the pitch who are [openly gay], but they are there. And until we have these conversations and these role models on the pitch, there will be that stigma and that fear."

Cavallo, who plays for Australian club Adelaide United, came out last October, making him the only currently openly gay top-flight male professional footballer in the world.

Daniels, a forward with English second-tier club Blackpool, announced in May that he is gay. He was the first professional in the UK men's game for more than 30 years to come out while still playing.

In a video

to mental health charity Back Onside, Wilson, who officiates in the Lowland League, added: "I think really the reason [for coming out now] being that this has been a horrific journey, to be honest.

"A journey of maybe 17 years of living a life that I didn't want to live, living a lie, living the way that other people maybe wanted me to live or that I thought other people wanted me to live. And probably dictated and directed in many ways by football."

[Sarge]

Hopefully not and there are many more to come. Great to see.

Yup and I think if it is a massive outcoming then maybe it may be much easier for the many.

Good times.

[Red Cactii]

Hopefully not and there are many more to come. Great to see.

It’s fantastic to see that gay people in football are now feeling like they can just be themselves and don’t have to ‘hide’ their sexuality. Still a long way to go but any progress is good progress.

[TepidT2O]

Iker Casillas has just announced that he is gay…

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-iker-casillas-out-gay-28191996

All power to him

https://twitter.com/ikercasillas/status/1579081769890250753?s=61&t=c9ouTMnN5uqWotvNwSNKoA

[stoa]

Going through the responses to his tweet is depressing though. Twitter really is a fucking cesspit full of c*nts...

[Barneylfc∗]

Fair play to him 

[Rhi]

That is absolutely huge for the sport. It's such a shame he didn't feel comfortable enough to come out while he was still a player, but still a huge relief for him to finally speak his truth, I'm sure. All the best Iker. One of the absolute greats.

[Jack_Bauer]

Going through the responses to his tweet is depressing though. Twitter really is a fucking cesspit full of c*nts...

I scrolled through a little bit and yeah it made my skin crawl, I hate that place.

[Jwils21]

Going through the responses to his tweet is depressing though. Twitter really is a fucking cesspit full of c*nts...

Shows there is still so much stigma to break. It’s so sad.

Carles Puyol has commented saying “it’s time to tell our story”, not sure if that’s lost in translation.

[Crosby Nick]

What’s the first bit of his tweet say? I hope that you respect me?

Good luck to him. World Cup winning captain (I think?). Pretty huge name either way.

[Barneylfc∗]

Shows there is still so much stigma to break. It’s so sad.

Carles Puyol has commented saying “it’s time to tell our story”, not sure if that’s lost in translation.

With a heart and a kiss emoji. Bit of an odd thing to say if they aren't at it 

[redgriffin73]

Is the Puyol thing maybe meant to be a bit of a supportive but maybe ill-timed joke?

[Garlicbread]

Is the Puyol thing maybe meant to be a bit of a supportive but maybe ill-timed joke?

Thats how I read it honestly.

[Ray K]

Thats how I read it honestly.

to be honest I wouldn't be surprised that in a few hours it was announced that their accounts were hacked, so I'll hold off on anything else.

[Jwils21]

AS reporting it’s a sarcastic response to rumours about his personal life. Ouch.

[TepidT2O]

Well. As I’ll as has deleted the tweet and Spanish media are starting to report that it was a joke…

The joke may well back fire on him if true…

[elsewhere]

"Iker Casillas has not been hacked. He ironically tweeted that he is gay due to the media spreading rumours linking him to new women every week."

[Jwils21]

Hopefully this kicks off a deep conversation about the bigotry and hate spewed by people towards others. Doubt it though.

[Snail]

"Iker Casillas has not been hacked. He ironically tweeted that he is gay due to the media spreading rumours linking him to new women every week."

Difficult to overstate how damaging this is for LGBTQ+ footballers and supporters. What an absolute c*nt.

[redgriffin73]

Shameful behaviour.

[TepidT2O]

Difficult to overstate how damaging this is for LGBTQ+ footballers and supporters. What an absolute c*nt.

Yep, utterly shameful. An utter disgrace.

[Garlicbread]

Ughhhh idiots

[Stockholm Syndrome]

Fucking disgusting from Casillas and presumably Pouyol too. Fucking shameful behavior

[Jack_Bauer]

"Iker Casillas has not been hacked. He ironically tweeted that he is gay due to the media spreading rumours linking him to new women every week."

What a knob

[Red-Soldier]

Hilarious banter!

No wonder so many people think football is a sport for morons, played by morons!

[Kenny's Jacket]

One of the lads I go the game with has recently come out , I was really excited to text him the news, now I have to text him back.

What a fucking twat.

[Snail]

One of the lads I go the game with has recently come out , I was really excited to text him the news, now I have to text him back.

What a fucking twat.

That’s it, there’s so many people who would have been inspired by this, made to feel better, only to find out that they’re the punchline of a joke. It’s disgraceful.

[Linudden]

It's the homophobes in the comments that are disgusting, not the ex-footballer who cracked what he felt was an edgy joke, felt sick in the game and probably had no awareness of the implications. That's just called being silly.

Rather certain he'll admit it wasn't the best idea himself having seen what then unfolded.

[Chakan]

It's the homophobes in the comments that are disgusting, not the ex-footballer who cracked what he felt was an edgy joke, felt sick in the game and probably had no awareness of the implications. That's just called being silly.

Really? He been living under a rock for the past 10 years has he?

Fuck them both.

[Red-Soldier]

It's the homophobes in the comments that are disgusting, not the ex-footballer who cracked what he felt was an edgy joke, felt sick in the game and probably had no awareness of the implications. That's just called being silly.

Rather certain he'll admit it wasn't the best idea himself having seen what then unfolded.

Strange take this.

[Dim Glas]

It's the homophobes in the comments that are disgusting, not the ex-footballer who cracked what he felt was an edgy joke, felt sick in the game and probably had no awareness of the implications. That's just called being silly.

Rather certain he'll admit it wasn't the best idea himself having seen what then unfolded.

Casillas is an idiot though, surely he would realise what a comments like this would do on a cesspit like Twitter, and in general.  Or maybe he is just so incredibly thick that he doesn’t.

[Kenny's Jacket]

That’s it, there’s so many people who would have been inspired by this, made to feel better, only to find out that they’re the punchline of a joke. It’s disgraceful.

I havent text him back yet, Im shitting out of doing it.  Hes on his way to Highbury, Ill have to do it before he gets out the car

[Snail]

It's the homophobes in the comments that are disgusting, not the ex-footballer who cracked what he felt was an edgy joke, felt sick in the game and probably had no awareness of the implications. That's just called being silly.

Rather certain he'll admit it wasn't the best idea himself having seen what then unfolded.

Here we go

[Crosby Nick]

What’s the first bit of his tweet say? I hope that you respect me?

Good luck to him. World Cup winning captain (I think?). Pretty huge name either way.

Bad luck to him.

[Dim Glas]

Here we go

his custom title always rings true everytime he posts.

[Rhi]

This whole thing is really so fucking depressing.

[ljycb]

It's the homophobes in the comments that are disgusting, not the ex-footballer who cracked what he felt was an edgy joke, felt sick in the game and probably had no awareness of the implications. That's just called being silly.

Rather certain he'll admit it wasn't the best idea himself having seen what then unfolded.

Nah.

[El Lobo]

It's the homophobes in the comments that are disgusting, not the ex-footballer who cracked what he felt was an edgy joke, felt sick in the game and probably had no awareness of the implications. That's just called being silly.

Rather certain he'll admit it wasn't the best idea himself having seen what then unfolded.

Right on cue

(Here’s my friend Lobo etc etc)

[TepidT2O]

This whole thing is really so fucking depressing.

Quite.

[Ray K]

I havent text him back yet, Im shitting out of doing it.  Hes on his way to Highbury, Ill have to do it before he gets out the car

Might tell him that there's a late change of venue for our game too