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Monday, February 20, 2012

John Amaechi reacts to FA anti-homophobia video

Gay Games Ambassador John Amaechi reacts to the latest initiative of the English FA to fight homophobia in the sport:

The Football Association is responsible for a climate of homophobia in the game, according to former NBA basketball player John Amaechi.

The governing body launches a new six-year inclusion and anti-homophobia plan on Monday with no openly gay players among almost 3,000 professionals.

But Amaechi, who came out in 2007 and has been vocal in his criticisms of football's attitude towards homosexuality, says the issue will only be solved by greater diversity among the FA board members - not "posters and platitudes".

The FA plans to use a new video discussing homophobia in football , which features former players John Scales, Brendan Batson and Aidy Williams.

They recently fined former Leicester City player Michael Ball £6,000 after he tweeted homophobic comments and has charged West Ham's Ravel Morrison in a similar case. Fans have also been banned after homophobic chanting at a game between Southampton and Brighton, and others have been arrested at a recent game involving Millwall and Brighton.

But Amaechi says the FA should stop pointing the finger at others and accept it is to blame.
He told BBC Sport: "I don't understand why football fans aren't more angry by the way they are portrayed by the football authorities. "If you look at the first horrible video they did on anti-homophobia, it made it very clear that the problem lies with you. You stupid, blue-collar people in the terraces. It's you stupid urban, re black, people on the field. It's your fault. "Then they sit in their boxes and their boardrooms and all the attention is deflected away from them. Well, it's 2012 and they have just appointed their first woman to the board. Does that really tell you they are a progressive organisation or they are now reacting to the fact the focus is starting to shift on to them? A board that has just voted a woman on to the board in 2012 is not progressive. They are by definition the problem."

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