TopFan researcher interviewed on the lack of out footballers

We've regularly covered the "TopFan" research of Ellis Cashmore of Staffordshire University, whom we had the pleasure of meeting at the 2012 IOC Sport for All conference. The San Francisco Chronicle looks to Cashmore to better understand incidences of homophobia in football and the lack of out players. Here's an extract:

An estimated 500,000 professionals have kicked soccer balls across the globe. So far, only one top pro has come out as gay, the late Justin Fashanu of England. Tennis, rugby and other sports have witnessed gay athletes coming out. So what of soccer?

English academic Ellis Cashmore, author of "Making Sense of Sports," published research last year in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues. Ninety-three percent of participants in the broad survey, which included average fans and people involved professionally in British soccer, opposed homophobia.

So I asked him this week: Why have no openly gay players emerged?

"Gay players are already known by the clubs' front offices as well as other players, perhaps game officials and agents; they observe a code of silence," Cashmore said. "Reason? They assume it is in none of their interests to make it known if a player is gay. Other players think they will be mocked by players from other teams, front offices think it will hurt the club's 'brand' if it is seen as the only club to have an openly gay player, refs and other officials have members of their own fraternity who are gay and wish to remain in-closet, and agents mistakenly assume their own commissions will take a hit if one of their clients is known to be gay. When a player comes out or is outed, they will all reflect on how wrong they were. Fans' reactions will be surprisingly muted."

Read in full HERE.

Latest TopFan research on fans' attitude to gay football players: it's the agents' fault

We regularly report on the research carried out at Staffordshire University in the UK on the attitudes of football fans with respect to homophobia and gay football players.

After the official publication of the latest academic article by Ellis Cashmore and Jamie Cleland in Norteastern Univeristy's Journal of Sport and Social Issues, which can be viewed HERE, the mainstream press has written about the subject.

Here is the story from the Independent:

 The taboo surrounding gay players in football is a myth – among fans at least – according to new research. Supporters would welcome players coming out, and many blame clubs and agents for keeping gay footballers in the closet, according to the study by the University of Staffordshire.

More than 90 per cent of fans would approve of a gay player and say there is no place for homophobia in football. Despite overwhelming support for homosexual players, many fans said they viewed homophobic abuse – frequently cited as a major reason dissuading players from coming out – as good-humoured banter. The survey of 3,500 fans, published in the Journal of Sport & Social Issues, found that fans judge players on their ability, not their sexuality. Clubs and agents are cited as the main obstacles by more than 40 per cent. "Brand damage" was how one fan put it.

Professor Ellis Cashmore, who led the study, said: "Football's gay players have been reluctant to come out. Their reasons for remaining silent lie inside the football industry rather than in the crowds. Most fans are embarrassed by the popular conception of football as a homophobic environment. It is an impression, they believe, maintained by a code of silence orchestrated and enforced by agents and clubs."

But Mel Stein, chairman of the Association of Football Agents, criticised the study. "It is utter nonsense to suggest that a sports agent would place any pressure on a client confirming or denying or concealing his sexual status," he said. "In the 21st century I think that a heterosexual affair would be far more damaging to a player's image than any acknowledgement of a player's homosexuality as far as sponsors were concerned."

Keep reading HERE.

New article based on TopFan research

We have already relayed reports based on the research carried out at Staffordshire University in the UK on the attitudes of football fans with respect to homophobia and gay football players.

A new academic article by Ellis Cashmore and Jamie Cleland based on this research will soon be published in Norteastern Univeristy's Journal of Sport and Social Issues, but can already be viewed HERE.

Here is the abstract of the paper:

Only one association football (soccer) player in history [Justin Fashanu] has declared his homosexuality during his professional active playing career. Before or since that player’s death in 1998, no other professional footballer player has come out. The prohibitively traditional culture of association football is popularly regarded as being responsible for this.

Fans habitually use homophobic epithets to abuse players. In recent years, England’s governing organizations have cautiously addressed this state of affairs, though ineffectually.

The present study uses online methods to explore fans’ and industry professionals’ perspectives on gay players and the impact their failure to come out has had on the sport. The article, which is based on the responses of 3,500 participants, seeks to answer three questions: (1) Why do fans, who urge gay players to come out, use homophobic language to barrack players? (2) If gay players disclosed their sexual orientations publicly what effect would this have on them personally, on football culture generally and on conceptions of masculinity in sports? (3) What prevents gay football players coming out? The overwhelming majority (93%) of participants in the study oppose homophobia and explained the homophobic abuse as good-humored banter or, in their argot, “stick.” An unusual logic is employed to make this intelligible.

Participants argue that an athlete’s ability to play football is the only criterion on which he is judged and his sexuality is of little consequence to their evaluations.

Although few participants encourage forcible outing, the majority welcome openly gay players, whose impact would be transformative. Football clubs and agents are cited as the principal impediments to a more open and enlightened environment: participants argue that they pressure gay players to keep their sexuality hidden and so contribute to a culture of secrecy, which permits and perhaps commissions continued homophobic abuse. Participants speculate that the continued absence of openly gay players actually reproduces the apparent prejudices. One fan concludes, “The homophobia in footballwill remain for longer if no gay players come out.”

Dutch TV report features Staffordshire University "TopFan" study

From Red Card Homophobia:

Dutch television program Nieuwsuur (Newshour) recently broadcast an interesting news item about homosexuality still being taboo in the world of football, and discussed possible reasons for this. The video featured Huub ter Haar from the John Blankenstein Foundation, Dutch football captain Mark van Bommel, Ellis Cashmore of Staffordshire University, and Michael van Praag chairman of the KNVB.

You can find the English translation of the video HERE.

TopFan survey shows football fans would accept gay players as long as they play well

From Staffordshire University:

Football fans would accept gay players as long as they play well, new research shows

Four fifths of football fans are relaxed about the presence of gay footballers in the English leagues and would welcome more honesty from players about their sexuality.

This is according to researchers at Staffordshire University, who dispute the popular assumption that football is seething with homophobia.

A pilot online study of 250 football fans on homophobia paves the way for a large-scale online survey that goes live this week.

Ellis Cashmore, Professor of Culture, Media and Sport, said initial findings indicate that fans believe that as many as one in ten professional players are hiding their homosexuality. “Fans are surprisingly blasé about this,” says Cashmore. “What irks them is the lack of honesty: no fan believes every player is heterosexual.”

In February, the Professional Footballers’ Association Chief Gordon Taylor withdrew support for an anti-homophobia campaign, explaining that the supporters were not ready for such a development.

“Taylor is out-of-touch,” says Cashmore, “Fans understand that, as in any sport, football has many gay players, yet it remains one of the last remaining areas of society where homosexuality remains taboo: there are cultural customs restricting open discussion on homosexuality.

“In the history of the sport, only one player has declared himself to be gay and that was towards the end of his playing career. Justin Fashanu committed suicide in 1998, aged 37, after a turbulent period playing in the USA.”

“In many other sports, including rugby, athletes have come out,” says co-researcher Dr Jamie Cleland, Senior Lecturer in Sociology. Yet publicist Max Clifford recently advised gay footballers to disguise their sexuality because football “remains in the dark ages, steeped in homophobia”.

Cleland argues against this: “Fans encourage footballers to come out. As one fan put it, ‘someone needs to do something heroic, and step forward before it [homophobia] can become a thing of the past’.”

“Football fans are more educated and enlightened than Clifford supposes,” says Cashmore. “Even fans who personally may not agree with homosexuality will respect it, as long as the player performs well on the field of play. A fan in the pilot study said, ‘we couldn't care less: as long as they do the business on the pitch, that's all that matters’.”

Another fan commented: “I don't have a problem with gay players. I only have a problem with a player that doesn't give his all for my club.” Less than a fifth of the fans were committed to the view that football is no sport for homosexuals. “One fan commented, ‘Gays can’t play football – fact’,” said Cleland. And another announced: “I'm homophobic, so would find it weird chanting for an openly gay player.”

The survey on the attitudes and opinions of football fans on homosexuality in football goes live this week and anyone is invited to participate anonymously in the survey at www.topfan.co.uk

TopFan survey discussed on BBC Radio 4

On BBC Radio 4's Thinking Allowed, Laurie Taylor examines some new research about homophobia and football and talks to Professor Ellis Cashmore from Staffordshire University about how fans, players and management respond to the issue. They're joined by writer and broadcaster David Goldblatt who has a strong interest in sport.

Listen HERE.

TopFan survey recommendations to football governing bodies

Football's governing bodies have been told that gay players should be supported with being open about their sexuality.

Following a Staffordshire University survey of more than 3,500 fans, players, referees and other officials, it was found that most respondents believe clubs and agents are unfairly pressuring gay players into silence.

The findings from the TopFan survey have now been passed to the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), Footballers Association (FA), Premier League and Football League.

Professor Ellis Cashmore and Dr Jamie Cleland, the researchers behind the survey, also made recommendations to the sport’s governing bodies.

These include: giving a clearer message on the issue of gay players in football and setting up more support for gay players so they do not feel pressured to stay silent.

Professor Cashmore said: “We’re advising football’s leading organisations not simply to parrot more platitudes about their opposition to homophobia, but to show how they will approve and encourage more openness in the game.

“It is inconceivable that, out of an estimated 500,000 professional players around the world, not one is gay. The truth is that football culture is prohibitive: gay players have neither the confidence nor the inclination to come out.

“Our conclusion is that this is not a healthy condition for football and our concern is that football is, in this sense, out of tune with the rest of the sporting world.”

The survey found that 30 percent of football professionals know gay players currently in the game. But 84 percent of respondents felt that there is pressure on gay players to stay silent.

Also, 91 percent of respondents believe that only a player’s performance on the pitch is relevant, while only 9 percent oppose gay players.

Professor Cashmore added: “The survey reveals a new and surprising image of football culture, which has been characterised as stuck in the dark ages and “steeped in homophobia.”

“The reality is quite the opposite; both fans and professionals are embarrassed by this and are actually hopeful that, like practically every other major sport, including rugby, gay players come forward.”

Dr Cleland, a former Coventry City goalkeeper and still a PFA member, said: “Fans think that gay players are urged by their agents and their clubs not to disclose their homosexuality. Fans say they are too often blamed, but over 90 percent say there is no place for homophobia in football.

“One of the problems that face gay players is whether they can count on the full support of the PFA.”

The TopFan survey continues at www.topfan.co.uk .

Results of UK survey on homophobia and football

We've written about this study before, and here's an interesting presentation of the results.

A large-scale study by academics at the university found that 80% of football fans are "relaxed" about the presence of gay footballers in the English leagues and would "welcome more honesty from players about their sexuality". The research, by Ellis Cashmore, professor of culture, media and sport at Staffordshire, and his colleague Dr Jamie Cleland, senior lecturer in sociology, involved 3,000 football fans, professional players, referees and managers giving their views on homophobia.

Cashmore explains that the inspiration came from claims such as Clifford's that football was steeped in homophobia: "We thought we would put this to the test," he says. "And in fact we found that most fans are embarrassed by the assumption that they are rabidly homophobic. They emphatically state that the only feature of a player that interests them is whether or not he can play. As one fan put it, 'I'd rather have a gay player who can play football than a straight player who can't'."

Read the full article HERE.

UK survey on homophobia and football

While at the 13th Sport for All congress, Darl Schaaff met the people behind this survey. More info on it from PinkNews, where you can find the full text:

University researchers are conducting a study on the attitudes of football fans towards out gay players.

Staffordshire University is launching the self-selecting online survey this week and a small pilot study has found positive attitudes to homosexuality. The pilot study of 250 fans found that four-fifths were relaxed about the presence of gay footballers in the English leagues and would welcome more honesty from players about their sexuality. Researchers now want to widen the study and it is being distributed to online fan forums.

Ellis Cashmore, professor of culture, media and sport, said initial findings indicate that fans believe that as many as one in ten professional players are in the closet. “Fans are surprisingly blasé about this,” he said. “What irks them is the lack of honesty: no fan believes every player is heterosexual.”

[...]

He added: “Fans understand that, as in any sport, football has many gay players, yet it remains one of the last remaining areas of society where homosexuality remains taboo: there are cultural customs restricting open discussion on homosexuality.

Co-researcher Dr Jamie Cleland suggested that if more players were aware of fans' positive attitudes, they were more likely to come out.

He said: "Fans encourage footballers to come out. As one fan put it, ‘someone needs to do something heroic, and step forward before it [homophobia] can become a thing of the past’.”

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You can respond to the survey HERE.