It’s hard to grasp …… even for a non-sports fan like me …. that when English soccer player Jake Daniels decided to come out at the start of his professional career, he instantly became the only player in the English football leagues to come out as gay. What was more shocking is that he was the first to do since the late Justin Fashanu over 30 years ago!
Fashanu faced discrimination from almost every one…. including his own famous brother the footballer John Fashanu.. When he signed for Nottingham Forest, he became Britain’s first £1 million black footballer, but when manager Brian Clough discovered he was gay, he actually banned him from training with the rest of the team.
Even the BBC actually excluded all the votes that Fashanu got from viewers/fans for the Sports Personality of the Year when it appeared he may have won. Fashanu committed suicide in 1996 ; he was just 37 years old.
‘We hope that times have changed as 17-year-old English soccer player Jake Daniels decided to come out at the start of his professional career. It was just three months after signing his contract. that he gave an interview to Sky News, saying, “Now is the right time to do it. I feel like I am ready to tell people my story. I want people to know the real me.”
Daniels’s announcement was met with a wave of support. This included celebrities such as Ian McKellen, Elton John, and the country’s then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who tweeted : “Thank you for your bravery Jake, it would have taken huge courage to come out and you will be an inspiration to many both on and off the pitch.”
Now Prince William, who is also President of the UK’s Football Association, has spoken up, “Football should be a game for everyone. What Jake has done takes courage and will hopefully help break down barriers that have no place in our society. I hope his decision to speak openly gives others the confidence to do the same.”
Could this be the start of more players coming clean about their sexuality? Daniels has gone on to inspire at least one other player in the UK. Zander Murray, a striker with Scottish team Gala Fairydean Rovers, came out in September and credited the Blackpool youth star as one of his sporting inspirations.PS You can watch the documentary “Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story” on Amazon Prime : here is the trailer.
Labels: 2022, comingout, Jake Daniels, Justin Fashanu, UK footballer
