Is football ready for gay players to come out?

A leading German footballer, Mario Gómez, has urged gay players to come out, but is he right to do so? It is often said that football is one of the last bastions of homophobia. Is football ready to openly accept gay players? I am of one of the lucky ones. I play in the Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) national league , the world's only national football league for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community – and yes, straight people are welcome as well. The GFSN is more than 20 years old and was originally set up to help football supporters from the LGBT community meet each other. Now, as well as continuing to offer a real social network, we work with the footballing authorities to tackle the issue of homophobia within football. The league exists to provide the chance for people to play in a safe and relaxed atmosphere but is also about reintroducing football to people who may have felt alienated from the game because of their sexuality. There are two schools of thought about a suggestion such as Gómez's. One argues that anything to do with a player's personal life is a distraction and that players' primary obligations are towards their club, team mates and fans. We have seen from the recent examples of Wayne Rooney and John Terry that off-the-field problems can have a dramatic impact on a player's form. A player coming out would create huge headlines around the world and would bring enormous media pressure, not to mention pressure from the terraces and fellow professionals. Careers are short. Is it worth the risk? On the other hand, there is the strong argument that the burden of hiding one's sexuality can be damaging and that the release of having opened up to the world can actually make someone a better player. I know that when I came out I was much happier, more focused and more excited by the possibilities that I knew would open up to me. For professional players, the rewards could be great. Not only would they be free from the stresses of hiding their private lives, but their standing might be enhanced. Ian Roberts , the popular Australian rugby league player, found his sponsorship opportunities increased, while the likes of Martina Navratilova and Gareth Thomas are respected for more than just their sporting achievements. There is also the question of whether players owe it to society to be role models for others. Undoubtedly footballers are seen as such, but is this fair? The court of appeal, when reducing Eric Cantona's jail sentence to community service, stated that no one should be held to a higher standard just because they are in the public eye. It is not necessarily a footballer's job to be a social pioneer. Is football in the UK even ready for a player coming out? I do not think so. The football associations and the clubs need to ensure that match day officials, both on and off the pitch, are properly trained and ready to recognise and appropriately respond to instances of anti-gay abuse. The PFA and PFA Scotland will need to be ready to deal with any issues that might arise with fellow professionals from a player coming out, while it would benefit the player to have a good PR person on board to safely navigate the media minefield. The GFSN, together with the likes of the Justin Campaign , Kick It Out , Peter Tatchell , Pride Sports and Stonewall , have shown their commitment to assist; the football world needs to respond. The example of the UK's only male professional player to come out, Justin Fashanu , gives a sober warning of the dangers facing gay professionals, although this was many years ago. Society has moved on and is generally more accepting than it was back in 1988. Unless a player is outed in the media, which would surely be a worst case scenario, I believe that the next time a player comes out in this country will be after they have retired, perhaps when releasing their autobiography. Coming out is incredibly personal. At the GFSN, we would not presume to dictate to anyone how and when they choose to reveal their sexuality, nor should anyone else in the football community or the media do so either. We all need to work together to create an atmosphere in football where a player who chooses to come out can do so safely, without being destroyed by "merciless fans" and the media. I long for the day when an openly gay British football player can put on his shirt and be welcomed by the fans in the same way as any other player. At the moment, we are a long way from achieving this.