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Not the homophobia, which I think will probably happen
Will it though? Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but I think the world is (largely) over that. I haven't seen it reported that there's been any backlash to his coming out neither from opposing fans or any 'no poofs in our club' response from any unreconstructed Blackpool fans. I'm only at games a few times a season, but don't get the impression that there's much appetite for homophobic abuse anymore.
I'm hopeful that any feared targeting will be a non-event, but maybe that's just stupidly naive. Are homophobic chants still made at Brighton fans?
That aside, agree that he'll now be under a lot of pressure at a really young age. Would like to see a couple of others take his lead now that the genie's out of the bottle, so he won't be wearing the Only Gay in the League tag for long.
kl-
I doubt it will happen in the way that it might have a couple of decades ago, with entire away sections chanting homophobic things.
But look at the abuse black players get, online and at certain clubs:
Blackpool will be playing at Luton, Millwall and maybe Burnley or Leeds next year. I just can't imagine he can warm up on the touchline without a bit of 'banter'.
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I think the world is (largely) over that
Football fans will plumb any depths to get at a player/team.
Are homophobic chants still made at Brighton fans?
Yes. Plus the very tiresome ‘Chelsea rent boys’ thing.
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I went to a Millwall game a couple of months ago as I needed to know first hand if it was as bad as it's made out and they were playing Boro who are probably the only team I could support Millwall against. I was surprised by how little racism I heard and how much homophobia I did. That's Millwall though so hardly a representative of football on a whole, though maybe it is really.
tbc
%~}
ric_a5
On Luke Daniels coming out, I feel a bit worried for him.
Not the homophobia, which I think will probably happen but which I think most people at the club and in the public will rightly shout down.
But the pressure that will be on him now and the disproportionate focus on someone so young are going to be hard work. Can't help but think of other players who had a lot of attention when they were 16 or 17 - John Bostock, Michael Woods, Freddy Adu - and the pressure is going to be immense for carrying the burden as long as he is "the" gay footballer in professional football.
Best case scenario is either that he's fucking great and people start talking about his football instead, or that 4-5 other plays follow and dilute the focus a bit.