We all know that closeted gay athletes will never start coming out during their playing careers unless they have more straight allies in the locker room - top players who make it clear that the fact that their teammate is gay is not a problem for them.So how heartening it is to read a column written for The Observer by British footballer [soccer player] David James on Sunday. Here are some excerpts:
Football, it seems, is one of the last professional environments where you can't be out and proud. In every other entertainment industry we have gay stars. Why should football be different? Are football fans really so incapable of watching a gay player without abusing him? The same bunch of fans who are routinely homophobic always sing along to the camp-as-you-like Scissors Sisters anthems played at grounds up and down the country or the Pet Shop Boys song 'Go West'?...
...Sportsmen and women have come out in other sports, but it hasn't always been a straightforward process - although Martina Navratilova continued to be successful on the tennis court, she claims she lost out on $12million in sponsorship deals. Many athletes prefer to wait until they retire, like John Amaechi, the British former NBA player, did earlier this year. I was watching the TV when his announcement flashed up. I know John because our paths crossed working for the Special Olympics, but I would never have guessed he was gay...
...I have a number of gay friends and although they wouldn't want me shouting from the rooftops about their sexuality, I'd like to encourage them to come out. I accept that it's easy for me to say that, but how many more years will it be before we can talk openly about gay men playing professional football? From next season homophobic chanting is outlawed, which is a start. It'll still take some sort of new age hero to be the first to come out, but I just hope, for football's sake, that it happens soon.

Click HERE to read his entire article as it appeared in The Observer.