Should the club wear rainbow laces next week?

Footballers in England and Scotland have been invited to support a campaign addressing homophobia by having rainbow laces in their boots next weekend.

Laces have been sent to the 92 Premier League and Football League clubs, plus the 42 professional teams in Scotland by gay rights charity Stonewall.

The Right Behind Gay Footballers campaign wants players to wear the laces in games on 21 and 22 September.

Its focus is on changing attitudes rather than urging players to come out.

Stonewall deputy chief executive Laura Doughty said: "It's time for football clubs and players to step up and make a visible stand against homophobia in our national game.

"By wearing rainbow laces players will send a message of support to gay players and can begin to drag football into the 21st Century."

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Whilst the intent is a good one I can't help but think it is a form of moral blackmail - ie if we don't wear the laces then somehow we must be homophobic - so we have to wear them to show that we are not.

Personally I don't like people who have nothing to do with football pushing their agenda - no matter how well intentioned.

FIFA basically tells Governments to keep politics out of football, so shouldn't the FA be telling these pressure groups to keep homophobia (and racism) out of football too - and the FA take the lead on dealing with these issues - not marching to someone else's drum?

What do you think should the team wear the laces and will you be wearing rainbow laces next week at the game also?

If not, why not - are you homophobic if you don't!?

It should be up to the individual themselves, not the teams choice...

it has been estimated that between 5 and 10 % of the population is one of LGBT.  Only 1/2 footballers have come out as being gay. There are probably around 5000 pro/semi pro professional footballers, in reality, between 250 and 500 may be gay. So I think if some footballers wear these laces and it helps some one to break the mould and come out as being gay, then that is a cool thing.  However you CANNOT make people wear them! (can you?)

No

Who cares?

It should come down to personal choice.

well its similar to the breast cancer week in the NFL where all the players wear pink boots.

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If it raises awareness then i really don't see the harm.

If this was something to do with racism then the clubs would be lining up to do it, the stigma attached to homosexuality in sport is still a ways back unfortunately.

No

I couldn't give two fucks to be honest, lets start by winning a football match first and worry about the laces on their boots later.

aaron_bwfc wrote:I couldn't give two fucks to be honest, lets start by winning a football match first and worry about the laces on their boots later.

Disgraceful. How dare you put BWFC before being gay.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:well its similar to the breast cancer week in the NFL where all the players wear pink boots.

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If it raises awareness then i really don't see the harm.

If this was something to do with racism then the clubs would be lining up to do it, the stigma attached to homosexuality in sport is still a ways back unfortunately.

Different generations have their own views, it's how and what we were taught by society.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

aaron_bwfc wrote:I couldn't give two fucks to be honest, lets start by winning a football match first and worry about the laces on their boots later.

Disgraceful. How dare you put BWFC before being gay.

It's a bit of a narrow minded view if you think it's got anything to do with BWFC in the slightest.

It's clearly an idea, similar to the breast cancer, green week and NBA FIT ideas in the states that have had much success.

Lighten up Hipster you bellend.

I'm just discussing the topic seriously, thats how the thread was intended i think.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I'm just discussing the topic seriously, thats how the thread was intended i think.

Is that because:
a) you feel a symbolic gesture such as this will have an impact on attitudes towards gay people?
b) you are genuinely interested in the personal choice issues raised earlier in the thread?
c) you like to take it up the chocolate tunnel?

I'm thinking b.

Hipster beat me to it mentioning breast cancer. To my knowledge pink laces for a cause much greater than promoting Freddies hasn't been treated with such a gesture, then no.
Furthermore, what about Men United and prostate cancer?
I don't give a flying what they do in their own homes but imagine the scene, little Johnny asks his dad why are they wearing silly laces? It's because men want to kiss each other in public Johnny and make us all aware that it's quite acceptable! FFS.
Sorry but I'm of a different generation I'm afraid.

Like thousands of others, I'll certainly be wearing a large purple strap-on throughout Erectile Dysfunction Awareness Week and I think you should all join me as a supportive gesture. I'm expecting the players will also wear supportive strap-ons during the Derby game just to show they have no animosity towards professional droopers. I'm having the epithet "if you can't cut the mustard you can always lick the jar" printed in Arabic on mine in the hope that Sepp Blatter will take note and highlight the issue in his opening speech at the Qatar World Cup.
And you're all invited to attend the British Old Nobbers Erection Rally (BONER) in the New Zealand Chief for a few pints before the match.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I'm just discussing the topic seriously, thats how the thread was intended i think.

Yes that was the intention.

Fwiw I've worked with at least two gay blokes over the years - probably loads more that I never knew were, also - and once I got over the initial awkwardishness stage, never had reason to be much bothered by it.

I've no problem in awareness about homophobia (racism, or anything else) being raised but I sometimes think the way that it is done kind of like pushes everything else to one side and doesn't really achieve what it sets out to do.

In this instance, I think, the initiative becomes meaningless.  Does any club think it will look good by NOT wearing the laces?  

That being the case clubs will wear the laces more for the reason of not looking bad rather than making a statement on homophobia, in my opinion.

The second point I was trying to make is where is the line between sports and social issues?

FIFA can and have banned country's when politics become involved with football, religion is also not involved in football so why isn't it also keeping out outside issues such as homophobia and racism as well?

It is one thing for FIFA to have its own initiatives to deal with racism and homophobia in the sport it governs, but entirely another to allow outside pressure groups to set the agenda on issues such as this one?

Where will it all end?  Will every week be a different good cause week - cancer, homelessness, famine, single mothers, poverty, living wage, fair trade, or whatever?

Sport should be sport in my opinion, nothing more.  Football successfully keeps politics and religion from having an influence on the game - West Germany v East Germany, USA V Iran, England v Argentina, Israel v Egypt, etc, shouldn't it also keep the 'good causes' movements away too?

Society as plenty of other ways of raising awareness and dealing with social ills than getting involved in football or any other sport imo.

Who's yon mon RT?