2. Research
Homosexuality in English Football
Area
Justin Fashnau 14 year
anniversary
Zero-Tolerance for
discrimination
www.dailymail.com
3. Hypothesis
Question :
“Should gay footballers speak up?”
My Hunch?
“Yes they should”
threelionsonhershirt.com (accessed 23/2/12) oranjecampengland2012.co.uk (accessed 23/2/12)
4. Evidence
Valid and relevant evidence
• Video
• TV/Adverts
• Interviews
• Newspaper Articles (online)
Football Association(2010) „Lets kick homophobia
out of football‟ April 19 [Online] Available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evnZci_2p5I&fe
ature=BFp&list=PL952046D1C3DB707F (accessed
21.2.12)
5. Evidence
Newspaper Articles
Gordon Taylor (2010): “homophobia not high on football agenda”
For a interview with BBC Sport
Football (2010) Taylor believes “that
football crowds are not yet ready for
this sort of campaign.”
…"It's not a straightforward issue and
it would be unfair to ask an individual
player to back a campaign like this in
case they got targeted by football
crowds," he said.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47290000/jpg/_47290576_gordon
taylor.jpg (accessed 23/2/12)
6. Evidence
Newspaper Articles
John Amaechi (2012): “'reactive' FA responsible for homophobia”
Interview with BBC Sport(2012) “But
Amaechi says the FA should stop pointing
the finger at others and accept it is to
blame.”
… "Then they sit in their boxes and their
boardrooms and all the attention is
deflected away from them.”
7. Questions
Questions to ask my network
• Open
• Neutral
• Provide qualitative and quantitative data
• Open for discussion and opinions
8. Questions
Survey Questions
“Do you think gay footballers “Do you watch/play football?”
should speak up?”
Do you think the FA should do more to
help support gay footballers?
Do you think it would affect their career
opportunities?
Would your opinion change of a
footballer if they 'came out'?
9. Networks
What is a networker?
Raymond, M (2003) describes a networker as a “deviant- but
also a connector, a doer, and engager,
Somebody who brailes the culture along consilient lines‟
someone who listens, observes, records, and
interprets but across a number of key interlocking social
cultural environmental economic and scientific areas”.
Types of Networks
Hierarchical
Collaborative
Distributive Networks
11. Benefits Of
Networks
Using my Networks
Diverse networks – more diverse the greater the
network will be.
Expanding networks – targeting social
networks, groups
Blog - http://georgia-wing.blogspot.com/
Limiting Factors – not enough weak ties.
12. Results
Analysing Survey Results
New findings –
• People feel it is not relevant for footballers to „come-out‟
• 87% of peoples opinion would not change of a footballer
• That there should be more support from the Football Association
• 63% of people believe it would effect their career opportunities
Good quantitative results
Qualitative data – peoples personal comments
bridging-the-gap-cluster.wikispaces.com
13.
14. Survey Results
Would Your opinion change of a footballer if they
'came out'?
Other
2%
YES
11%
Do you think it would affect their career
opportunities?
Other
NOT RELEVANT 4%
NO
87% 7%
NO
26%
Do you think the F.A should do more to help YES
support gay footballers? 63%
Other
5%
NOT
RELEVANT
18%
NO
15% YES
62%
15. Survey Results
Qualitative Results
Peoples additional comments on questions
1. Do you think gay footballers should speak up?
“I think it's a very personal decision, and 5. Do you think it would effect
although in an ideal world it wouldn't affect their career opportunities?
their career prospects or how the public
perceive them, the sad reality is that many “I don't know exactly
footballers may feel there is increased why, but I feel it would hold
pressure on them or a stigma that gets them back in such a
attached to them.” heterosexual sport.”
6. Do you think the FA should do more to support gay footballers?
“There is a drive to stamp racism out of
football, there should be an equal drive to
stamp homophobia out of football (eg similar
to the current rugby initiative in America
with Ben Cohen)”
16. What is a
Zeitgeist?
Dictionary Definition
The dictionary defines the word ZEITGEIST as:
“the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or
feeling characteristic of a particular period of
time.”
The „spirit‟ of time is ideal, current news issues and
in the public eye, allowing for relevant responses.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/zeitgeist (accessed 23.2.12)
17. What worked
well?
Positives Negatives
Survey Twitter
News Articles Formspring
Blog Facebook
Facebook Diversity of network
More weak ties
18. Improvements
Areas of improvement
Areas to consider if I was to complete this module again:
• Target Student Union groups, L.G.B.T
• Visiting a football game, ethnographic research
• Infiltrate into other networks
• Create a more diverse network
• Be more organised with my blog
19. Quote
Raymond, M (2003)“Insight comes
after knowledge, and knowledge after
information and data”
Raymond, M (2003) The Tomorrow People. London: Prentice Hall
20. Books
Bibliography
Raymond, M.(2003) 'The new rules of engagement', in Raymond, M. (ed.)The
Tomorrows People, London: Prentice Hall Video
Raymond, M (2010) ‘The Trend forecasters Handbook ‘ London : Laurence King Author Unknown (2012) 'New Anti-
homophobia in Football film' Available at:
News Websites http://www.thefa.com/video/FA/Tackling-
homophobia.aspx (Accessed:21.2.12)
Author unknown (2012) 'Ipswich Town backs Justin Fashnau anti-homophobia
campaign' BBC News [Online] Available at at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk- Thomas, G. (2011) 'The inspiring Gareth
england-suffolk-17078657. Accessed 20.2.12. Thomas shares his story'. Interviewed by
Ellen DeGeneres for The Ellen Show, 4th
Author Unknown (2012) 'New Anti-homophobia in Football film' Available at: February. Available at
http://www.thefa.com/video/FA/Tackling-homophobia.aspx (Accessed:21.2.12) :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3OnU
_hNVrA&feature=player_embedded
Magowan, A (2012) 'John Amaechi says 'reactive' FA responsible for homophobia' BBC
Sport. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17086342 Accessed
22.2.12
Weathers, H (2009), 'British Lions rugby legend Gareth Thomas: 'It's ended my
marriage and nearly driven me to suicide. Now it's time to tell the world the truth -
I'm gay' , The Daily Mail, available at :http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-
1237035/British-Lions-rugby-legend-Gareth-Thomas-Its-ended-marriage-nearly-
driven-suicide-Now-time-tell-world-truth--Im-gay.html Accessed 22.2.12
Owens, N (2009), 'Ex-Lion Gareth Thomas reveals he is gay' BBC Sport,
Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/9048225/The-emergence-of-
an-openly-gay-footballer-in-the-Premier-League-would-show-fans-at-their-best.html
Accessed 22.2.12
Notes de l'éditeur
Video pulled as FA didn’t think people were ready for it yet.
Former NBA basketball player – came out in 2007 feels the FA is to blame. Rather than blaming the Fans
How did I justify them? They are open questions, also allowed for an ‘other’ box so people could leave there opinions and comments. They also provide solid answers aswell.
Peoples responses are very open minded, people are unsure on how the REST of the public will see them and treat them.
This question was ideal for the zeitgesit as it is on topic at the moment, with the anniversary of john fashnau’s and the campaign for anti-homophobia by the FA.
