Not wishing to loose the opportunity to mention Steven Gerrard’s bum again, but another football story has caught my eye. In an attempt to get homosexuality accepted in the butch world of football the Dutch town of Enschede is seeking players for their “prejudice team”.

Football and rugby have always been a bastion of heterosexuality (although you wouldn’t think it with all that hugging and kissing that goes when they score a goal). In UK football there has only been one prominent footballer to identify himself publicly as homosexual, Justin Fashanu. He committed suicide after believing he was going to be arrested for a sexual assault on a 17 year old in America. In fact the police had already dropped the case.

In Rugby we have Ian Roberts, an Australian former professional rugby league player and actor. Late in his football career he announced he was gay which gained him much attention in Australia and worldwide as a result.

In the locker room and especially on the pitch it is simply not done to be queer and here. One of the founders of this new Dutch  team, counsellor Wallinga says: I am convinced there are many gay men in football, the strange thing is that football players who are gay won’t come out until they have said good-bye to football.

Together with an advice and communications bureau, Wallinga is trying to break this viscous circle of secrecy. They have already received subsidising of 15.000 euro to make a start on their team.

Don’t you just love a good cause!