Quote Originally Posted by jackal2 View Post

It will certainly be interesting to see how his career unfolds and whether his decision works for or against him (or neither). I must say, whenever Notts County sign a player I couldn't give two hoots about their s exual orientation and I'd find it a bit odd if they considered it worth declaring.

Fashanu's name has come up a fair bit over the past few days. One of my all time favourites and it does genuinely upset me what happened to him. There is however some twisting of the truth now going on and a lot of hypocrisy surrounding his legend.

On the radio this week his niece basically claimed that he killed himself because he was gay and football couldn't accept him and that Daniels coming out might help prevent something similar happening again.

Well OK, it could be on the night he died that he was thinking of Pedro Richards asking him where his boyfriend was and the endless taunts of "What a waste of money" as a result of his Fword career going south - which he might have blamed on Clough's apparent eagerness to get rid of him over his lifestyle choices rather than his lack of goals when he was being selected, but seeing that he was facing charges and a possible lengthy prison sentence for having an intimate encounter with a minor, as defined by American law, I'm inclined to believe that his suicide probably had more to do with the unfortunate circumstances he found himself at the time.

Secondly, the hypocrisy I'm now seeing.....
Fash is now widely treated as an iconic trailblazing legend who has been inducted into the Football hall of fame, which I have no problem with.
Fact is though he was involved with a minor (by USA law) and whilst I'm able to put that into context and be as reasonably comfortable as I can be that I wouldn't be celebrating or defending a 'monster' (for want of a better word), what about the general attitude currently being shown towards Prince Andrew? Yes, different circumstances of course, but as with Fash, briefly involved with somebody of a similar or same age, a minor by American law. I'm sure somebody out there will be itching to jump in with a "yes but Prince Andrew....." but it basically boils down to the same thing, or certainly in the same ball park. Yet one is celebrated as an inspiration and the other is condemned with the same word you'd use to describe Savile or worse (by worse taking into account Savile didn't murder his victims).