From Britain’s The Guardian:

It is a sport where men are men, players who go down injured are derided as ‘poofs’…

…Yet Manchester City (English soccer team) have decided to challenge football’s taboo by becoming a champion of equal rights, hiring gays to work at its stadium and training ground and attracting new supporters from the city’s thriving gay and lesbian community. The Premiership side have become the first club to join a distinguished list of employers which are officially recognised as ‘gay-friendly’ by Stonewall, the gay rights campaign group…

…The move could lead to a dramatic change of attitude in the macho world of football, which is regarded as one of the last bastions of homophobia…

…Manchester City already give Manchester’s main gay amateur team free coaching and match tickets, advertise in local gay publications, back the city’s Lesbian and Gay Foundation and support Aids fundraising initiatives…

…Ben Summerskill, Stonewall’s chief executive, said ‘We are delighted that Manchester City are being brave enough to be the first club to put its head above the parapet by saying publicly that they are interested.’

Man City players are a happy bunch

I wonder if any Australian football clubs would do the same?

Full Story here