Justin Fashanu 1961 – 1998
I would like to nominate Justin Fashanu. Having watched him play towards the end of his career and listened to the racist and homophobic abuse that he was continuously subjected to, I think he was incredibly brave and his struggle deserves to be recognised. He was playing opposite the football team that I support, however the abuse that I heard on the terraces stopped me from going to support my team for many years. One of the tragedies of Justin Fashanu’s story is that homophobia in the football industry seems to be as bad now as it was then. However I believe that Justin Fashanu is an important gay
historical figure who deserves to be remembered.
See also: http://www.petertatchell.net/sport/justin%20fashanu.htm