Our Reporter
JUSTIN Fashanu, who in 1990 became the first English professional footballer to reveal he was gay, was honored on Wednesday by being inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame.
Fashanu was honoured on what would have been his 59th birthday – he hanged himself in May 1998 – an occasion also marked by a reminder from Manchester United that homophobia still exists in football.
Chelsea had issued a statement on Tuesday saying “a large group of Manchester United fans made unacceptable homophobic chants.
Fashanu’s niece Amal, who recalls her uncle’s tragic death when she was aged nine, accepted the award in Manchester.
Fashanu had a sublime talent and a penchant for scoring spectacular goals – one for Norwich against Liverpool in February 1980 was voted goal of the season.
Such efforts earned him a one million pound move to Nottingham Forest in 1981 – the first black player in British football to break that barrier – but he failed to click with the manager Brian Clough.
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For Amal – who through the Justin Fashanu Foundation combats homophobia, racism and mental health problems in football – the award is long overdue.
“It is something quite important that is happening,” she told the Daily Mirror. “It’s just like ‘wow’, he’s finally getting recognised and it is very, very impressive.
“People forget just how talented he was at football because he was gay. I was there at the museum four years ago and in my mind, I know this is bad, I was thinking, ‘Why isn’t Justin here?’
“It is a big move and a big step because they are recognising Justin on a whole new level now.
Amal said there was still no appetite for her friends who play football and are gay to come out publicly.
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