Footballing authorities should issue strong punishments if Blackpool striker Jake Daniels is subjected to homophobic abuse from fans or players.
That is the opinion of Carl Fearn, the co-chair of Gay Gooners – the first and largest LGBT+ fans group in England with over 1,100 members across the world.
In May, Daniels became the first male professional footballer in England to come out as gay since Justin Fashanu in 1990.
He told Sky Sports News: ‘Now is the right time to do it. I feel like I am ready to tell people my story. I want people to know the real me. I have been thinking for a long time about how I want to do it, when I want to do it. I know now is the time. I am ready to be myself, be free and be confident with it all.’
Homophobic abuse continues to rear its ugly head at stadiums up and down the football leagues, and Fearn believes Daniels will undoubtedly be the recipient of it next season, revealing he’s heard that such chants are being readied by fans ahead of time.
Fearn says any clubs not taking steps such as pre-match announcements at stadiums or on social media to attempt to stop abuse being directed at Daniels, should be hit with point deductions.
‘It’s almost like… about time because we know that they’re out there,’ Fearn tells Metro.co.uk on Daniels coming out.
‘We’re never going to push them but when they do come out we will absolutely support them because we know that they will get abuse.
‘Jake will be getting abuse next season.
‘He’s struck me as being incredibly mature for a 17-year-old. We absolutely admire him for having that courage to come out.
‘As a co-chair of an LGBT football supporters’ group, I would like to see the EFL pre-empting trouble, rather than reacting to trouble.
‘I would want the EFL to work with the clubs and say if you do not take steps to nip any potential abuse against Jake Daniels in the bud before a match, there will be sanctions on the club. I’m not talking financial sanctions, I would want some points deductions for the club that did nothing to ensure homophobic abuse is not directed towards Jake Daniels.
‘I would personally advocate points deductions for homophobic abuse against a specific player. I can tell, it’s definitely coming. I’m picking up on the grapevine that some supporters have already got their chants ready.
‘The EFL should say we’re not going to tolerate this, you do something about it by making an announcement before kick-off or tweeting in advance that any kind of homophobic abuse is now classed as a hate crime by the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service). You can’t prosecute an entire football stadium, but if the stadium was aware they might get points deductions if found guilty. A fine to the club doesn’t effect the supporters, it’s irrelevant.’
Fearn also believes that any players seen or heard to be aiming homophobic abuse at Daniels should receive lengthy bans.
‘The other thing to be considered here is there will be players in that league sledging, anybody that’s caught abusing him because of his sexuality it should be a lengthy ban along the lines of when [Luis] Suarez was biting players,’ he adds.
‘Because homophobic abuse is not physical, it doesn’t make it any less of an incident.’
MORE : ‘You being you, and being happy, is what matters most’: Jake Daniels’ personal message to gay football fans in full
MORE : Prince William hopes Jake Daniels coming out ‘gives others confidence to do the same’
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