Cod Almighty | Diary
Let no one come for anyone without resistance
17 May 2022
One thing in particular caught Middle-Aged Diary's eye in the testimony of Jake Daniels, the 17-year-old Blackpool player who has become the first male British professional footballer to declare himself gay since Justin Fashanu 30 years ago. He described how, having taken the decision to come out, he scored four goals in his next game, such was the weight which had been taken from his shoulders. Nigel Owens once said something similar: after coming out he went from being a good rugby referee to being the best in the business, because he could be fully himself.
It is the old but still compelling case for diversity. We should fight to rid ourselves of prejudice not just because it is the right thing to do but because it makes all of us better. We can draw from a wider pool of talent, and we allow that talent to express itself. By accepting Daniels for who he is, Blackpool fans will have a better player in their squad. And perhaps there'll be a few more Blackpool fans for feeling that a football ground is now a place where they will be safe and welcome.
Very few malign bigots read Cod Almighty. Indeed I have days when I fear Cod Almighty is read exclusively by other members of the CA team and some (but by no means all) of their parents and partners. Nothing I write is going to change the views of the people who think that there is something "wrong" with Jake Daniels, or that there is something wrong with Jake Daniels being a professional footballer. Nor can we reach, directly, the people who for 99.1 per cent of the week know that being gay is fine but who for 90 minutes on a Saturday thinks it is fair game for abuse, for seeking an advantage. Such abuse is like shrapnel: it will inevitably hurt more than the intended targets.
What we can do is to make or renew our commitment to challenge prejudice, whenever we hear it or read it. Not everyone has the choice, but still the struggle not just to tolerate but to welcome difference belongs to all of us.