 19 Feb, 1961 - 2 May 1998 - One of the most striking tabloid headlines of 1990 was above the picture of Justin Fashanu, Britain’s first million pound Black footballer, which stated "I‘m Gay." His very public "self outing" displayed a courage that drew many admirers (listed in the top 100 lesbian and gay heroes in The Pink Paper, 1997), but it also brought to the fore a deep-seated prejudice in English football.
At 14, Justin signed as a schoolboy with Norwich City FC, and was later noticed by England’s Youth and Under 21 team. He made his professional football debut, aged 18, at Norwich City in 1979. His 1980 volley against Liverpool was the goal of the season and still claims its place in football’s all time great moments. The following year he joined Nottingham Forest for one million pounds. It was here that he began socialising on the gay scene. However, when word of his private life filtered through to Clough, he was promptly suspended, and eventually moved on because "he did not fit in with Brian Clough’s regime".
At his next club, he received one of the worst knee injuries that anyone has ever come back from, and was out of soccer for over four years. He never really recovered his magic after this and spent several years in the United States and Canada. In 1998, he returned to England under a cloud after being accused of second-degree sexual assault by a 17-year-old. He was found a few days later hanged in a lock-up garage in Shoreditch. An inquest in London held on th September 1998 heard that there was in fact no warrant out for Justin Fashanu’s arrest. A verdict of suicide was recorded.
"It was homophobia that ultimately destroyed the life and career of Justin Fashanu" according to his friend and gay political activist Peter Tatchell.
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Last Updated ( Wed, 02 Aug 06 )
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