WORDS: MARK MCADAM
The closet can be a dark place. But in football there’s a closet within a closet. Most players who’ve been questioned on the subject say they don’t even know of any gay footballers. So, when anyone connected with the beautiful game decides to come out, they should be celebrated as a hero.
Step forward referee Ryan Atkin. In August this year, he took the plunge and told the world about his sexuality, becoming the first professional football referee to do so. Operating at National League South level, he’s five tiers below the big time, but his ambition is to be officiating in the Premier League in the future.