British soccer organization supports gay play

The Football Association of England says it hopes a new play about a gay soccer coach will raise discussion about homophobia in the sport. Gaffer! will show for four dates at London's Southwark Playhouse beginning October 13. It stars Deka Walmsley as George, a coach of a League Two team who struggles privately with his homosexuality. "It's about a guy in a very closed world who discovers something that is not acceptable in that world," writer Chris Chibnall said at a news conference Thursday. "It's really about exploring that issue of homophobia, which is really the last taboo in football." The FA says that over the past 10 years it has had success in dealing with racism and sexism in soccer. After reading over the script to Gaffer! FA leaders decided the play would work as a good vehicle to spur discussion about homophobia in the game. "This is about saying abuse and discrimination has no place in football," FA spokeswoman Lucy Faulkner said. "We're not saying there have been a lot of homophobic incidents or that anybody is coming out. This is about acknowledging our role in this issue." The FA will hold workshops for the audience after each night the play runs. The FA has also set up a hotline where fans can report incidents of abuse and homophobia. It has also begun training referees to deal with homophobic language from fans and players. "It's right that the FA is willing to talk about this," Faulkner said. "It's more than any other sport has done in this country or in Europe." (AP)