Justin Fashanu-A Fallen Hero



Justin Fashanu was born in 1961 in London and was
raised along with his brother John by foster parents
due to his mother's inability to provide for the pair
financially. His natural ability to excel in sports,
specifically his chosen sport of football landed him on
a series of professional teams over two decades. His
shining moment occurred in 1980 in a game against
Liverpool where he scored the goal that was seen
around the world and lauded by fans everywhere.
He made history when he was the first black
footballer to earn a million pound salary when he was
recruited to play for manager Brian Clough's
Nottingham Forest in 1981.
In 1990, Justin publicly came out as gay in an
interview with the tabloid press after learning that he
would be outed in an upcoming expose', becoming
the only prominent player in English football so far to
do so. Many former colleagues spoke out in anger
against him, stating that homosexuals had no place
in a team sport, and his brother John publicly
disowned him. Although he claimed that he was
generally well accepted by his fellow players, he
freely admitted that they would often joke
maliciously about his sexual orientation, and he also
became the target of constant crowd abuse because
of it.
His then notoriously homophobic manager Brian
Clough banned him from team practices after
publicly coming out and eventually traded him to
Southhampton. In Clough's autobiography he recalls
a conversation he had with Fashanu after learning he
attended gay bars. "'Where do you go if you want a
loaf of bread?' I asked him. 'A baker's, I suppose.'
'Where do you go if you want a leg of lamb?' 'A
butcher's.' 'So why do you keep going to that bloody
poofs' club?" Clough later apologized for his cruel
treatment towards Justin Fashanu before his death in
1994, realizing he had contributed to his pain.
Coming out coupled along with a serious knee injury
proved to be the beginning of the end of a career
with so much promise. Over the next few years Justin
would play for various teams in Britain as well as
stateside in Georgia and Maryland. It was here
according to Fashanu he would have consensual sex
with a 17 year old boy who eventually accused him of
sexual assault.
Justin returned to the U.K. avoiding ever being
questioned by police, the charges were later dropped
due to a lack of evidence.
However, upon his return Justin Fashanu took his
own life in an abandoned garage after visiting
Chariot's bathouse in London by tying an electric fix
around his neck. His suicide note read;"I realized that
I had already been presumed guilty. I do not want to
give any more embarrassment to my friends and
family"..."I hope the Jesus I love welcomes me, I will
at last find peace."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8lUe59EP84

demelza: U no well.
Stop derailing Mr. Hezron's thread or else I will report you

deshclones: Disgusting story with a wonderful happy ending....and he took the f00ls route ...suicide...he wasn't man enough..never been a man...ass loving transgendered....lovely story indeed...

masonkz: One of the gay people I first knew about while trying to find myself. Lol

His brother really hated him.

flolancracker: Actually thought twas john fashanu. They brothers?

Hezron Lorraine: yes they're blood brothers.

Hezron Lorraine: Airforce1 and Demelza.you two derailed this thred from the 4th comment,8 comments of derailing.don't do that again..thanks.

masonkz: I'm seeing some cat fight in here

ogugua88:

Really? I see nothing.

demelza: So sad. He never stood a chance.

adaobi123: Sad. I watched a documentary about him. His brother(john) explained why he disowned him and after justin killed himself, he realised what he did wrong. He talked about how he should have supported him and that. Being a gay footballer, is suicidal, especially in those times. It was seen as taboo by the supporters.

masonkz:

"Explained why he disowned him"...seriously? And a suicide had to happen before he realized all these? Playing the ostrich would have been far better than dis-owning your own brother in public.

All I see is a play for the media. Too little too late. He should have
saved the talk for his brother's graveyard. Or better still, go forward
to support a cause for the gay people, in respect to his brother. Dude irritates me everytime he comes up on the radio or tv.