{"id":107005,"date":"2021-01-04T01:15:10","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T01:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=107005"},"modified":"2021-01-04T01:15:10","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T01:15:10","slug":"gay-footie-boss-says-hes-united-team-by-taking-the-mickey-out-of-himself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/gay-footie-boss-says-hes-united-team-by-taking-the-mickey-out-of-himself\/","title":{"rendered":"Gay footie boss says he’s united team by taking the mickey out of himself"},"content":{"rendered":"
A gay football manager says he has united his team by taking the mickey out of himself. <\/p>\n
Luke Tuffs, 34, said he understood from his playing days \u2013 when he was spat on and received knife threats \u2013 the pressure gay footballers were under to reveal their sexuality.<\/p>\n
But as a coach he won over the dressing room with his banter.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThere\u2019s a stereotype that gay people are offended easily. I always get the feeling early doors that people are treading on eggshells around me in case they offend me.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019ll take the mickey out of myself and that allows others to do it and feel comfortable. In football culture, when people are taking the mickey out of you, it means they like you \u2013 but only if they are doing it to everyone else as well.<\/p>\n
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\u201cPeople outside the game need to realise that, in football, people acknowledge differences by mocking each other from a good place with compassion and togetherness. Usually the best teams are built like that.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Luke is boss of Ashford Town FC, Kent, who play in the Isthmian League South Central Division \u2013 the eighth tier of English football.<\/p>\n
He said it was \u201cnot right\u201d he is the highest-level coach in the UK game to come out.<\/p>\n
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He told Attitude magazine: \u201cAs a player, I\u2019ve been spat on and I\u2019ve had people threaten to stab me, and all sorts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to fight to stop that homophobic abuse, which includes hatred from the terraces \u2013 and allowing a team spirit to develop on my side counters that.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the playing staff side I\u2019m in the eighth tier of English football and I\u2019m the highest \u2018out\u2019 person. That\u2019s not right.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are going in the right direction, but there\u2019s so much more work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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