New at posting, etc. but here goes: Am mature ex-player in amateur lgs since age 10 and then did some coaching for juniors later on. Just rented a film from Netflix 'Eleven Men Out' which deals w/adult Icelandic players and team/public reaction to finding out married man w/son declares himself gay. This is not a Hollywood themed movie but a real slice of life in a real culture and how it is treated. I rated film a 3 out of possible 4 as the ending kind of surprised me. Would like to open a discussion w/players who have had some kind of experience/reaction to the topic.. Joop

Buying this!

You don't need gays in soccer to make it interesting when the straight guys are making out like it's Stonewall after every goal.

But I will rent the vid.

I have also seen Iceland's Eleven Men Out. I enjoyed it very much. Also, not as serious - more of a comedy is Germany's gay soccer movie Guys and Balls. I liked how Eleven Men Out did show how his decision to come out affected his family and his team, especially his son.

I've played some, but mostly on university intramural teams. My experience was more of a special non-experience. I developed a very close friendship with another player on my team but that's where it ended. There was a bit of flirting and stuff but nothing more. We did get lightly teased by our teammates; but nothing hurtful or hateful. I use to tease him too because I found a picture of him on his youth team and they were called the Flamers!

I heard a few years later that he did end up getting married to a woman.

Saw the trailer on the internet and realized I have already seen Eleven Men Out. Loved it. Ironic that Iceland now has the worlds first openly gay prime minister.

Acceptance everywhere except sports just makes for a whole different set of problems coming out I suppose.

Very good movie.

Edit to add:

I'm surprised at how poorly the coming out late phenomenon seems to be depicted in popular fictional media. I'm currently watching the German soap Forbidden Love on the internet and finally reached Part 39-40 where the more jock-like half of the gay couple, Christian, is starting to sort of come to terms with his homosexuality. Though played out for typical soap opera dramatic effect - with a not surprisingly white suburban middle-class bias - the event is pretty well done in my view. And it apparently benefits from following the current high standard for a late-bloomer that was set by Heath Ledger's Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain.

But I just don't see this event being very well (or honestly?) portrayed in modern media.

Anyone else have another view?

I bumped up this thread because I think that soccer may be (or perhaps already has been) the place where such an event will occur for major sport.

Whoops! Bump didn't work for an edit so I'm adding this post.

I saw Eleven Men Out a few years ago, but wasn't that crazy about it. I actually preferred Guys and Balls.

Not gay, but soccer-related: The Damned United. It's already been released in the U.K., but will come to North America soon. "Set in 1960s and 1970s England, THE DAMNED UNITED tells the confrontational and darkly humorous story of Brian Clough's doomed 44 day tenure as manager of the reigning champions of English football Leeds United." It stars Michael Sheen (who played Tony Blair in The Queen and David Frost in Frost/Nixon) as Brian Clough.

UK website.
Trailer on YouTube.
Toronto Film Festival synopsis.

I notice that in Forbidden Love they made the gay jock a boxer rather than a soccer player. Good choice for several reasons. No huge team to deal with during production. Easier to focus on the individual. An ultimate contact "sport" - only wrestling could have been more tactile.

Still the rumors about closeted gay soccer players in the German leagues have swirled for years. Kind of a pity they chose not to work that in to the plot.