The FA's chairman Greg Clarke has revealed that he has received no response from an open invitation to gay players to discuss ways of tackling homophobia in sport.
Not one player in the top four leagues of English football identifies publicly as gay or bisexual, despite the FA encouraging players to be open about their sexuality.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Clarke said that he had encountered numerous gay and bisexual players in the women's game as well as in virtually ever other sporting discipline, and thinks that the fear of abuse from fans is preventing male footballers from coming out.
"I understand the reticence," he said. "I went to the women's cup final. It was great. There was gay, there was straight, there were kids, it was relaxed. It was like a big wedding reception. I had a great time. There was no judgment in the room. Everyone was there because they wanted to see the game.
"I've met a lot of gay activists, gay publishers. I went down to Stonewall, watched a game, had a beer in the bar afterwards - and talked about the issues. At the semi-pro level and below, nobody's worried. [But] I haven't met one player at professional level who would even agree to meet me in the middle of nowhere for a conversation over a cup of coffee. Not one. I don't blame them for that. If they don't feel comfortable having that conversation it doesn't say good things about our game.
"I don't want to speculate about what's in their heads. They obviously don't feel comfortable. I've spoken to the Premier League, the EFL, the PFA, the LMA.
"We are all desperate to make the game more LGBT inclusive. We haven't yet won the trust of the professional gay players. I've reached out. I've seen athletes, swimmers, divers, I've gone everywhere. And they've shared their views with me. I've said - 'Why won't gay footballers meet me?' They've all said - 'I don't know because I don't know any gay footballers.' They're very deeply buried."
In May, Liam Davis - a midfielder for National League side Yeovil Town - became the first openly-gay player to turn out at Wembley, featuring in the FA Vase final.
Neil Wilkes
