Tragic gay trailblazer Fashanu honoured as United fans shamed
Justin Fashanu, who in 1990 became the first English professional footballer to reveal he was gay, will be honoured on Wednesday by being inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame.
Fashanu will be honoured on what would have been his 59th birthday -- he hanged himself in May 1998 -- an occasion also marked by a reminder from Manchester United that homophobia still exists in football.
United issued a statement Wednesday lambasting a section of its own Old Trafford fans for homophobic chants during Monday's Premier League match with Chelsea.
Anti-gay chants "directed against Chelsea FC -- or any other club -- by some of our fans runs counter to our values," read the statement from United.
"We were the first club to sign up to the TeamPride coalition and continue to collaborate with Stonewall and other anti-discriminatory organisations in this area."
Fashanu's niece Amal, who recalls all too well her uncle's tragic death when she was aged nine, will accept the award in ...