Bra’s First Openly Gay Football Referee: The Story of Ryan Atk | SprgerLk

Contents:

• RYAN ATK: FROM LMAN TO CHAMPN - FIRST OPENLY GAY REFEREE ON EXPERIENC
• RYAN ATK BE FIRST OPENLY GAY PROFSNAL OFFICIAL ENGLISH FOOTBALL
• RYAN ATK BE FIRST OPENLY GAY REFEREE ENGLAND
• FOOTBALL LEAGUE REFEREE JAM ADCK OUT AS GAY
• RYAN ATK COM OUT, BE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY REFEREE ENGLISH FOOTBALL
• RYAN ATK OUT AS ENGLISH FOOTBALL'S FIRST OPENLY-GAY REFEREE
• AN OUT GAY FOOTBALL REFEREE HAS OFFICIATED AN ENGLISH PROFSNAL MATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME
• BRA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALL REFEREE: THE STORY OF RYAN ATK
• RYAN ATK IS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY REFEREE IN ENGLISH FOOTBALL

RYAN ATK: FROM LMAN TO CHAMPN - FIRST OPENLY GAY REFEREE ON EXPERIENC

Ryan Atk has refereed four Natnal League gam this season, most recently Dagenham & Redbridge's w agast Alrshot on 16 November"I got a lot of people jt pattg me on the back and sayg 'well done, don't matter that you are gay'. "In Augt 2017, Ryan Atk beme the first man refereeg England's profsnal leagu to e out as then, he has gone om workg as an assistant referee the English Football League to refereeg the Natnal League this nng the le to beg the man the middle, he has been nomated has been named as one of Stonewall's Sport Champns for the chary's Rabow Lac mpaign, which started on Friday and is aimed at tacklg homophobia sport, Atk spoke to the BBC's LGBT Sport Podst and says he hop that others n follow his footsteps.

"'Still work to be done'Wybe goalkeeper Ryan Allsop reported alleged abe to referee John Bby at half-time their w agast Tranmere RoversMany refere workg English football n speak of the sults they are exposed to om the stands, and even as recently as the past week, there was an alleged cint of homophobic abe a League One occurred durg Tranmere's match agast Wybe and led to a man beg arrted. And if we haven't even achieved that, then homophobia football is trailg behd. "'The culture is slowly changg'Atralian gby unn thori end Israel Fol's ntract over a social media post which he said "hell awas" gay peopleSiar problems exist other sports too.

RYAN ATK BE FIRST OPENLY GAY PROFSNAL OFFICIAL ENGLISH FOOTBALL

Earlier this year, Atralian gby unn thori end Israel Fol's ntract over a social media post which he said "hell awas" gay England forward Billy Vunipola was later warned by his club si Saracens about his behavur after fendg Fol's actns. Meanwhile, no profsnal footballer the Uned Kgdom has yet e out as gay, a suatn Atk is hopeful will said: "It n sometim be slightly dishearteng to thk that there are other people who are LGBT who don't feel that 's the right time for them or have the nfince to e out.

"Stonewall's Sport Champns 2019Amaz LeThi (bodybuilr)Charlie Mart (racg driver)Corne Humphreys (sprter)John Dickson-Lilley (Paralympic skier)Lizzie Williams (wheelchair racer)Michael Gunng (swimmer)Philippa York (cyclist)Ryan Atk (football referee)Tom Bosworth (race walker)Beth Fisher (former hockey player and sport journalist)Huw Ware (PDC darts referee)Buildg a dialogueWh the 2022 World Cup Qatar - a untry where homosexualy is illegal - fast approachg, Atk says his experienc at last year's World Cup Rsia gave a flavour of what to expect. Football referee Jam Adck speaks to the BBC's LGBT Sport Podst"I'm very appreciative of the fact that I'm an openly gay man football.

RYAN ATK BE FIRST OPENLY GAY REFEREE ENGLAND

"Adck has worked as a fourth official the Premier League'People know I'm gay and jt accept - I'm fortunate for that'As a child of the '80s and '90s, Adck was ed to hearg the same tired stereotyp - that people who loved sport uldn't be gay as, who is om Long Eaton Derbyshire, didn't e out until he was 27 - but his experienc wh the game have been nothg but posive.

And, to be hont, there's been tert om lleagu sayg, 'I'm proud of you Jam, that you're able to be openly gay sport, ' bee they know the barriers that are still place. "They're fully supportive and don't change the way they are around me or the way they speak to me bee they thought I was a heterosexual guy, and now they fd out I'm a gay guy.

"I don't need to wear a T-shirt sayg: 'I'm Jam Adck and I'm a gay guy.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE REFEREE JAM ADCK OUT AS GAY

"I've not had any homophobic abe thrown at me, and I n't tell you a story where I've had to bat or overe that.

RYAN ATK COM OUT, BE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY REFEREE ENGLISH FOOTBALL

"To e out as gay or not e out as gay, you have to choose that as a person and not as a ref.

RYAN ATK OUT AS ENGLISH FOOTBALL'S FIRST OPENLY-GAY REFEREE

I'm not refereeg bee I'm gay, I'm refereeg bee I'm refereeg a game of football - so jt treat me as a normal human beg. "That's where my fay, my iends, and my football lleagu have been so supportive - bee don't matter that I am gay and volved sport, and refereeg the Football League. Ryan Atk has bee England’s first openly gay profsnal official, wh the Football Associatn welg the 32-year-old’s revelatn of his sexualy as a landmark sign of progrs.

“Role mols are important to show that beg gay and beg terted football are by no means mutually exclive, ” Atk told Sky Sports.

“Homophobia is still a problem but thgs are improvg all the time. “I myself have never been a victim of homophobic abe but I am aware others have been. The biggt challenge I might face the future as an openly gay referee would potentially be alg wh homophobia that uld e om players, spectators and possibly even refereeg lleagu, though so far I have found officials wh football to be very open-md.

AN OUT GAY FOOTBALL REFEREE HAS OFFICIATED AN ENGLISH PROFSNAL MATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME

”‘Beg gay and beg terted football are by no means mutually exclive, ’ Atk said an terview wh Sky.

BRA’S FIRST OPENLY GAY FOOTBALL REFEREE: THE STORY OF RYAN ATK

Photograph: Sky NewsEnglish football has lagged behd other sports and untri promotg gay refere, although Nigel Owens, the Welsh gby official who me out 2007, and Jús Tolero, the Spanish referee who received ath threats last year after revealg his sexualy, have not always found the onward path a smooth was subjected to homophobic abe when refereeg England v New Zealand at Twickenham three years ago, after which two spectators were banned om the ground, while Tolero qu then me back aga and end up unr police protectn. “Beg gay don’t matter the ntext of refereeg a football match, ” Atk said. “But if I am speakg about equaly and diversy then I am gog to mentn that I am gay bee is relevant.

PA SportAug 10, 2017, 08:41 PMRyan Atk will bee the first openly gay referee English men's profsnal football this season after revealg his sexualy -- and he has been tipped to reach Premier League 32-year-old was referee for Bath Cy's 5-2 home feat to Chippenham Town on Tuday the Natnal League as well as takg charge of match at that level, the sixth tier of the game, Atk will serve as a fourth official for English Football League and Natnal League told Sky Sports News: "Beg gay don't matter the ntext of refereeg a football match but if I'm speakg about equaly and diversy, then I'm gog to mentn that I'm gay bee 's relevant. "Homophobia is still a problem, but thgs are improvg all the time.

RYAN ATK IS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY REFEREE IN ENGLISH FOOTBALL

"There are no openly gay footballers the Premier League or Football League, but Atk believ many wh the game are more open-md and welg to people om the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr muni than has prevly been the se.

“To e out as gay or not e out as gay, you have to choose that as a person and not as a ref.