By Alan Duffy
Today is Justin Fashanu’s birthday and he would have been 54 years of age had his life not ended in such sad circumstances in May 1998.
The fact there are still no openly gay players in the Premier League shows how much more needs to be done in football although with Robbie Rodgers lining out for LA Galaxy and former Aston Villa man Thomas Hitzlsperger coming out last year, as well as Swedish player Anton Hysen declaring his homosexuality in 2011, things are (very) slowly moving in the right direction.
Anyway, as well as being an icon for gay rights in football, Justin Fashanu was also a fine footballer and this goal remains one of the best ever and one which won the BBC’s Goal of the Season gong for this cracker scored at Carrow Road in February 1980…
Given the day that’s in it, here’s London band Elephants And Castles with their tribute to Justin, “Fashanu”…
(Videos: Norwich City FC & elephants & castles)