Three arrested for homophobic abuse at Brighton - Millwall game

After years it seems like police and footballing authorities are finally getting the message.

Just hours after officials from Brighton and Hove Albion and Millwall signed the sporting charter, which promotes equality in sport, three Millwall fans were arrested for homophobic chanting.

The Justin Campaign has had contact from a number of fans who were subject to abuse at the game and want to make it clear that this is not welcome in football.

For years Brighton and Hove Albion supporters have been subject to homophobic abuse, largely because of the city's image as the UK's gay capital.

Homophobic chanting is often mistook for banter; let's make this clear, it is not.

The Justin Campaign wants to offer its thanks to Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove Albion for taking such as positive stance on this issue.

It is only with such strong and public signs of action that supporters of all teams will get the message that football is for everyone, regardless of a person's sexuality.

BBC3 to air Britain's Gay Footballers

Good news.

It has been confirmed that BBC 3 will show a documentary called Britain's Gay Footballers. So set the Sky+ box or video recorder and put January 30 at 9pm in the diary.

The programme will be presented by Amal Fashanu, the niece of Justin who, as most of you will be aware, the campaign is named after, and who is involved with our work.

We have also been told that QPR's Joey Barton and PR guru Max Clifford will feature while the cameras will go to Millwall FC for a match, presumably to see if homophobia exists in a footballing environment.

It will be interesting to see what path the programme follows. Obviously any highlighting of the issue is extremely welcomed. But the hope is that the programme does not trivialise the issue as other documentaries on discriminatory subjects, not just in sport, have in recent years.

We shall have to wait and see.