Nigerian Football

21 YEARS AFTER, JOHN FASHANU OPENS UP ON HIS BROTHER JUSTIN’S DEATH BY SUICIDE

Published

6 years ago

March 18, 2019

The year was 1988 and John Fashanu was in his element.

The Wimbledon centre forward was in the glitzy Dorchester Hotel, celebrating with his team-mates after their astonishing victory in the FA Cup.

The win over Liverpool that day was one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition and the celebrations were in full swing.

But then things turned ugly. Fashanu went to the bathroom, where a group of players were laughing and joking about the fact that his brother Justin was gay.

John says: ‘At that time, anybody saying my brother was gay was reason to fight them. Now you wouldn’t think twice about it. But then it was an insult to my family name. One of my brothers was gay. Are you mad?’

Ten years later Justin, the first £1million black footballer — and first openly gay professional — killed himself, a victim of racism and homophobia. He hanged himself in a deserted garage after being wrongly accused of sexual assault.

‘It was a horrible day,’ adds John, who was a year younger than his brother. ‘While Justin wrestled with a number of personal demons in his life, it is clear that issues around his sexuality were at the heart of his problems.

**Fashanu was the first £1 million black footballer, and the first player to come out as openly gay**

‘There is no question that the prejudice he encountered in his professional life as a top-flight footballer for club and country blighted his career and led eventually to his death. It is a sad reflection of the continuing issues that surround professional football that, 20 years after Justin’s death, there is not a single openly gay footballer in the Premier League.

‘This is a situation that defies logic and underlines the fact that, 20 years after Justin’s death, it is still not considered advisable to be openly gay.’

John now regrets that he was part of the culture that condemned his brother to death. And, in a total volte-face, he now is urging other gay players to ‘come out’ and change the face of the sport.

He and his oldest daughter Amal, a 29-year-old TV presenter and bag designer, are launching a foundation on April 1 in an attempt to stamp out homophobia in football and increase the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender players (LGBT) in the sport.

Backed by the Professional Footballers Association and FIFA, the Justin Fashanu Foundation will collaborate with the professional bodies in organising fundraisers and raising sponsorship in a bid to eliminate prejudice in the sport.

While John will be the figurehead of the organisation, Amal is planning to organise workshops in schools and clubs at grassroots level to educate our future footballers about the negative effect of homophobia in sport.

‘Our mission is to confront discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in football at all levels and empower them to participate without regard to their sexuality,’ says John. ‘We want to ensure that professional footballers can be open about their sexuality without the fear of public disapproval or professional disadvantage.

‘Thirty years ago, when I was at my peak playing football, the climate wasn’t conducive for anybody to come out. It wasn’t conducive for anyone to say they were bisexual, homosexual, LGBT.

**John (left) expresses regret at how he dealt with his brother when he came out as gay**

‘But times have changed. The reaction has been overwhelming. It has been amazing. It’s almost like people are saying now: “Please come out. Have a free spirit. Have a free will. Be who you are”. There are a lot of people we hope to inspire to be free to come out and nobody will persecute them as I did with my brother many years ago.’

Fashanu, 56, readily admits that he acted like a ‘monster’ towards his brother after discovering he was homosexual in 1990. Initially, he did not believe the gossip that Justin was gay but, after his brother confirmed the rumours, he paid him £75,000 to keep quiet.

Later, when Justin came out in The Sun under the headline ‘£1million Football Star: I am Gay,’ he felt betrayed. Eight days later, he hit back, doing an interview with The Voice, saying: ‘My Gay Brother is an Outcast’.

‘Initially I didn’t believe him,’ says Fashanu, who now runs a Sports Academy in Nigeria. ‘When I confronted him and he said he was gay, I just thought he was doing it for attention.

‘Of course you’re gay,’ I thought. ‘Stop showing off. You’re trying to take my glory. You’re not going to do it. I’m the No1 footballer, I’ve taken your position, I’m now in the Premiership and playing for England. You’re now smoking out, having injuries and you just want to take my platform’.

That was what I was thinking. So I said: ‘Here, I’m going to give you £75,000 on the condition that you stop telling everybody you’re gay because no one cares’.

‘I then put him in a beautiful hotel in central London and asked my then manager to keep him there for a few weeks to calm him down. Little did I realise that he was gay too and sympathised with Justin. They colluded together and came up with the front-page story in the Sun.

‘I was livid. I thought he was a scam artist, taking money from me and taking money from the newspaper. I couldn’t understand then — although I can now — why he thought it was necessary to tell all and sundry that he was a homosexual. After all, I’m a heterosexual but I don’t go around singing that I’m a heterosexual.

‘Now I see the frustration and confusion he must have been going through. He must have just wanted to bare his soul. But homophobia was the rage then. You couldn’t even say the word homosexuality 30 years ago. My immediate thought was to protect my siblings, protect my mother and father and protect my loved ones around me.’

John, who scored 134 league goals in almost 400 games at Wimbledon and four other clubs, believes it was sibling rivalry that tore the brothers apart.

**John felt Justin was trying to steal his thunder, and then believed he was looking for attention**

Just 19 months separated them in age, they were extremely close as children, after being sent to a Barnardo’s home when their parents Pearl Gopal, a nurse from British Guyana, and Patrick Fashanu, a Nigerian barrister, split up. They were later fostered by Alf and Betty Jackson, who lived in Shropham in Norfolk.

But when Justin was capped by England at Under-21 level, their circumstances changed. While he had money in his pocket, his brother was still trying to make his way. It would be another six years before John joined Wimbledon and their roles reversed. By then his brother’s career was on the wane.

‘I think it was sibling rivalry,’ he says. ‘And then you add the football, you add the showbiz, you add the celebrity, you add the money. Oh my goodness. That made the relationship quite toxic.

‘Money is a very powerful influencer when you don’t have any. I can remember going to my foster parents house and going through Justin’s numerous suits, looking for money in the pockets because I was broke.

‘I wouldn’t say I was jealous of him — I was happy for his success — but I felt annoyed that he wasn’t supporting me. I was very cross because he had a lot of money and wouldn’t give me any.

‘With the benefit of hindsight, I think he wanted me to learn the hard way. He would say: “You are not going to be a freeloader, John. You are not going to sponge off me. You will work for your money”. But at the time I couldn’t see it. I thought he was a meanie pants. Now, 30 years later, I say: “Thank you so much for assisting me to understand you have to work for your own money”.’

But it was very different when the tables were reversed and John became a millionaire. Then Justin would ask him for money and, as the dutiful younger brother, he paid up. ‘I was very generous,’ he says with a laugh.

‘And, of course, I loved him.’ Contrary to reports at the time, the two brothers were not estranged when Justin died. In fact, when Justin fled America after being wrongly accused of sexual assault, he turned to his brother. John last saw him on April 30, 1998, two days before he died.

‘Sometimes we had three months, sometimes it was five months we didn’t speak,’ says John. ‘But we would still pick up the phone and shout abuse at each other, as brothers do. I think I was one of the last people to actually see him. He came to my penthouse in St John’s Wood.

‘The dynamics had changed so quickly, from me not having any money and him being loaded, to me suddenly having crazy money and him having no money at all.’

It was at that time that John had a premonition about his brother.

‘I actually called my mum and said that I think Justin is going to take his life,’ he says. I saw the narrative. I saw that he was looking like a man on some sort of downward spiral.

‘I think he was lost. I think he was defeated. I thought: “This is not good. I think Justin is going to do something silly”.’

It was two days later, on May 2, when John and his second wife Melissa were christening their oldest son Amir, now 21, that his brother hanged himself in a deserted garage. The couple have two other children Akim, 19, and Alana, 14, and John has another two with his third wife Dolapo, Alik, 15, and Alisa, 11.

‘My then wife and I were arguing over whether to christen him Amir Justin Fashanu,’ he says. ‘I was refusing because he had caused me so much stress. Just as I changed my mind, there was a knock at the door. I opened the door and there were two police officers. They said: “Is that John Fashanu? We have bad news to tell you. Your brother has passed away.” I said: “What do you mean? He’s dead?”

John and his daughter Amal are launching a foundation to tackle homophobia in football

It was so traumatic. I thought it was some sort of horrible joke gone wrong. The challenge was how do we tell my mother Pearl, who was already not very well. She had cancer and we all knew telling her would kill her and we were right.

‘We drove to her house but didn’t say anything. She just looked at us and burst into tears and said: “I know he’s dead”. Then literally on Justin’s birthday the following year, she passed away.’

It is now more than 20 years since his brother’s death and John, who is building a John Fashanu housing estate in Nigeria, for sportsmen and women, has moved with the times. ‘I’m sad that I wasn’t able to communicate better with Justin and a lot more often,’ he adds.

‘Communication stops wars. But life is too short for regrets. What we couldn’t see many years ago, we can now see.

‘We cannot go back and change the narrative but we can move forward and make changes for the future. Hopefully, our foundation will be a major stepping stone to change.

‘Justin was a wonderful brother and achieved so many goals: he was a great athlete, the first black £1m footballer, had the best goal of the year — which was an amazing goal — and bigger than all of those accolades, he was my brother.

‘He propelled me into the limelight: a high percentage of my achievements in this world have been because of him. Not only was I able to film the biggest television show in the world for 13 years, Gladiators, but I won the FA Cup in 1988 with Wimbledon, the Crazy Gang.

‘All my achievements were phenomenal. And they wouldn’t have happened without Justin.’

Nigerian Football

Rivers flow to the top

Published

16 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Rivers United have returned to winning ways after a winless streak of three matches. A 58th-minute penalty kick converted by Ndifreke Effiong saved Rivers United from a possible winless effort as they beat visiting Abia Warriors 1-0 in Port Harcourt.

The win was a big boost that was given a fillip by a corresponding loss by initial table-toppers, Remo Stars who lost 2-0 away to Katsina United.

Rivers United with 25 points thus climbed up the ladder as Remo Stars remain with 23 points as second on the log.

Remo Stars losing steam crumbled 2-0 at Katsina United. After a goalless first half, Azeez Falolu secured the opening goal for the hosts in the 50^th minute with a close drive that beat stand-in captain, Kayode Bankole to the goal.

Dawi Boslam doubled the lead in the 68^th minute and all efforts by the visitors to peg the score were checked by the hosts who were in firm control of the match.

Plateau United pushed neighbours, Nasarawa United down the cliff, winning 2-0. An own goal by Nasarawa United’s Shina Kumater in the 49th minute was further compounded with Olawale Doyeni’s second goal in the 81st minute.

In Ibadan, Shooting Stars returned the winning ways with a lone goal win against visiting Bayelsa United at the Lekan Salami Stadium.

Anthony Okachi’s 16th-minute goal decided the encounter and lifted the Oluyole Warriors to the ninth position on the log.

The Ibadan team now has 18 points, just seven below the table-toppers, Rivers United.

On Saturday, embattled Insurance of Benin may have commenced their resurgence following a 3-1 win at home against Kwara United of Ilorin.

Two goals from Nazir Mohammed in the 18^th and 29^th minute had put the host in the lead after Emmanuel Ogbole had an equaliser in the 23^rd minute and Austin Ogunye put the tie beyond the visitors with third goal in the 84^th minute.

The win however still left the Insurance in the relegation zone with 12 points and languishing in the 19^th position.

El Kanemi Warriors were a lone goal better than visiting Akwa United. The lone goal was scored Ibrahim Mustapha who converted a penalty in the 17^th minute.

The win pushed El Kanemi into third position while Akwa United are with 12 points and in the 18^th position on the log.

Coach Emmanuel Amuneke continues his cruise with Heartland FC with a draw at home against defending champions, Enugu Rangers. The result dropped the Red Antelopes into fifth position with 20 points while the Naze Warriors maintained their 11^th position but now with 17 points.

Lobi stars and Kano Pillars shared the spoils in an entertaining 2-2 scoreline.

The host had shot into the lead in the 7^th minute through Ahmad Liman and Martin Ossy made it two in the 14^th minute but veteran Kano Pillars defender, Rabiu Ali pegged the score line in the 76^th minute while Umar Shehu scored the equaliser in the 77^th minute.

In Minna, Ikorodu City also continued their impressive run after a poor start as they forced host, Niger Tornadoes to a goalless draw.

RESULTS

Rivers Utd 1-0 Abia Warriors

Katsina Utd 2-0 Remo Stars

Plateau United 2-0 Nasarawa Utd

El Kanemi 1-0 Akwa Utd

Shooting Stars 1-0 Bayelsa Utd

Insurance 3-1 Kwara Utd

Heartland 0-0 Rangers

Lobi Stars 2-2 Kano Pillars

Tornadoes 0-0 Ikorodu City

Nigerian Football

Ashleigh Plumptre makes Super Falcons return as Madugu unveils his list for France friendly match

Published

16 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Ashleigh Plumptre

Head Coach Justine Madugu has called up CAF Awards nominee, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defenders Osinachi Ohale and Ashleigh Plumptre, midfielders Christy Ucheibe and Jennifer Echegini, and forwards Gift Monday and Rinsola Babajide among a list of 20 players for Saturday’s international friendly match against the Les Bleues of France.

US-based defender Michelle Alozie, Turkey-based Oluwatosin Demehin, midfielder Adoo Yina and forwards Mercy Omokwo and Ifeoma Onumonu are also invited to the encounter scheduled for the Stade Raymond Kopa in the city of Angers, with kick-off set for 9.30pm France time.

Midfield lubricator Toni Payne, now with Everton Ladies in England, as well as Rofiat Imuran and Shukurat Oladipo – who both starred for the Falconets at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia in September – will also fly to France for the big match.

Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, who is also a CAF Awards nominee, is out as a result of injury.

While the Bleues are happy to take the game as part of their preparations for the League of Nations in the spring and the 2025 UEFA Euro Women Championship in Switzerland in the summer, the Falcons will welcome the encounter as part of the process for blooding a new squad, as well as another test ahead of the 2025 Women Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco next summer.

Already pitched with Tunisia, Algeria and Botswana in Group B of the Africa Cup final tournament, Madugu will be grateful for the stern test that the Les Bleues will provide for his nine-time African champions in Angers.

All the invited players will fly directly to France for the match, to be joined by the coaching crew and backroom staff.

SUPER FALCONS FOR LES BLEUES CHALLENGE:

Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Anderline Mgbechi (Rivers Angels); Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)

Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Ashleigh Plumptre (Ittihad Ladies, Saudi Arabia); Rofiat Imuran (London City Lioness, England); Sikiratu Isah (Nasarawa Amazons); Oluwatosin Demehin (Galatasaray Sportive, Turkey)

Midfielders: Jennifer Echegini (Paris Saint Germain, France); Toni Payne (Everton Ladies, England); Josephine Mathias (Nasarawa Amazons); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal); Shukurat Oladipo (FC Robo Queens); Adoo Yina (Nasarawa Amazons)

Forwards: Blessing Nkor (Pyramids FC, Egypt); Gift Monday (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa (Spain); Ifeoma Onumonu (Montpellier FC, France); Omorinsola Babajide (Coasta Adeje Tenerife Egatesa (Spain); Mercy Omokwo (Bayelsa Queens) Head Coach Justine Madugu has called up CAF Awards nominee, goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defenders Osinachi Ohale and Ashleigh Plumptre, midfielders Christy Ucheibe and Jennifer Echegini, and forwards Gift Monday and Rinsola Babajide among a list of 20 players for Saturday’s international friendly match against the Les Bleues of France.

Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, who is also a CAF Awards nominee, is out as a result of injury.

All the invited players will fly directly to France for the match, to be joined by the coaching crew and backroom staff.

SUPER FALCONS FOR LES BLEUES CHALLENGE:

Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Anderline Mgbechi (Rivers Angels); Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)

Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, who is also a CAF Awards nominee, is out as a result of injury.

All the invited players will fly directly to France for the match, to be joined by the coaching crew and backroom staff.

SUPER FALCONS FOR LES BLEUES CHALLENGE:

Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, France); Anderline Mgbechi (Rivers Angels); Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)

Nigerian Football

Amazing! Two Nigerian legendary left-wingers, Owolabi and Adokie share the same birthday

Published

18 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Nigeria’s legendary left winger, Felix Owolabi Akinloye celebrates his 70th birthday this Sunday 24 November 2024 the same day another legend of the same generation, Adokiye Amiesimaka clocks 68.

The duo don’t only share birthday dates, there are other striking similarities. They were left-wingers in the national team.

They attended the same institution, the University of Lagos, making them good examples of sportsmen who also combined their prowess with academic excellence. Both made their debut in matches involving the Republic of Benin.

Amiesimaka debuted against Benin on 14 February 1977. Owolabi made his first international match against Benin on 14 January 1978. Nigeria won both matches by 7-0.

Amiesimaka was a successor to fast-playing Kunle Awesu, another November birthday celebrant who incidentally attended CMS Grammar School, Bariga in Lagos.

Both later became lawyers. Amiesimaka may not have been as fast as Awesu who is now deceased, he was more mesmerising on the left wing.

That often delighted the crowd. For his skills, Amiesimaka was aptly nicknamed ‘Chief Justice’ by the inimitable radio commentator, Ernest Okonkwo.

His switching of positions on the field and long throw-ins were amazing.