WE reported earlier this week that a mainly Muslim football team in a suburb of Paris had reversed its decision not to play gay a gay side.
Their initial refusal was based not on homophobia, they said, but because they disapproved of the name of the team – Paris Foot Gay.
Go figure.
Anyway, the Muslim side – Creteil Bebel – then did a U-turn on their U-turn, and refused for a second time to play PFG in a match scheduled for October 4.
Organisers of the match called foul, and have now thrown the Muslim side out of a local Paris league for its refusal.
The commission’s website declares:
The Creteil Bebel team is excluded from the Leisure Football Commission for refusing a match and (making) discriminatory comments.
The decision was taken at the body’s management committee on Tuesday night, according to this report.
Bebel club lawyer Benedicte Puybasset put out a statement last Saturday denying “homophobia” but stating that PFG’s name:
Does not seem to reflect our vision of sport, which for us is free from any sectarian, ethnic or religious slant.
PFG’s co-founder and current president Pascal Brethes says his club is a haven for all races and also welcomes non-gay players.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
October 16th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Pity. It would have made an interesting game.
Paris Foot Gay have no trouble playing up front, they are always making passes…but I feel they are not as tight at the back as they should be.
Hence the dribbling!
October 16th, 2009 at 8:44 am
"Islamophobia"!!!
October 16th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Dear me!
October 16th, 2009 at 10:43 am
PFG’s name seems to be the problem, all of a sudden! I had no idea there were standards for that, maybe the EU should look into that.
October 16th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
"…does not seem to reflect our vision of sport, which for us is free from any sectarian, ethnic or religious slant."
This from a team which also said "Sorry, but because of the name of your team and in keeping with the principles of the team, which is a team of practising Muslims….. "As a Muslim I still have the right to decide not to play because I don't agree with their philosophy,"
Hypocrites.
October 16th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
How is being gay either a sect, an ethnicity or a religious slant?
Silly me. There I go looking for a rational argument again.