Homophobia in English Premier League football – also known as “soccer” – is apparently not very high on the priority list for some of the sport’s elite. Many of the Professional Footballers’ Association’s biggest stars were reportedly not prepared to appear in a gay awareness video campaign.

PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor defended the players, telling the British newspaper the Independent:

“Everybody assumes footballers are full of confidence, but it is not easy on issues like this. Remember there was a time when even black players did not feel they could talk about race.”

He added on the PFA’s website: “The PFA are proud of our work in the field of anti-racism demonstrating that in football we are all united regardless of race, colour or creed.

“The English game is a beacon of diversity with players from many backgrounds, countries and continents demonstrating their skills on the field of play. It is unacceptable for them to be subjected to abusive chanting be it racist or homophobic whilst they play.

“It is vital that we continue to work towards eradicating all forms of discrimination including homophobia. I applaud the ongoing work in this area.”

The Independent claimed this week that the PFA was actually unable to persuade athletes to take part.

The newspaper reports that players feared being ridiculed by both opposition players and supporters for appearing in the video, and being subjected to taunts and chants.

The Football Association eventually produced a generic “viral” anti-homophobic video at the start of this week but now that has been pulled pending a full review of the entire campaign.

This bit of news is especially noteworthy in the highly popular realm of English sports, a fanatical bubble which was recently thrown a headshot when Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas came out as being gay.

From BBC Sports:

It is a macho environment and this particular issue will take time and consideration because it can get very emotional.

Taylor said that the PFA had not been approached by any gay footballers.

PR consultant Max Clifford told the BBC earlier this week that three top players – two bisexual and one gay – had come to him amid fears about their sexuality and the effect coming out would have on their careers.

A generic viral video for the campaign was supposed to be released Thursday. You can view it here (contains offensive language).