LEEDS, England – The English Football Association (FA) has begun research that will look at the causes and remedies of homophobia related to the national pasttime. The reseach will proceed in two stages utilizing two reseachers focusing on interconnected issues.

The areas of research will include ‘Gender and Coaching Study’ and ‘Homophobic bullying in sport, with particular reference to the experience of bi-sexual athletes,’ according to an announcement on the FA website.

“The FA is committed to tackling homophobia in football and is working with two researchers to find out more about the football experiences of people from the gay, lesbian and bi-sexual communities. The objective of the research is to frame future FA policy and activities which will encourage greater involvement in football from these groups.”

The ‘Gender and Coach Study’ research will be consucted by a lecturer and researcher from the Sports Coaching group within the Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education at Leeds Metropolitan University.

“There is a significant absence of women and minority groups within the coaching profession, and their voice in shaping the profession is often unheard. This research is a qualitative, women-centred examination of coaching cultures from the perspective of lesbian coaches from sports in the UK,” reads the notice.

The concurrent research, ‘Homophobic bullying in sport, with particular reference to the experience of bi-sexual athletes,’ will be conducted by a PhD student at Brunel University and is a study on the specific experience of bi-sexual people in sport, within the broader context of homophobic bullying in sport.

“It’s hoped the research will fill the current gap in the literature regarding bi-sexual experience in sporting spheres, where the focus is predominantly on the experience of gay and lesbian people. Research will be qualitative through detailed interviews with bi-sexual athletes, from whom we are interested to hear,” the notice reads.

For American readers, as the photo explains, English football is played with one’s feet, body and head, and without padding or the need to decapitate one’s opponent.