Craig Napier and Lloyd Wilson become first Scottish referees to come out as gay

Two Category One referees have become the first Scottish officials to come out publicly as gay.

Craig Napier was first to go public in a video released by the SFA on Thursday morning.

And Dumfries-born Lloyd Wilson reached a decision to follow suit after Australian Josh Cavallo and Blackpool forward Jake Daniels ended decades of silence within the professional game by speaking out on their sexuality.

‘It’s something I never thought I would be sitting here doing,’ said Napier. ‘It has been a long and difficult journey to get to this point, but over the last couple of years it has become a lot easier and it is really important that people like me are willing to sit here and do it.

‘I don’t think this needs to be a news story. But at the minute it really does, because we need to see the climate change so that people feel they really can be their true selves and live happily and comfortably in their own skin. And that needs to transcend into football.

‘It has been really inspiring to see what has happened recently with Josh Cavallo and Jake Daniels more recently. And I think many people will take inspiration from that.’

Craig Napier has become the first elite Scottish referee to come out as gay on Thursday

Another Scottish official, Lloyd Wilson, then followed Napier by also coming out

One of the game’s up and coming officials Wilson has handled a number of lower league, cup and play-off games and served as a fourth official in the SPFL Premiership.

Admitting he was tired of ‘living a lie’ the 31-year-old used an emotional interview to call on others to speak up in order to shatter the taboo surrounding the subject in British football and beyond.

‘This has been a horrific journey to be honest. A journey of maybe about 17 years of living a life that I didn’t want to live, living a lie. 

‘Living the way that other people wanted me to live, or that I thought other people wanted me to live. Probably directed and dictated in many ways by football.

‘The biggest worry for me was being judged differently from my colleagues who are not gay.

‘I suppose being judged by fans for who I am off the field rather than who I am on it.

‘At the end of the day I am a referee. I will get things right and I will get many things wrong, we all do because it’s the nature of the job.

‘But I want to be judged for the decisions I make on the pitch and not those that I make off.

‘I feel doing this interview, that I must say I am petrified about, is absolutely crucial for not just my colleagues, but also my colleagues who are players and suffering this same battle and journey that I have suffered.’

Blackpool footballer Jake Daniels became the first British professional player to come out since 1990 earlier this year

Wilson decided to go public after a conversation with Libby Emerson, Chief Executive of football mental health organisation Back Onside, at a football game six months ago.

Ryan Atkin was the first professional English football referee to come out as gay in 2017, paving the way for James Adcock and Northern Irish official Ryan Hanna to find the courage to speak up.

In an emotional interview to be released online by Back Onside Wilson adds: ‘I think that lots of other sports have managed to make this not even a subject that I should be talking about.

‘I know people will watch this today and say, ‘why is this even news? Why are you even talking about this?

‘I am talking about this because I know that there are people out there watching the game, working in clubs, playing the game, refereeing, who are continuing to live in a way that they don’t want to live.

‘Why is it still taboo? I think fans have a big influence on how people are made to feel on the pitch and I think we need to get better at talking about it and making it less of a scary subject.

17-year-old Daniels is the only active openly gay male professional player in Britain

‘I certainly know that when I was living a lie, so to speak, I was one of the worst for deflecting and becoming part of dressing room banter where you would use gay as a way of having banter.

‘But I would do that because the limelight wasn’t on me and I know that’s what a lot of boys do today.

‘I think only people who are living what I have lived will sit there and watch this and say, ‘oh my God, that’s how I feel.’

Happily settled with a partner for the last year Lloyd broke the news to relatives and friends 18 months ago and would have done it sooner but for his career in professional football.

‘When I shared it with those closest to me it was an emotional situation, it was really difficult.

‘I am quite relieved today, but at that point I thought, ‘my life is over.’

Adelaide United player Josh Cavallo came out as gay – one of the first in world football

‘It felt so scary that I can’t even remember doing it to be honest.

‘I felt really really worried and petrified of rejection.

‘Not from my own family, more from those around me.

‘But I think football contributed quite significantly to that feeling that emotion.

‘Had I not been involved in football I don’t think it would have taken me anywhere near as long.

‘What I will say is that I have never had a negative comment since sharing it with these around me.

‘On my social media I will now post pictures of Hamish, who I have been with for around a year.

‘And I do it confidently, I do it happily, I am proud to do it.

‘I feel I have a responsibility to speak for boys who are living what I’ve lived.

‘What I would say is that since I overcame that life has been easier, far less stressful.

Napier takes charge of the League One match between Cove Rangers and Alloa in April

‘There have been some really really dark days. Very lonely days even when I had people around me.’

Adelaide United’s Cavallo was targeted with homophobic abuse during an A-League game against Melbourne Victory in January. Admitting he could come in for attention after going public Wilson has asked for the understanding and support of the Scottish football community.

‘It’s important to point out that Josh (Cavallo) and Jake (Daniels) had significant support from the football community and I actually am really confident that Scottish football and Scottish fans will absolutely support me in doing and support anyone in Scottish football who feels the need to do this.

‘We can’t normalise this yet because we need those in the game, supporting the game to normalise it. However, I am confident that fans in Scotland will.

‘I am not naive enough to sit here today and think there might not be a comment made towards me in my first game back whenever that may be.

‘But I think if you compare the environment to when Justin Fashanu came to Scotland in 1990 the culture is far more fit for purpose. People are becoming more understanding and starting to say, ‘why is this a news story?’

‘So if I or others were to be homophobically abused…I think the stronger personalities and the people who don’t agree with that in Scottish football will call it out.’

Libby Emmerson Founder of Back Onside Mental Health Charity paid tribute to Lloyd for his courage in speaking out telling Sportsmail: ‘As a prominent mental health charity who work closely within the sports industry and the general public. 

‘I believe it is our duty of care to ensure that everybody’s voice is heard. We are proud that Lloyd Wilson trusted Back Onside to help with his Mental Health and share his story with the wider football community’