Lower league football clubs can benefit financially from signing openly gay player according to professor

Football clubs lower down the pyramid could benefit from signing an openly gay player, according to a football finance expert.

Despite a recent BBC survey suggesting eight per cent of fans would boycott their team if they were to sign a homosexual footballer, Professor Tom Cannon from the University of Liverpool believes extra support would be found in the LGBT community.

The Radio 5 Live research, carried out by ComRes, questioned more than 4,000 people on the subject of homophobia in football after Football Association chairman Greg Clarke said last week he was "cautious" of encouraging a player to come out as gay.

While a drop in attendances could come after eight per cent of those questioned said they would not go to watch their team if they signed a gay player, Cannon insists the goodwill from the gay community would more than make up for those stay-away fans.

Asked by Press Association Sport if clubs could actually see an increase in finance through ticket sales and merchandising if they were to sign a gay player, Cannon replied: "Absolutely.

"Given the situation, we have seen it in America in American football when a player comes out as gay, there is suddenly more interest from the gay and lesbian community, the LGBT community as a whole.

"The evidence in America is that the gay community want to support anyone who comes out in that way, if you are a lower division team I think you are more likely to gain than lose.

"We know it has happened with the black community, the Asian community, the Chinese community. Once somebody takes the first step, you realise the clubs and supporters embrace it."