Britain's first openly gay footballer - who enjoyed a spell in Scotland - is to be posthumously inducted into English football’s Hall of Fame.
Justin Fashanu made his name south of the border but also starred for Airdrieonians and Hearts.
The iconic striker, nicknamed Fash, tragically took his own life in 1998 aged 37 - eight years after bravely coming out in a newspaper interview.
Airdrie’s club secretary Ann Marie Ballantyne remembers his time in Lanarkshire fondly.
She said: “Justin was like a whirlwind during his time at the club. After his normal lifestyle in London, I can only imagine what his thoughts were when he arrived in Airdrie.
“He is still held as fondly in the hearts of Airdrie fans now as he was on his debut for the club, which can be demonstrated by a fantastic flag bearing his name which is currently displayed at our games, and the fact that songs about him still ring out among the support.
“Some people make a mark on your life without you realising it, and it is only once they are gone that you appreciate the effect they had.
“As a fan I can say that Justin wore the Diamond with pride, and we were immensely proud to have him in our team.”
Fashanu made his name at Norwich City where he famously scored one of the greatest goals of all-time, a stunning volley against the mighty Liverpool 40 years ago. He went on to play for a number of clubs including Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest before moving to Scotland in the mid 90s.
After revealing his sexuality he received horrific homophobic abuse from opposition fans
His niece Amal, who runs The Justin Fashanu Foundation which highlights issues of homophobia and other forms of discrimination in football, will collect the award at the National Football Museum in Manchester today (Wed) which would have been her uncle’s 59th birthday.
She said: “I guess for Justin this would be a great moment and I think it’s a pivotal moment when we are finally recognising who Justin Fashanu was, not only as the openly gay footballer, but also as a very talented footballer and the first million-pound black player in England.’’
