Who was Justin Fashanu? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Justinus Soni Fashanu

Died At Age: 37

Family:

father: Patrick Fashnu

mother: Pearl Gopal

siblings: John Fashanu

Born Country: England

Football Players Black Sportspersons

Height: 6'1" (185 cm), 6'1" Males

Died on: May 2, 1998

place of death: Shoreditch, London, England

Cause of Death: Suicide

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Career

Justin Fashanu gained popularity after he reached two national finals as a boxer, when he was a teenager. He soon also made progress in the football team of Norwich City, playing as central striker. He also won the BBC Goal of the Season award, after he scored an impressive goal against Liverpool. He appeared in a total of 103 senior games for the team, and scored 40 goals.

He joined Nottingham Forest in 1981, for a transfer fee of £ 1 million. However, his performance with the team was quite poor, and he endured verbal abuse from the club`s manager Brian Clough. For some time, he played for the Southampton FC, on loan. Later, he was transferred to the Notts County FC in 1982. The next year, he suffered an unfortunate knee injury and wasn’t able to play the same way again. He went to the US, for a surgery and began playing again, first with Los Angeles Heat. He went to Canada as well and played with the Edmonton Brickmen and the Hamilton Steelers.

In 1989, he made attempts to revive his career after returning to England, and joined Manchester City. Less than a month later, he moved to West Ham United. He played for multiple other British clubs, though for very short times.

In 1993, he began playing for the Trelleborg football club, but shortly after, he joined Heart of Midlothian, but he got his contract terminated, due to ‘unprofessional conduct’. Later, he moved to Atlanta Ruckus. However, they suspended him due to his failure to comply with the terms of his contract. In 1997, Fashanu joined Miramar Rangers in New Zealand.

After some time, he moved to Ellicott City, in Maryland, and began coaching the Maryland Mania, a professional team in the USL A-League`s second division. However, after some time, he announced his official retirement.

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Personal Life

Justin Fashanu was born on 19 February 1961 to a Nigerian barrister and a Guyanese nurse named Pearl. His parents split up when he was still a child, and along with his brother John, he grew up in a charity home that cared for children.

Justin Fashanu was the first footballer to come out openly as a homosexual.

In March 1998, a seventeen-year-old accused him of sexual assault in Fashanu`s apartment. Homosexual acts were illegal at the time in Maryland, and the youth also stated that it was non-consensual. The police charged him second-degree sexual assault, but he had already fled to England, when the police arrived at his apartment.

His body was found on 3 May 1998 in a deserted garage in Fairchild Place, London. He left a suicide note stating that the charges were false, and the sex was consensual. He added that he fled to England as he felt that due to his sexuality, he wouldn’t get a fair trial.

His remains were cremated and a ceremony was also held at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium.

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