Estimates say that one in 10 of the population is non-heterosexual, yet out of the 2,000 or so professional footballers at the 92 clubs in the top four flights of English football, not one player is openly gay.
It is this incongruous statistic that Chris Chibnall takes as the basis for his exuberant yet ultimately sobering one-man piece about the beautiful game.
Before any personal emotions can be put in the mixer, the footballing terrain needs to be firmly staked out, and the lad Chibnall does great with his depiction of life at a struggling Second Division club.
George, Northbridge Town's beleaguered manager, has been given 100 days to improve the situation by the new chairman, and his aim is a decent cup run. Perhaps teen striker Darren Quinn might be the one to topple mighty Liverpool.
Deka Walmsley's bellowing, tracksuited Geordie George is a wonderfully watchable presence in Gareth Machin's fast-flowing production, bounding around the tiny cross-section of turf and dug-out and painting a colourful word-portrait of his prima donna players and eccentric colleagues.
One illicit kiss later, and both his life and the play's tone change dramatically. Walmsley copes well with this transformation, showing George to be a man of honour, even when he loses everything most precious to him.
All credit to Chibnall for not offering false optimism, even if the writing becomes somewhat ragged under the weight of all the issues belatedly introduced. An important home victory, Brian.
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