Scottish referee Craig Napier

The referee came out publicly as gay and has received overwhelming support.

The announcement was made via the Scottish FA by the two officials.

He said the response had been great. The ripples are moving.

It has been global. I've received messages of support from many places. The support has been great.

Many of my refereeing colleagues already knew and their continued support has been great.

TheReferees usually panic when their social media is full of fans, but all of the messages have been positive All of the direct messages to me have been positive even though there are some negative comments here and there.

Chief executives have been in touch with players as well. The people want to make football safe for everyone.

'It's really important in terms of visibility'

The process has been about trying to make a difference and not about me specifically.

"I started this journey of telling someone when I was 18 and it took me until 30 to have these open conversations," he said.

Society has changed a lot in the last decade. I remember when I was a referee, I thought I would have no chance of progressing if I let anyone know.

I wish I'd done it sooner, but I think it's the right time to add to the voices that have already left. In terms of visibility, it's very important.

People who have walked away from playing or refereeing because they were scared of being found out have received some heart-warming messages.

We should get to a place when this isn't news. It needs to be an organic process. The players bring their girlfriends, wives and kids onto the field for end of season celebrations. I want people to know a player's sexuality because they bring along their husband or boyfriend, or fans see partners together on social media.

That's not going to happen until people are visible. I would ask those who don't want to be patient to give us their support so others feel more comfortable.