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Search forLong Ashton footballers reveal all for TV sex show
Thursday, September 11, 2008, 11:00
Players from the club’s first team bravely dropped their footy shorts for Channel 4’s The Sex Education Show, a six-part series exploring everything from the sex lives of teenagers and the worries of peer pressure to pornography, the question of abortion and sexual disease.
The series, presented by journalist Anna Richardson and produced by Big Brother creator Endemol, will follow the Long Ashton players over the next few weeks, dealing with issues such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and fertility.
In the first episode, which was watched by 3.3 million viewers on Tuesday night, the eight lads gamely ventured into the club’s changing rooms to have their tackle measured as part of a lesson on the correct condom size.
Leading the way was Paul Scoones, Long Ashton’s first-team player-manager.
Mr Scoones, a 34-year-old bush technician and landscape gardener from Long Ashton, said the men had a great time filming the series., although a few of those who had signed up early on got cold feet at the last minute and pulled out of filming, and one or two girlfriends put their feet down.
He said: “We got involved through one of the players who has a family member who works for Channel 4. We are always having a good time at the football club, and someone from Endemol came down to chat with us and watch us train, and it went from there.
“We all sat down and watched the first episode together on Tuesday, and it was far better than we thought it was going to be.”
The first chapter of their sexual odyssey was a revelation.
Mr Scoones said: “We all had to measure ourselves and then stand in a line in size order, and the doctor put a condom on a carrot to show the right size and fit.
“Next week’s show will be brilliant, as it is about STIs and fertility tests. We all had STI checks, so we will find out if anyone has any, and they asked how many girls we had slept with and how many times we had used condoms. No one put their hands up.”
Now the lads from Long Ashton are paying the price for their willingness to be filmed for such an expose of their personal lives.
Mr Scoones said: “While we were watching on TV we had loads of text messages from other guys that we play football with, all taking the mickey.
“I am sure when we start losing a few games this season we might get a new nickname for ourselves.”
The show’s executive producer, Colette Foster, said the players had been incredibly supportive of the series and proud to be involved in something that would educate men about sex.
She said: “We were looking for a group of fit, active men the male viewing audience would identify with, and the guys were real sports.
“Not many men are prepared to drop their shorts in the name of television but they agreed to bare all to help us educate men of all ages about sexual health.
“Our aim was to take the fear out of the subject. Our research into the subject found men are very reluctant to talk about their sexual health.
“I don't think the guys were ignorant, it’s just that we’re dealing with a subject that’s not talked about enough.
“I’d say they were fairly typical, but they do know one part of their behaviour shocked us - their casual approach towards condom use.
“We were shocked so few of them used condoms when they are the first line of defence when it comes to preventing pregnancies and STIs. The good news is that we’ve re-educated them.
“The series really is everything you ever wanted to know about sex but were too afraid to ask.”
The next episode will air next Tuesday on Channel 4 at 8pm.
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