Roots Hall racism problems?

[Fish]

I was thinking about racism problems that sometimes pop up at football matches the other day, and I honestly can't remember hearing of any from Southend fans in the 22 years I'e been following the Shrimpers. I know Lewis got some abuse at Chester last year, but that was from opposition fans.

We have always had black players at Southend almost as far as I can remember, certainly since Richard Cadette (the only man to have had a better home debut than Freddy, IMHO).

However, another thing I realised is that I honestly don't remember having seen black or asian Southend fans anywhere. Am I just being unobservant, or do we simply not attract fans from ethinc minorities? If not, why not? It's not like we have a reputation for being racist, either as a club or as supporters.

Any ideas anyone?

 

[Guest]

I've seen a few asian fans, but not that many. Perhaps there's just not a lot of ethnic minorities in Southend?

 

[Guest]

I think there is a black guy that follows southend. not seen him recently...

 

[keefmoon]

I heard some racist chanting at Gillingham the other week (from Blues fans). It suprised me because I never hear it on a large scale. Then I had a think about our fan base, and had a look round at a packed away end and thought that we really don't have many black or asian fans at all.
Interesting.

 

[hexagon_sun]

I've only ever witnessed 1 instance of racism at a football match (in over 20 years) and that was at Southend v Orient at Roots Hall last season. Some bloke behind me started a very unsavoury chant aimed at the ethnic population of Leyton - it was right at the end of the game and with no stewards in sight, it went unchallenged.

So no, we don't have a particular problem with racist fans but isolated cretins are definitely out there.

 

[keefmoon]

Quote[/b] (shrimp_on_the_wing2003 @ Nov. 08 2005,11:45)]I think there is a black guy that follows southend. not seen him recently...

Lol
That should balance it up!

 

[Guest]

Quote[/b] (keefmoon @ Nov. 08 2005,11:49)]

Quote[/b] (shrimp_on_the_wing2003 @ Nov. 08 2005,11:45)]I think there is a black guy that follows southend. not seen him recently...

Lol
That should balance it up!

Defo

 

[C C Csiders]

I really do think that the outrageous monkey chant started at Southend back in 1974 or 1975 at a game vs. Grimsby Town 9 (we won 5-2). Grimsby made a substitution and the player replaced was subbed by a black player (I'm afraid I don't know his name). Anyway, as he ran onto the pitch a 'fan' in the West Stand, where I was stood, shouted "who's that the funky gibbon". Those of you that remember The Goodies song of the day "The Funky Gibbon" will remember the lyric "Do, do, do the funky gibbon. We are here to show you how. Oooh, oooh, oooh, ooh" As a result with every touch he was met with the monkey chant.

Then there was the Watford 2nd round Cup replay in 1978 when Keith Cassells of Watford, was disgustingly barracked by a llot of the crowd. The then Chaiirman Frank Walton was forced to come on the pitch at half-time to ask that it stopped. Unfortunately, Walton appealed to the crowd to give "Watford's #11 a 'fair crack of the whip'"

Cassells was substituted at half-time..

 

[shrimperman]

the only time ive ever seen it was also at an orient match probably 2/3 seasons back. it was a tuesday evening game and as we just left the ground and got in the tube station there was some asian orient fans on the other side of the platform singing orient songs so some southend fans started singing the national anthem! to be honest it was quite funny at the time, even orient fans started to join in but thinking back on it, i cant imagine how these asians must have felt.

 

[Kris]

Fans from ethnic backgrounds are conspicuous by their absence at pretty much every football ground in the country, really, so we're certainly not unique.

I have seen a few Asians at Roots Hall, though. There's an Asian woman and child who sit in the South Upper (I think), and there's that Asian-Welsh chap (Shadwell?), who I think is reasonably well known. I've also seen a couple of attractive young oriental women at the Hall on a few occasions.

After that I'm struggling!

 

[Uncle Leo]

I found it ironic that on the 'Kick Racism Out Of Football' Day (home to Barnsley last month), several children walked around the perimeter of the pitch with a 'Kick Racism Out Of Football' banner and all of them were white.

As for what I've heard from Southend fans, there's been a fair few choice comments over the years, including references to Bart Griemink as a 'Dutch c%&t' and a Hull player being called a 'dirty black c%&t'.

There's also a sikh linesman/ref who gets a harder time than most and I'm sure it's not 100% to do with his suspect decisions.

That I can remember them does, I suppose, show that they are exceptions rather than the rule. Even so, one racist chant is one racist chant too many.

 

[shrimperman]

Quote[/b] (Kris @ Nov. 08 2005,12:12)]I've also seen a couple of attractive young oriental women at the Hall on a few occasions.

where do you sit?

 

[pickledseal]

a friend of mine sits in east stand and says there is a bloke near him who is consistantly racist

never heard any in west stand tho

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (Uxbridge Shrimper @ Nov. 08 2005,12:23)]There's also a sikh linesman/ref who gets a harder time than most and I'm sure it's not 100% to do with his suspect decisions.

But then again so did the spina-biffida lineo who was on the league list a few years back. Is the Hall disableist as well as racist then

 

[Southendsleeper]

Quote[/b] (pickledseal @ Nov. 08 2005,12:35)]a friend of mine sits in east stand and says there is a bloke near him who is consistantly racist

never heard any in west stand tho

I've never heard any from the west stand either

 

[J]

Quote[/b] (Whatever @ Nov. 08 2005,11:44)]I've seen a few asian fans, but not that many. Perhaps there's just not a lot of ethnic minorities in Southend?

good point, but ill think you find we are a very diverse town

 

[C'mon you Blues]

I've heard a few rascist comments over the years. Away in the cup against Chesterfield springs to mind. One of the stone island mob said something, I can't remember what and a fellow fan went mental told him to shut it or he's have him out. Remarkably there was not a further peak out of the rascist fan. I think if there's a fan in the East who makes racist comments then this is the sort of thing that should be reported to the stewards who must eject him.

 

[pickledseal]

i think football now transcends the classes in this country - ie not just the working classes go on a saturday - well at most Premier$hite grounds they couldn't afford to go, or swindon ;)

i'm not sure it has fully transcended the differenent nationalities and cultural backgrounds yet tho

i tried to explain to an asian friend about how as much as i love going to see southend winning and being generally great at the moment, if they all of a sudden started loosing and being sh!t (like the old days) i would still be there. he REALLY didn't get it.

Maybe thats the difference,
of maybe thats a huge generalisation ;)

i guess more of us that have been brought up on generation after generation of football from our dads understand this notion tho!

 

[Uncle Leo]

Quote[/b] (glasgowsufc @ Nov. 08 2005,12:36)]But then again so did the spina-biffida lineo who was on the league list a few years back.  Is the Hall disableist as well as racist then  

Well strictly speaking, yes.

I remember up at kidderminster once the ref being berated for being black despite more than half of our side at the time also being black

 

[Firestorm]

South Upper
Luton in the cup a couple of seasons ago Racist (anti Muslim) chants made at Luton fans Stewards informed and did nothing, some fans then decided to address the matter themselves and once that got a bit heated the setwards then stepped in

Huddersfield and Oldham this season Anti muslim chants

Basically anywhere with a high muslim population prompts a number of shouts and attempted chants referring to Al Queda etc and anywhere within a 100 mile radius of where the 7/7 suicide bombers lived gets tarred with the same brush as well.

There is also the constant use of a derogatory (although somewhat obscure) rhyming slang term as well. It is so obscure that I doubt if whoever it is aimed at would even know it was (if they heard it) but as , when it was first used it was loudly explained to all and sundry how it was "invented" , those who can hear it know exactly what is meant by it.

Not the mass racist chanting type of problem but offensive enough for those of us in earshot .