Shameful! (and I'm not talking about the football)

[rigsby]

Bang on my town Wickford caught a few bombs from German planes im told by senior residents.Some people are far to easily offended these days

Its not there any more but back in the seventies when you were arriving at Wickford from Rayleigh on the train. You could see a propeller mounted in the middle of a field. My granddad told me the story of a German plane that crashed at that spot.

 

[amsemp]

Don't really see how it's that offensive in all honesty. Who will it offend? Nazi's? I'm fine with that.

 

[tia]

Its not there any more but back in the seventies when you were arriving at Wickford from Rayleigh on the train. You could see a propeller mounted in the middle of a field. My granddad told me the story of a German plane that crashed at that spot.

I think there is a memorial still round that area somewhere

 

[rigsby]

This is rubbish. The would drop bombs so the planes would be lighter and they might be able to get away faster.

Are those poor Nazis, they really didn't want to bomb us. They were just trying to escape from some horrible nasty racist little Englanders in their Spitfires. I have heard that as they opened fire on the Germans you could often here them singing something offensive like 'Hitler as only got one ball.....the other is in the Albert Hall'

 

[dannypav]

So because you don't like this group your now going to throw the racism card at them. I loved the fact that when I arrived Saturday I could here signing and banging from outside the ground. Took me back a few years and long may it continue.

As for the song police who now think they have the right to speak on behalf of our veterans you don't so shut up. If your easily offended stay at home on a Saturday and dance round the lounge to your favourite Abba songs including Waterloo, you know the one that celebrates the defeat of Napoleon and the death of lot of Frenchmen.

Can I first suggest that you actually read my posts.
That would be a great start point.
Understanding what I've said....... mmm ...... Give it a go at least.
Where in my 2 posts do I mention racism ?
That is something you have invented to suit your flimsy argument.
What is your point ?
Im a little slow on the up take.

I am not offended by the song choice , more the vast difference between the sheep singing it and the brave men ( including my uncle ) who fought - they are and always will be polar opposites.

As for my musical preferences , I grew up in the punk era , so more of a Pistols and Clash fan ( now those guys could write offensive songs , shame on me for listening ).

I attend every home match and a few away and love to sing along for my team.
If you're part of the group I refer to , maybe you could get me an audition ?
Im a bit older , but I'm sure we could find a compromise that we all enjoy between the bomber song and London Calling !

In conclusion , happy to debate and disagree all day long but don't make things up , it's just not fair.

 

[tia]

This is rubbish. The would drop bombs so the planes would be lighter and they might be able to get away faster.

The bombers had to drop their last bombs before heading home as to dangerous to land carrying any bombs on board so coastal areas in Essex and Kent were sometimes targeted at end of raids

 

[Danshrimper]

Some of you must find it hard to get by day by day, not being bright enough to differentiate between finding something offensive and being offended.

Start by looking up the word empathy and see how you go

Why would anyone want to feel empathy towards Nazis?

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

This is rubbish. The would drop bombs so the planes would be lighter and they might be able to get away faster.

Yes, they would unload all their bombs to get away faster, but also to kill civilians and do damage and spread fear and terror. Ask someone that had to go through this, and maybe you wouldn't feel so bad for the German pilots. Flying over the east of our country back to France and Germany where they were based, they didn't unload their bombs on any vast farmland, they dropped them usually on the last town they flew over. Did the fighter pilot have to stoop down with time on his hands to spray his bullets along Southchurch Road to get away faster?

 

[AndyT]

...favourite Abba songs including Waterloo, you know the one that celebrates the defeat of Napoleon and the death of lot of Frenchmen.

Ah the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.

A travesty. Olivia Newton John's finest performance harshly voted into 4th place, behind the Dutch effort by Mouth & McNeil. Dreadful dirge that was!

Interestingly, the French weren't taking part that year, but Waterloo received Nul Points from Monaco! .. and us, ironically enough!

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I quite like a good discussion/argument BUT this thread is neither. Nor it is amusing-just like the chant typed about, tedious and a bit sad.:blush:

 

[Mr_Shrimp]

Is it acceptable to sing songs that celebrate shooting down Germans? No. There is a definite xenophobic tone involved.

At Luton last season, we had small pockets of our supporters who were chanting 'Our fans are English' at the Luton fans. There is a similar nasty undercurrent to this too. Up until that game I had never heard anything like it in 20 odd years supporting Southend. I hoped it was a one off. The chant I heard on Saturday suggests that it is not. By posting, I was merely trying to highlight this. They are not things I wish to see when I go to the football and I certainly wasn't the only one to take offence.

 

[Jai]

Don't really see how it's that offensive in all honesty. Who will it offend? Nazi's? I'm fine with that.

It trivialises war and death. Neither of which are things to be singing songs about at a football match.

It doesn't offend me, not many things do. I just think less of the people who join in with it.

 

[rigsby]

Is it acceptable to sing songs that celebrate shooting down Germans? No. There is a definite xenophobic tone involved.

At Luton last season, we had small pockets of our supporters who were chanting 'Our fans are English' at the Luton fans. There is a similar nasty undercurrent to this too. Up until that game I had never heard anything like it in 20 odd years supporting Southend. I hoped it was a one off. The chant I heard on Saturday suggests that it is not. By posting, I was merely trying to highlight this. They are not things I wish to see when I go to the football and I certainly wasn't the only one to take offence.

Is it acceptable to allow a production of Shakespeare's Henry V to be performed at the National theatre? No. There is a definite xenophobic tone involved.

To celebrate the death of hundreds of French Knights by archers with longbows is offensive and for that reason I no longer attend the theatre. The lovies who prance about on stage are an embarrassment compared to the heroes who took part in the battle of Agincourt.

 

[ExiledShrimpa]

This is rubbish. The would drop bombs so the planes would be lighter and they might be able to get away faster.

German Bombers would navigate up the Thames to London and reaching London was often the very limit of their fuel supplies, if the weather was bad of they were intercepted / interrupted en route their fuel would run low and they would often jettison their bombs wherever they could before heading back.

The targets where very often London docks and Tilbury docks, my parent both lived in the area and where witness to this.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Southend was a German bomber target in both WW1 and WW2 where each bomb landed was recorded in great detail. They were not always dumped on Southend due to low fuel.
Interesting info here:- http://www.southendtimeline.com/airraids.htm

Also somewhere is a map of every bomb that landed on Southend during WW2. Its clear that Southend was not bombed as much as other major towns and cities but it had its share.

 

[Smudger]

I've not seen anyone else mention this, so I felt the need to post...

We arrived at Bramall Lane to be greeted by a worryingly large number of blues 'supporters' chanting racist nonsense about shooting German bombers down. (This was a large, vocal group collected around the bars inside the ground before kick off.) Did anyone else see this? Absolutely disgusting!

I'm a life long supporter who follows home and away. It's very concerning to see this kind of thing creeping in. (We witnessed a similar thing at Luton last season). Anymore of this and I will be staying away in future.

It's not just banter... it is racist, hostile behaviour which is totally unacceptable!

Yes, I went to a game once and some of our fans were singing that song that starts with "it's nice to know you're here, it's nice to know you're here...." which I thought was a lovely greeting for our away fans who have traveled so far to be with us and enjoy the game.

Then they sang the punchline....quite frankly I was completely appalled by these ruffians.

 

[ExiledShrimpa]

Southend was a German bomber target in both WW1 and WW2 where each bomb landed was recorded in great detail. They were not always dumped on Southend due to low fuel.
Interesting info here:- http://www.southendtimeline.com/airraids.htm

Also somewhere is a map of every bomb that landed on Southend during WW2. Its clear that Southend was not bombed as much as other major towns and cities but it had its share.

Yep agree -however Southend and the area was a secondary target to the docks and port of London on many occasions. Mind you there were troops stationed at Shoebury so they would have been a target also.

Does anyone remember the detonating of a found un-exploded mine off the seafront in the late 80's or early 90s? If made a right noise at about 4-5 in the morning.

Down my road as a kid there was an old WW2 Air Raid Siren which was tested every year for some reason.

 

[DTS]

Yes, I went to a game once and some of our fans were singing that song that starts with "it's nice to know you're here, it's nice to know you're here...." which I thought was a lovely greeting for our away fans who have traveled so far to be with us and enjoy the game.

Then they sang the punchline....quite frankly I was completely appalled by these ruffians.

Was this Swansea away?

I recall sitting next to you when the Swansea fans sung "Your going home in a South Wales ambulance". We looked at each other and thought how kind it was of them to offer us transport all be it we got a lift that day.

Later on the way home I found out this was meant to be a threat against our person. As you can imagine I was deeply offended and I wrote to the FA (English and Welsh) the club, the home office and Thompson's holidays demanding an investigation. Needless to say all wrote back and found Swansea were not to blame. Typical in-house cover up. Still mad about this now.

 

[DTS]

Is it acceptable to allow a production of Shakespeare's Henry V to be performed at the National theatre? No. There is a definite xenophobic tone involved.

To celebrate the death of hundreds of French Knights by archers with longbows is offensive and for that reason I no longer attend the theatre. The lovies who prance about on stage are an embarrassment compared to the heroes who took part in the battle of Agincourt.

I find this massively offensive. Its the reason why I have never read the works of Shakespear.

 

[C C Csiders]

I was offended every morning when I woke up and saw my wife. Hence, I left her - now I find myself offended by myself. It is all a self-perpetuating vicious circle.