Southend in the Observer yesterday

[Napster]

Sunder Katwala posts an interesting article on racism. We get a nice mention

My scouse accent, though, was diminishing, having moved to Essex in my teenage years.

Adopting a second team in Southend United, standing behind the goal, I saw racial abuse of a Wolves player directly challenged as offensive to our own black players. Southend fans even had an unconsciously anti-racist chant to celebrate our goal-grabbing forwards: "Ansah's black, Angell's white, we are ****ing dynamite."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/30/sunder-katwala-racism-football-terry

 

[Westcliff Shrimper]

Nice article. Remember that chant too...

 

[southend4ever]

do do do do Andy Ansah do do do do Andy Ansah

do do do do Freddy Eastwood.

Nice article.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Thanks for pointing out the article Napster - I have added to your reputation accordingly. :thumbsup:

Some interesting points ..........
The odd thing, looking back, is how often racial abuse was not treated as an open-or-shut question. Were the monkey chants just "banter", a test of character that players had to pass? These arguments were seriously put.

We now need to move on to educate the "fans" that think that purchasing an admission ticket gives them the "right" to swear and abuse players and officials left, right and centre .......... why this behaviour exists at football grounds is beyond me - you don't get it at almost every other sporting occasion.


I would rather they didn't get offered a swearing masterclass from highly paid football stars either. Football fans changed. It is time the players did too.


Exactly - it is about time that "professional" footballers as a group acted like professionals - it can be done - a range of players like Sir Chris Powell, Lord Angell through to present players like Bomber Harris and Graham Coughlan are able to play with passion and commitment without letting themselves down ..............:thumbsup:

 

[maninasuitcase]

Thanks for pointing out the article Napster - I have added to your reputation accordingly. :thumbsup:

Some interesting points ..........
The odd thing, looking back, is how often racial abuse was not treated as an open-or-shut question. Were the monkey chants just "banter", a test of character that players had to pass? These arguments were seriously put.

We now need to move on to educate the "fans" that think that purchasing an admission ticket gives them the "right" to swear and abuse players and officials left, right and centre .......... why this behaviour exists at football grounds is beyond me - you don't get it at almost every other sporting occasion.


I would rather they didn't get offered a swearing masterclass from highly paid football stars either. Football fans changed. It is time the players did too.


Exactly - it is about time that "professional" footballers as a group acted like professionals - it can be done - a range of players like Sir Chris Powell, Lord Angell through to present players like Bomber Harris and Graham Coughlan are able to play with passion and commitment without letting themselves down ..............:thumbsup:

Exactly, I know we played poorly at Cheltenham last season, but the abuse our players was getting from our own fans that day was appaling.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Exactly, I know we played poorly at Cheltenham last season, but the abuse our players was getting from our own fans that day was appaling.

And ditto double to that. I probably treat the vermin that I catch with more respect than is offered to some players and officials. :sad:

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

I think most people are guilty of sometimes moaning at our own players. I do it sometimes, Timlin probably gets the most stick from me, still amazes me how a pro footballer can't pass to a team mate but there you go. The reason no other sports fans are like this IMO is Passion. However sad of cliche this may sound, football is a way of life. So many people care about football that when players don't put the effort in, or aren't performing well, it frustrates them. Fair enough that abusing our own players is going the wrong way about it but people put too much time and money into the game to be let down by a player not caring. That's how I see it anyway.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

I think most people are guilty of sometimes moaning at our own players. I do it sometimes, Timlin probably gets the most stick from me, still amazes me how a pro footballer can't pass to a team mate but there you go. The reason no other sports fans are like this IMO is Passion. However sad of cliche this may sound, football is a way of life. So many people care about football that when players don't put the effort in, or aren't performing well, it frustrates them. Fair enough that abusing our own players is going the wrong way about it but people put too much time and money into the game to be let down by a player not caring. That's how I see it anyway.

I'm a big fan of another sport (and there are the highs you get from seeing the ball scream into the net at Roots Hall) but when someone there "messes up" I am right cheesed off .... along with many others watching ........ but there's no abuse like there is at football.

And "passion" is the excuse used by "professional" footballers when they are mouthy to the ref or get booked/sent off for wreckless challenges.

So, all in all, I think you are wide of the mark. Sorry.

 

[dannypav]

I'm a big fan of another sport (and there are the highs you get from seeing the ball scream into the net at Roots Hall) but when someone there "messes up" I am right cheesed off .... along with many others watching ........ but there's no abuse like there is at football.

And "passion" is the excuse used by "professional" footballers when they are mouthy to the ref or get booked/sent off for wreckless challenges.

So, all in all, I think you are wide of the mark. Sorry.

Rugby is an odd one , basically very little back chat to officials and certainly no over the top abuse as far as I know , which means that the game is kept under control and the players accept the decisions and get on with it.
Unlike football , where every little thing is met by petulent tantrums.
However , every so often , there appears to be a mass brawl where they knock seven bells out of each other and most seem to escape punishment - although this has been changing in recent years , with more players getting sent off or sin binned.

 

[hockleyeast1964]

i think he's a fan of snooker not rugby

 

[onceknownasrab]

Football is not racist. There are racists that happen to watch football and play football. Recriminations sanctions and fines seem to be the order of the day in football but the game is merely a scapegoat for the failure of society as a whole.

The same socially inept, intolerant bigots that trundle along to games to verbally poison the air with their bile are often guilty of using inappropriate/unacceptable race rhetoric in other areas of their life. Pubs, clubs, in the street, in shops and in schools. Nowhere is completely free of bigotry but football is where society chooses to point the finger as if all supporters are thugs and fools and equally guilty of racism.

The time spent at football matches is a small percentage of a bigots life and society needs to tackle the problem everywhere and not just in our national game. There are a lot more ethnic players and staff in the game of football than there are in the game of cricket or rugby in this country. Add to that tennis, badminton, horse racing etc etc.

The media should focus more on the achievements in our game in terms of racism. Society should be looking to educate and change people so that we have to endure less of the idiots at matches.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

i think he's a fan of snooker not rugby

I think you'll find that snooker is all about having different coloured balls in pockets ....................:blush:

 

[The General]

He's big,
He's strong,
His **** is very long,
Leon Cort, Leon Cort!!

 

[davewebbsbrain]

He's big,
He's strong,
His **** is very long,
Leon Cort, Leon Cort!!

Wrong thread Kev :winking: