Racism in Football

[squallkid]

In light of the Suarez/Evra and Terry issues, Serbian fans and now Jason Roberts with the Kick it out campaign, thought this needed a thread.

Is Racism in football really as bad as the media make it out to be?

To my mind and this might just be me, but I don't think Terry or Suarez are racists, I just think they are two despicable ****s who will say and do anything to wind someone up, even if it means mentioning race.

As for the Serbian fans, well that was pathetic and even more pathetic by UEFA to not do anything major about it.

Thoughts?

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

There will always be racism in football, just like there will always be racism in society.

This may sound controversial but I feel we are publicising it a bit too much...

England could steam roll a country like Ukraine 6-0 and qualify for the final of the WC, but if there are monkey chants in the game, the chants will get the highlights and its not right. I believe football is a multi-cultural sport, but there will always be narrow minded individuals who throw abuse at players from different ethnic backgrounds.

Its unfair to say only black players get abused, I've seen that Asian players and even Jewish players get their fare share of abuse. I'm a huge advocate for all the kick it out campaigns, and strides HAVE been made in recent years to help eradicate it. But the fact remains racism is still a part of society and with football being such a popular sport it will naturally creep into the game.

As a black male, growing up in the Midlands, I feel blessed that I have never encountered any blatant racism toward myself, but I've always known about it. I have white friends and Asian friends, I'm embracive of all races. I work with a Polish guy, born and bread, and he is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. It is unfair to label all Polish/ Ukraine or even Serbian people racists, 'cause there are some who are as genuine as you could hope for.

Like I said previously, we publicise racism too much. We should ignore the scumbags who throw abuse and focus on what matters, FOOTBALL. I am proud to be an Arsenal fan, because as long as I have been alive we have always been a classy, tolerant, embracive club. We can't let the minority spoil it for everyone else.

To borrow a famous slogan, lets just get on with it.

 

[Dokaka]

You can't just "get on with it". It's a serious issue that absolutely needs every single second it gets in the media.

Yes, in theory there probably always will be racist ****s around, but a huge part of a national team's fanbase chanting racist remarks at black players is not something that will always happen, UNLESS we just ignore it.

Discrimination is never okay and should never just be ignored. It's not fair to the minority being descriminated, and neither is it fair to the well-behaving people who often get the shaft because of some degenerate ****. As you said yourself, not every Polish or Serbian person is a racist, far from it actually. But they get painted as such because of the idiots who do stuff like this, and it needs to be eradicated.

I mean ****, imagine if half of our (West Ham) support was chanting monkey or the N word towards AOC every time he had the ball? It wouldn't just be let go, and neither should it.

Issues like these only get ironed out through awareness. We've already made huge leaps in the last decades, but it's far from over.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

I hear ya Dok, when I said get on with it, I didn't mean pretend racism is nothing, far from it. I agree everything should be done to eradicate it. I meant get on with the football, and stop making racism the headline like all the time.

It's extremely depressing switching on SSN to see the headline of 'Rose racially abused' or 'Monkey chants in Ukraine'. Little was made of the result and the monkey chants dominated the headlines.

I've said before racism will always exist, but feeding them by giving them the spotlight every 2 minutes must surely encourage them, make them feel like they have some sort of power and influence. This is what annoys the **** out of me.

I'd say most people are racists because its what they are taught, that's where the problem lies. Unless racism dies in society, which it in all honesty won't, it won't die in football. Sad but true.

I believe one day we will rarely hear of racism in football, but for it not to be mentioned completely, I can't see it I'm afraid.

 

[mavelous]

White people can't run for ****e.

 

[AnthonyG]

White people can't run for ****.

Not really true and certainly not necessary.

We've had trouble with threads like this in the past, so comments like this are not really on. It doesn't matter how 'tongue-in-cheek' etc. the intent. (I don't want this to seem overly harsh or strict, here, but as I said these threads can be prickly enough as it is. Thanks).

 

[Jury]

Not going to get into this... But what i will say is, one way to absolutely put a stop to it, would be to fine clubs or - in the case of the other night in Serbia - their FA, and give a huge amount of it to the victim as compensation.

I'm sure that'll provide some food for thought for the racists, as they squeeze themselves onto a packed stinking bus, for the return journey back to their dingy, squalid caves.

 

[Rain Dance]

I hear ya Dok, when I said get on with it, I didn't mean pretend racism is nothing, far from it. I agree everything should be done to eradicate it. I meant get on with the football, and stop making racism the headline like all the time.

It's extremely depressing switching on SSN to see the headline of 'Rose racially abused' or 'Monkey chants in Ukraine'. Little was made of the result and the monkey chants dominated the headlines.

I've said before racism will always exist, but feeding them by giving them the spotlight every 2 minutes must surely encourage them, make them feel like they have some sort of power and influence. This is what annoys the **** out of me.

I'd say most people are racists because its what they are taught, that's where the problem lies. Unless racism dies in society, which it in all honesty won't, it won't die in football. Sad but true.

I believe one day we will rarely hear of racism in football, but for it not to be mentioned completely, I can't see it I'm afraid.

This!
To add from experience, instead of showing weakness or agitation to racist chants. "Get on with it" is actually the best comeback for any racist treatment.

There's nothing sweeter than bagging a hattrick or pulling an outstanding save (and a clean sheet) in front of racist chanter. Add Arshavin's Shhh celebration to sweeten things up.

Crying, or getting Angry only shows that we are weak and they are successful plus we become a prime target. I won't give racists that satisfaction
(to be honest there are times I failed though that's when friends come and help)

 

[kenya]

To my mind and this might just be me, but I don't think Terry or Suarez are racists, I just think they are two despicable ***** who will say and do anything to wind someone up, even if it means mentioning race.

I tend to agree with this statement. Racism for me has to be about what someone practices in their daily life. It has to be about lifestyle. I don't know if I'm just being naive, but I think it's possible for Terry/Suarez to make statements with racist slurs without necessarily being racists in the way they live. Just like you can make a one off stupid remark or an insensitive statement without being an actual ***** or an insensitive plank in real life.

I'm not saying that there is no racism in football. Many black players have confirmed that racism does exist...I'm just not sure that the Terry saga is a classic example of instances of racism. Perhaps Suarez was close enough...especially when he aggravated it by not shaking Evra's hand. For me 'racism in football' would be a scenario that constitutes paying black players less, not hiring black players, giving black players different facilities, not featuring black players in promotions and photo ops, purposely bypassing black individuals in appointing managers, club captains etc, fans hostility to black players (I'm talking large section of fans, not some individual idiot screaming insults on his own). Basically anything in that line would for me constitute racism in football.

 

[SomGooner]

Racism has existed throughout human history and will continue to exist as long as we are here simply because humans are just an evil race whether black, white, yellow or purple.

I admit that I never liked Terry from the beginning both as a footballer and as a character because he always seemed to me as fake and sneaky from shagging his mate’s missus to his latest episode of his shameful behaviour towards a fellow england player’s brother and yet the FA chose to stand by him and ignored the video evidence that was broadcasting throughout the world by Skysports News just few hours after the game in which the incident had occurred.

The FA is a joke from top to bottom and has been for quite sometime now and until we get real football people running the show the national sport will remain hostage to few selected group that do not have England’s best interest at heart.


I don’t know much about Suarez other than being an overrated mug that clearly made a wrong career choice by choosing football over Olympic diving where he might have won a medal or two.

And finally to Jason Roberts, I agree with him 100% and if I were in his position id have done the same thing for the simple fact that there’s more to the cause than wearing a fancy a t-shirt and also I wouldn't want to be associated with hypocrites as well and in my eyes there’s no bigger hypocrite than the FA.

 

[Armor for Sleep]

I hear ya Dok, when I said get on with it, I didn't mean pretend racism is nothing, far from it. I agree everything should be done to eradicate it. I meant get on with the football, and stop making racism the headline like all the time.

It's extremely depressing switching on SSN to see the headline of 'Rose racially abused' or 'Monkey chants in Ukraine'. Little was made of the result and the monkey chants dominated the headlines.

I've said before racism will always exist, but feeding them by giving them the spotlight every 2 minutes must surely encourage them, make them feel like they have some sort of power and influence. This is what annoys the **** out of me.

It should be the headline and the people involved should be made an example of. If you just add "oh and there was racist chanting and fighting" at the end you're basically sweeping it under the carpet and not giving an important issue the attention it needs and deserves.

Lets see what happens but if FIFA don't man up and come down hard on Serbia then hopefully the players kick up a massive fuss. I don't think they can just hand out a crappy fine this time, the players have had enough.

 

[Sean88888]

An apology from a random Serbian guy on the Internet.

I'm 28 years old. I actively support my local football club for around 12 years now and I went to every single match home and 90% of matches away. Same goes for our national team - excluding a lot of the away matches (I just don't have the money to follow them everywhere).

In these 11 years I've been through heaven and hell... I was there when people beside me chanted ethnic slurs and attacked other 'ultras' fans, but on the other hand I was also there when other ex-yu nations did exactly the same to us. All this didn't just happen in ex-yugoslavia, we were being called peasants in England for no apparent reason, we were all hit and kicked in Romania and Italy because of several dozens of idiots, etc... but all this is fun and games compared to how I felt when I was in Krusevac last night and when I opened BBC, Telegraph and /r/soccer today.

Nationalism is something that is sadly expected on the matches here and will be the case for quite some time on the Balkans, because hatred was and still is too big between the 3 nations, but it's getting better.

What I didn't expect yesterday is a big number of racist idiots doing what they did. I'm so ashamed and disappointed and I'm offering a sincere apology on behalf of normal Serbian people - If I may and if it means anything at all. I have been with, and talked with A LOT of people since yesterday and I haven't encountered anyone who wasn't feeling ashamed.

I have to say one thing though, I had a few black friends come to visit and they have never been racially abused here, on the streets, clubs or anywhere. There were a lot of strange looks and surprises (e.g. 'hey look a black guy'), but IMO even though that's still very wrong - that's just normal human nature, Eastern Europe has a really small number of black population and visitors.

Lastly, on that video where you can hear a HUGE AMOUNT of people chanting 'monkey noises' - that's the sound crowd here makes when there's a fight on the pitch or usually when someone scores and needs more goals to win OR a team is winning by a huge difference and we want more. I'm not saying there still wasn't a big number of ignorant idiots actually racially abusing England players, but that video made a lot of soccer fans say a lot of mean things about people on the Balkans, which I understand. But if ALL those people really were doing monkey noises I would have admitted defeat and would have packed my bags today and started planning where to move out of here. But I will still fight and I, and a lot of people I know, are still hoping ignorance and racism will be cured here.

Again, I'm personally really ashamed and sorry for all this and I hope stuff like this never happens again here or anywhere on Earth. I hope we get a draconian punishment because racism has no place in soccer or anywhere else.

Source

 

[GDeep™]

Don't think racism is an issue in England anymore, just like hooliganism. As far as im concerned it over now to European governing bodies to get their house in order in places like Italy, Spain, Serbia etc. UEFA for example need to get serious with repeat offenders.

The whole t shirt issue over the weekend leaves a sour taste tbh, all these black players putting the boot into a campaign which has done phenomenal work over the years and has played its part in helping the Premier League and English Football lead the world in fighting racism in football.

All because Terry didn't get a bigger suspension.

 

[spartandre217]

It still very much exists in England and you're damn naive or willfully ignorant to even propose otherwise.


Is it SIGNIFICANTLY lower than it used to be? Certainly! But eradicated??? Haha not a f***ing chance.

Are other countries much worse off? Hell yes, I wouldn't want to play football, attend games or really spend too much time in countries like Serbia, Ukraine, Poland and to a degree Spain but to act like it doesn't exist in England is a joke.


As for the medial fallout over the kick it out campaign, sure it may be slightly blown out of all sense of proportion by the media and possibly the entire point of the "protest" lost but if they, and by they I mean black players feel the desire not to wear them, LEAVE them the f*** alone.


Until such time as yourself, or your family has ever felt, been subject or overheard racist slurs, abuse, negative stereotypes and behaviours influenced or reinforced by these stereotypes, you don't have a clue how the players should act or feel and I for one don't take issue with anything Rio or his brother has done so far. It's their choice and in doing so have brought greater attention to the very much existent race divide not just in football but in modern society in general for better or for worst.

Just a heads up, if anyone here so much as hints at the "live and let be" route I may just lose my sh**

 

[a_fourteen]

Racism is a slight on human kind. We are the only species that prejudices against its own. It's up to all of us to end this cancer.

 

[kopzilla]

Most football clubs will not ban ultras especially if they form a large portion of the ticket sales.

The governments in those respective countries won't jail them because all they care about is votes.

These ultras are just brain dead nutjobs who have nothing else to do beside assaulting people on the street and shouting offensive chants in football matches.

Going by what countries like Poland and Russia have gone through in the past, they ought to be anti-nazi.

 

[kopzilla]

It is really strange.

A normal person wants to go the a football match to cheer and support his team.His motivation is to see his team win a match or a trophy.

I don't understand what pleasure these ultras find in abusing a handful of players just because they are not white/Christian/etc. They don't seem interested in watching the game at all.Besides they are paying money to do that.It really is *.

 

[Stevo the Villan]

Racism will never completely disappear, because prejudices will never disappear.

You can stop outspoken racism, i.e cut out racist chanting and actions, and we more or less have in this country.

But you can't remove the prejudice that some people have towards races. That, for me, means the underlying causes of racism will never leave the game, as long as the exist in general society.

It's gotten a lot better. In the 80s racism was rife. Both outspoken, and just general discrimination to black players. They didn't get paid as much as white players of equivalent talent (there's a huge chapter on this in "Why England Lose..." and it's excellent)
That type of discrimination doesn't exist anymore.

The media are hyping it up now though. Don't get me wrong, any racism should be clamped down on massively, but the media milk it and milk it and are the reason the issue is suddenly so big in football again.

An interview with Di Matteo a couple of weeks ago summed it up for me (I'm paraphrasing)

Interviewer: "With all the issues surrounding John Terry at the moment, what can be done to put it to bed and for people to just focus on the football?"

Di Matteo: "Well you could stop talking about it for a start"

 

[Macho]

Don't know whether anyone has mentioned it, but this Chelsea team has a lot of black players. The fan base however. Let's say it has an interesting dynamic and if they start going through a rough patch, I genuinely fear for the players.

They'll be fine, Arsenal fanbase is no better or worse.

 

[The_Playmaker]

They'll be fine, Arsenal fanbase is no better or worse.

Trust me it's better.