Anyone seen the footage of those Madrid fans giving the Nazi salutes?

[The Great Cornholio]

What else do you expect? The footballing authorities have, through their inaction to both the managers comments and last weeks "support", sent a clear signal that racism is acceptable.

when and where will it end?

Not anytime soon. Racism is inherent in far too many people to stamp it out. It can only be controlled. My main surprise is that the main targets still seem to be black people. It obviosuly all started with the influx of immigrants in the middle of the last century - taking our jobs and all that. The it was Asians. Buying all our corner shops etc. I suppose it is because there aren't too many Muslim players playing that they still feel the need to pick on black players. God knows what would happen if Spain played Saudi Arabia in Madrid.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Probably not. But those chants are not directed at the players - it's just a chance for knuckle dragging BNP members to have a sing song with safety in numbers. It should have no place anywhere near football but is nowhere near as bad as these latest scenes IMHO. Are you conveniently forgetting the anti English sentiments from certain Welsh 'supporters'? The holier than thou attitude doesn't wash when you have skeletons in your own cupboard.

No, I'm not forgetting the anti-English sentiments often expressed by ignorant Welsh fans. Similarly, I'm not forgetting the anti-Welsh sentiments often expressed by ignorant English fans. But, that said, I honestly don't believe that such rubbish falls into the same category as the real racism that we are talking about here.

The fact is that the far-right has long been associated with the English national team, even if their dismal brand of 'support' has often been condemned by both the authorities and the proper fans alike.

They are still out there and they are still active. It would be a big mistake to pretend otherwise. And their influence unfortunately does extend as far as other fans whether we like it or not. That explains the regular 'No Surrender' chants at England matches - chants which were quickly followed by 'I'd rather be a Paki than a Taff' at the recent Old Trafford game.

 

[Safeway]

I stood in amongst the Ultras at the Bernabeu a couple of years ago for a Champion League match against Roma, and there was NOTHING that indicated any neo-Nazi tendencies nor did I hear any racist chanting.

Maybe they were chanting in Spanish and you just didn't understand them.

 

[fatbadger]

This is one of the reasons I have always hated Real - they have long been the team of the far-right in Spain, especially since Franco's days. I remember going to the Bernebeu about 12 years ago, and seeing the place covered in posters - which the authorities clearly had no desire or intention of removing - selling Union Flag t-shirts and shorts, because the ultras associate the Union Flag with fascism. On top of the image of the flag were a series of fascist and UVF/NF solidarity slogans.

 

[somerset]

Maybe. But surely nobody would dare pretend that the far-right aren't usually present whenever the English national team plays?

They usually are, but in fewer and fewer numbers as the years go by, and they are as misguided as the welsh fools who sing in support of Argentina, the very nation that made a mess of the Sir Gallahad and a good number of the Welsh Guards in the Falklands...... hopefully all those brainless types will eventually just fade away.