Holland to play in black and white tonight

[Scarface]

England back anti-racism campaign

Villa Park, Birmingham
Wednesday, 9 February
Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Live: BBC1, Five Live & this website
England's defensive crisis grows
England and Holland will both spread the anti-racism message in their friendly on Wednesday.
The red England shirt Sven-Goran Eriksson's men will wear at Villa Park will carry the message 'No to racism' in silver letters on the front.

It is the first time anything other than the team badge and manufacturer's logo has appeared on the kit.

Holland will ditch their traditional colours for a black and white kit to show their support of the cause.

Fans will also be able to hold cards aloft to put across the same message from the stands.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said: "The message is a simple one, but very important. The team and the fans will be saying 'no to racism'.

It's a big step to give up our national colours, but it's something we are prepared to do

Dutch FA spokesman

"It is a message that will be heard across football and around the world."

As well as Holland, Portugal and Russia are also using the black and white kits in their games to show their resistance to racism.

It is part of the Stand Up, Speak Up campaign instigated by Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry, and supported by other top players in Europe.

The campaign is backed by Henry's sponsor Nike, who also manufacture the kit for the three countries involved.

The campaign's symbol is interlocked black and white wristbands, which players across Europe started to wear back in January.

Supporters can buy the wristbands, with funds going to a central Stand Up Speak Up, administered by a non-profit organisation, the King Baudouin Foundation based in Belgium.

The foundation will use the money to conduct research into racism in football.

A spokesman for the Dutch FA said: "It's a big step for us to give up our national colours, but it's something we feel strongly about and are prepared to do.

"We don't feel we have a problem in Dutch football. Fans treat black and white players exactly the same.

"But we have visited other countries where our black players have been abused, and there is obviously a problem.

"It's something that should be highlighted and anything we can do to make sure racism is wiped out, we're happy to go along with."

The Football Association have been at the forefront of moves to marginalise racism from the game with its Kick Racism Out Of Football campaign.

 

[Easy 10]

This is utter bollocks and a complete waste of time.

You're not going to influence a racist at a football match by pulling on a t-shirt that says "kick racism out of football", or wearing a black & white kit for christs sake. What difference is that going to make ?

Its down to the authorities to start cracking down in a BIG way, arresting and prosecuting the mindless twats ON THE SPOT who dish out racist abuse, and its down to the governing football bodies to issue more than a slap on the wrist when this persistant abuse goes on. The £45k fine given to the Spanish FA after those scenes in the last England friendly at the Bernabeu was utterly risible.

Players wearing t-shirts will do utterly f***-all in stamping out this problem - its no more than a token effort, a limp gesture at "addressing" this problem, and I won't believe they are serious about doing something about it until I actually see police/stewards wading in to grab these dickheads, and FIFA/UEFA dishing out some bans from tournaments and behind-closed-door qualifiers.

 

[Wozza]

Villa Park, Birmingham
Wednesday, 9 February
Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Live: BBC1, Five Live & this website

Live on NSC? Cool!

 

[captainmorganrum]

Pah, that's just

"gesture politics"

(copyright Looney , yesterday)

 

[looney]

Pah, that's just

"gesture politics"

(copyright Looney , yesterday)

Collective stupidity as well. Talk about a new religion jesus!

 

[Napper]

can do no harm considering the number of kids that will be watching

 

[Storer68]

They've just tried something similar in France recently in a match trying to promote racial harmony involving Paris St germain who I think played in an all white strip against Lens (?) who played in an all back strip.

All it encouraged was a lot of chanting of "Allez les blancs" (Come on you whites) and a lot of monkey chanting when Lens players were in possession. :

 

[Easy 10]

can do no harm considering the number of kids that will be watching

Sorry, but it won't do ANYTHING.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

I think it can only do good, especially in the countries where blatant racism is a lot more evident than here.

 

[SM BHAFC]

Just a little bit of something not exactly related but anyway, I recently had a discussion about in Australia a friend of mine was doing face painting for a Australia v Pakistan match and being British was shocked when she was continually asked to write Paki power and similiar things on peoples faces she in fact refused to do so.

I explained to her that paki was not considered an offensive word by either Australians or more importantly Pakistanis themselves, she was amazed to learn this.

The point being is if the authorities did what Easy 10 advocates and started craking down and prosecuting people, who decides what is racist and what is not is there not a massive grey area.

I have had the argument before on here i use the word Paki sometimes for example Paki shop, I grew up in London and this is what everyone called it including other Pakis, is that racist as many people on here advise me it is and should i be prosecuted on the spot?

For what it's worth this shirt business can't be bad thing can it,

 

[Easy 10]

But HOW will it do any good ?
Is someone who wants to shout out "Cole you black bastard" suddenly going to hold back, because he was wearing a "kick racism out of football" t-shirt in the warm-up ? Or because Holland are wearing some kind of mutated Geordie kit ?

Of course not. This is nothing more than a gimmick. A token effort to address an issue that really needs tackling PROPERLY - and it'll take a hell of a lot more than player trotting round in "special shirts" to actually have any impact whatsoever.

 

[Marc]

load of bollocks, they need to promote this stuff in schools at an early age. Whats next, England in an all Yellow strip to promote Lance Armstrongs Cancer Charity?!

 

[Easy 10]

The point being is if the authorities did what Easy 10 advocates and started craking down and prosecuting people, who decides what is racist and what is not is there not a massive grey area.

Well you can start with the tossers doing monkey noises. How much of a "grey area" is that when it comes to racism ?

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

But HOW will it do any good ?
Is someone who wants to shout out "Cole you black bastard" suddenly going to hold back, because he was wearing a "kick racism out of football" t-shirt in the warm-up ? Or because Holland are wearing some kind of mutated Geordie kit ?

Of course not. This is nothing more than a gimmick. A token effort to address an issue that really needs tackling PROPERLY - and it'll take a hell of a lot more than player trotting round in "special shirts" to actually have any impact whatsoever.

But the reason someone feels able to say "Cole you black bastard" is because they feel it is acceptable to do so. This clearly and un-equivocaly (sp) says that it is not acceptable to do so. I agree that they need to clamp down on the racisits themselves but when the whole crowd is doing it what can you do?

 

[SM BHAFC]

Exactly Andy Cole is black but possibly not a bastard i dont know, Peter Crouch is lanky, Sammy lee was fat , Perry Gorves had red hair, etc etc,

I am not sure that someone shouting any of things above with an added extra bit of colourful langauge is deserving of being prosecuted for anything really.

If someone was shouting Andy Cole you are a tree swinging bannana eating ****** then yes prosecute but as I stated he is black is he not?

And ok the shirt thing it is a bit of a gimmick bit what harm does it do, it surely just helps re inforce a good message.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Exactly Andy Cole is black but possibly not a bastard i dont know, Peter Crouch is lanky, Sammy lee was fat , Perry Gorves had red hair, etc etc,

I am not sure that someone shouting any of things above with an added extra bit of colourful langauge is deserving of being prosecuted for anything really.

If someone was shouting Andy Cole you are a tree swinging bannana eating ****** then yes prosecute but as I stated he is black is he not?

And ok the shirt thing it is a bit of a gimmick bit what harm does it do, it surely just helps re inforce a good message.

That's not what Easy said. Are monkey noises acceptable?

 

[Easy 10]

But the reason someone feels able to say "Cole you black bastard" is because they feel it is acceptable to do so. This clearly and un-equivocaly (sp) says that it is not acceptable to do so. I agree that they need to clamp down on the racisits themselves but when the whole crowd is doing it what can you do?

No.
They KNOW it is not acceptable to do so, but they do it anyway because they are "hard and rebellious". None of them feel it is acceptable at all - everyone knows that racist chanting is considered abhorrant by the majority, but that doesn't stop the minority making their feelings known.

I think it is totally naiive to believe that someone who enjoys chanting racist abuse at black players will suddenly stop because of a few anti-racism football shirts. These scumbags have to be DEALT WITH, and no amount of leaflet campaigns and black & white shirts will make a jot of difference.

We've got cameras coming out of our arses at International games. Get those cameras on the crowd. Get the CCTV cameras on the crowd. Identify the SCUM doing the monkey noises, and get those bastards arrested, charged, jailed and banned. THAT is "kicking racism out of football", not wearing a frigging t-shirt in the kickabout.

 

[SM BHAFC]

HatterlovesBrighton, Only if you are a monkey I suppose!

 

[CHAPPERS]

If someone was shouting Andy Cole you are a tree swinging bannana eating ****** then yes prosecute but as I stated he is black is he not?

If somebody's colour is made an issue there is a problem. Calling somebody a 'black bastard' is making a point of their colour, no matter how it's meant.

 

[alan partridge]

I explained to her that paki was not considered an offensive word by ..........Pakistanis themselves, she was amazed to learn this.

yeah, IN YOUR HEAD they don't.