Is Pikey Racist?

[mrhairy]

Liz Costa was going mad today trying to stop Brighton fans singing about Pikeys. "Stop it," she shouted. "That's racist." Call me old fashioned but them asking me if my boyfriend knew I was there, could seriously damage my relationship.

 

[Beach Hut]

What is racialist about "Pikey" ?

Anti caravanism ?

 

[Cian]

Over here it is, to an extent, as a Pikey is a member of the travelling community and nothing else - its used solely as a synonym to traveller. Palace supports would be knackers, which oddly enough used to be a synonym to traveller but has fallen out of use in favour of Pikey.

 

[Silent Bob]

Ha they keen to get the racist spotlight off them and onto someone else

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Racist? Hardly - it's got nothing to do with race, not in the sense it was used. More similar to "chav"

 

[shingle]

Liz Costa was going mad today trying to stop Brighton fans singing about Pikeys. "Stop it," she shouted. "That's racist." Call me old fashioned but them asking me if my boyfriend knew I was there, could seriously damage my relationship.

She can be a daft old bat

 

[Bobby's Gull]

Apparently, so I heard it's now classed as a racist term, which leaves me in the shit as one of my nicknames is pikey and it's printed on a back of a t.shirt.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Didn't realise Pikey was a race...

 

[London Irish]

Liz Costa was going mad today trying to stop Brighton fans singing about Pikeys. "Stop it," she shouted. "That's racist." Call me old fashioned but them asking me if my boyfriend knew I was there, could seriously damage my relationship.

Not racist - not in this context anyway. But I dunno if it's the brightest thing to chant in the world either, we have better ones I feel. But some of you may feel WE SHOULD be dusting off those old Yiddo chants for the 3rd Round

Here's the issue causing a stir at Spurs:
http://www.spurs.co.uk/article.asp?hlid=220538

and here's quite a decent defence of how language does not have fixed meanings and context is everything:
http://www.glory-glory.net/article.asp?story=680

No different really to our one-nil to the nancy boys. I guess my view is that it's funnier when we sing the gay chants and not the opposition does, just as it's funnier when the Gills sing "Pikeys" about themselves and not when it's directed at them.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Millwall started it.

We're "going down with the pikeys" - apparently.

 

[jmc]

"Racism is prejudice or discrimination based on the belief that race is the primary factor determining human traits and abilities. Racism includes the belief that genetic or inherited differences produce the inherent superiority or inferiority of one race over another. In the name of protecting their race from "contamination," some racists justify the domination and destruction of races they consider to be either superior or inferior. Institutional racism is racial prejudice supported by institutional power and authority used to the advantage of one race over others. "

so yes labelling some one as pikey could be classed as racism. I think

 

[Beach Hut]

OK agreed, don't abuse those that live in caravans

 

[jmc]

surely to be a pikey parse(sp) you have to do more than live in a caravan, don't you have to shag your sister and have a starved dog on a rope too?

 

[Beach Hut]

surely to be a pikey parse(sp) you have to do more than live in a caravan, don't you have to shag your sister and have a starved dog on a rope too?

Ok wait a minute and I'll check on the dog outside, the sister might be a problem though

 

[Bobby's Gull]

surely to be a pikey parse(sp) you have to do more than live in a caravan, don't you have to shag your sister and have a starved dog on a rope too?

And wear your 2 stripe tracky bottoms tucked into your white socks, smoke soverigns and buy your earings from Argos??!

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

I'm fascinated by that Tottenham thing. I've never known any organisation, football club or not, to actually ask whether something is racist.

It's a bit like Dr Dre putting something on his website saying: "Look, I'm frightfully fond of saying the word '******' but I'm worried it might offend some of my younger and less 'street' audience. WOuld you mind informing me whether you think it's suitable?"

The girl I am currently trying to seduce is a Tottenham fan (an English, Roman Catholic one) and she refers to herself as a "yid". It's a bit of a joke to her... but I don't know any Jewish Tottenham fans so I don't really know what to think.

I think "Pikey" is a racist word though. Speak to any member of the Gypsy community and they'll tell you that's a term of abuse often shouted at them.

 

[Hunting 784561]

A lot of the Millwall suporters were applauding our better thought out chants.

I thought our 'Feed the Pikeys, let them know its Christmas time' was top notch...

I think all is fair in love, war and baiting opposition supporters.

 

[Reinelt 62]

Re: Re: Is Pikey Racist?

She can be a daft old bat

I find that remark deeply offensive.

Us bats get a bad enough press already without being used as a synonym for Liz Costa.

 

[dougdeep]

Leave Liz alone, she's done more for the club than most on here. And her partner is an Albion legend.

 

[Rangdo]

Racist? Hardly - it's got nothing to do with race

Exactly. Since it isn't about race it can't possibly be racist.