So, the whole Poland/Ukraine racism thing...

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Barring the one incident with the Dutch training session, it seems from reading around the web that so far at least, there has been zero evidence of the racism at the Championships which is obviously great news.

But that doesn't mean that there's no problem.

The thing that pisses me off about all of this, is that the mood seems to be turning on the likes of Sol Campbell and the BBC for that documentary as being scaremongering.

I have no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of Poles and Ukrainians are excellent people who are only too happy to host the championships and welcome all nationalities with open arms, but there clearly is a problem in these countries within the football community even if it's only a tiny minority we're speaking about.

This just all bugs me slightly, people are having a 'SEE WE TOLD YOU IT WAS NICE' attitude to it all as if the images we saw a few weeks back are less relevant now than they were then. They're not. It's a minority, we always knew it was a minority, but it's a very significant minority.

I just hope a successful (violence/racism free) tournament doesn't stop UEFA from trying to help these countries deal with this issue.

What does NSC think?

 

[Gritt23]

It clearly IS a problem in these countries, as the BBC programme demonstrated. As for the Euro organisers and respective host FAs patting themselves on the back and saying "see, all is well", I haven't read any of that, but if that is their approach, then I'm fearing egg on face awaits. There was only ever going to be potential issues with teh host nations playing, and I would say the danger games are ahead of them still.

Poland - it could be Russia tonight that is a problem. Not racially agrrevated, but simply because the two nations have a deep historic hatred.

Ukraine - it's the game vs France that worries me. There could be a lot riding on that game, and the French team will have a lot of potential targets for the mentally deranged among the home support. If they want a player to focus on, who is known to react to provocation, then teh French have one at left back. that is the game I'm worried about.

 

[Surrey_Albion]

I hate racism nearly as much as I hate the Eastern Europeans!!!

 

[Postman Pat]

It clearly IS a problem in these countries, as the BBC programme demonstrated. As for the Euro organisers and respective host FAs patting themselves on the back and saying "see, all is well", I haven't read any of that, but if that is their approach, then I'm fearing egg on face awaits. There was only ever going to be potential issues with teh host nations playing, and I would say the danger games are ahead of them still.

Poland - it could be Russia tonight that is a problem. Not racially agrrevated, but simply because the two nations have a deep historic hatred.

On Talksport this morning they were saying that the local police are really worried about tonights game, partly due to the history and partly due to the russians putting 4 Polish stewards in hospital after the last game.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

As for the Euro organisers and respective host FAs patting themselves on the back and saying "see, all is well", I haven't read any of that

I should have made it clearer that I'm talking about the general feeling, mainly on Twitter from pundits/reporters out there.

 

[Marc1901]

It'll probably kick off tonight with Poland playing Russia. That's the only problem so far at the tournament, fighting.

Anyway. I suspect a lot of England fans will travel over now after they've seen it's not that bad with racism etc. Last night the ground looked half empty which was a shame because at every other tournament it's been packed with England fans.

 

[Springal]

Few isolated incidents but nothing major. Stan Collymore has been all over Donetsk and Kiev and has no 0 problems, bad looks of remotest sign of aggro. As usual the media cooking up a storm because if there was no story, a lot of these journos would be out of a job.

 

[TheBlueAndWhiteStrips]

Almost guaranteed to some sort of trouble tonight at the Poland-Russia game maybe not in the ground, but likely outside. Like [MENTION=272]Gritt23[/MENTION] says they hate each other.

 

[Gritt23]

I should have made it clearer that I'm talking about the general feeling, mainly on Twitter from pundits/reporters out there.

Oh ok, fair enough. Whoever is saying it, is somewhat premature IMHO. Obviously, I hope that teh authorities have managed to stamp it out in a hurry, but as we witnessed in England, there isn't a single overnight solution. So I would imagine they have done nothing more than perhaps round up known thugs and incarcerate them for a few weeks. Even that would take a degree of acknowledging the problem that wasn't there in teh programme. The guy dismissing the Nazi salutes as "pointing to teh opposition" springs to mind.

 

[Gritt23]

Ah ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18409916

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Few isolated incidents but nothing major. Stan Collymore has been all over Donetsk and Kiev and has no 0 problems, bad looks of remotest sign of aggro. As usual the media cooking up a storm because if there was no story, a lot of these journos would be out of a job.

But that was looking for dogging sites

 

[Woodchip]

Has Das Reich not got any inside knowledge as he walks the streets of Poland in his army boots (no laces), shaved head and string vest being pwoper nawty?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

As usual the media cooking up a storm because if there was no story, a lot of these journos would be out of a job.

I don't understand? Are you saying that the 2000 strong nazi salute was just the media making it look bad ?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Ah ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18409916

That article was published AS I was writing my post... sake.

 

[mikeyjh]

Funny (thought not ACTUALLY funny) thing is, that we hear all about how bad Ukraine and Poland are and how backward the people are and yet it's the Spanish at it - Yet again - Will be interesting to see the response to a nation we perhaps think a little more fondly of, rather than the easy Eastern European targets..

 

[Surrey_Albion]

Funny (thought not ACTUALLY funny) thing is, that we hear all about how bad Ukraine and Poland are and how backward the people are and yet it's the Spanish at it - Yet again - Will be interesting to see the response to a nation we perhaps think a little more fondly of, rather than the easy Eastern European targets..

Just read that and I am not excusing in anyway but its probably because its Ballotelli, who to be fair is a twat, Like I said not excusing it though

 

[Springal]

I don't understand? Are you saying that the 2000 strong nazi salute was just the media making it look bad ?

I'm saying, there is no real evidence of it at this tournament. Much like Sol Campbell said we are all going to die, or games will be getting called off.

 

[W.C.]

Funny (thought not ACTUALLY funny) thing is, that we hear all about how bad Ukraine and Poland are and how backward the people are and yet it's the Spanish at it - Yet again -

and those doing the abusing were reported by, Spanish fans. Good on 'em.

 

[Nibble]

A lot of Eastern Europeans ain't that keen on black people. They certainly see chants etc as a bit of fun. If you think they react badly to black people you should see how they reacted when the gay community tries to stage Pride marches. It is genuinely sickening and unpleasent to watch. I've seen it.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

I know a lot of the "ultras" in Poland and Ukraine were very anti Euro 2012, which is possibly why we aren't hearing much racial abuse inside the stadiums.