[Football] Even if he did say Manc and not black

[BBassic]

You don't have to break the law to lose your job. To be honest if I was seen on camera just looking or acting like that and my employers name got in the press, I'd probably be in HR in the morning.

Yeah pretty much.

The dude has now become a bit player in the racism in football saga; whether he's done it or not (and I think he did) you're unlikely to find an employer who's happy to have their name associated with that sort of behaviour.

 

[Beanstalk]

i recently heard racism during the Leicester game, I reported it at the end of the match to a steward he appeared to do nothing about it as the person was still sat in thier seat during the palace game. If anyone has a contact of someone I could report it to it would be greatly appreciated I’ve had a look on the club website but could not find any information.

Bizarrely, the only time I've heard anything overtly racist at the AMEX was against Leicester but last season. A one-off ticket holder next to us went off at Mahrez for some reason and started saying some pretty disgusting things. I told him to "shut up" but really wish I'd done more. It completely threw me and we've never seen him again, but has left a lasting impression on me. If you can, make sure the club are aware and that it is being monitored at the very least.

 

[JCL666]

Why are we kidding ourselves that this kind of abuse (leave racism out of the equation for these purposes) doesn't happen up and down the country every week? It's just that this was high profile and was caught on camera in decent definition? Crowds watch players screaming in the faces of referees and linesmen, cheating constantly, watching managers without any apparent self restraint etcetera. The whole idea of genuine respect seems foreign to so many people in the game. The ideas to promote respect generally in the sport have overwhelmingly failed.

This is exactly why I cancelled my season ticket this year.

Just had enough of the crap that fans shout at players and officials, including their own team.

Also had enough of it when my boys (15 and 11) play. Football has a really sh1t element to it, where people for some unknown reason act like complete ****s.


CAVEAT
- No I'm not a snowflake
- Yes I do swear
- Yes I did challenge other people regarding their behaviour

 

[JCL666]

Up until last season I sat by one of our corner flags and frequently "abused" the other team's corner takers. It was never racist, homophobic or particularly vile... but I absolutely made sure that they could hear me and that they were aware that I thought their ball skills were below par. The steward who sat in the corner chastised me a few times but I don't think that either of us ever thought that it justified an ejection or a ban... it was never to the level of those Chelski fans (nor was it ever really personal, just at attempt to put them off their game a little, and for Helder Costa, in one game, I can say it worked!)

I'm not sure whether I am much better than the Chelsea fans though... I never got red-faced, bile-rising, hate-filled about the opposition as they appear to have done, but I did a similar thing. Not sure whether it crossed a line or not.


I think that there is some considerable difference between being emotional and being out of control and the latter generally results in your true-self being revealed. However, had any of a number of opposition players misheard or chose to misrepresent what they heard then I suspect that I would have been in trouble. Not sure if a lipreading expert could mistake... "Costa, Costa, Costa... [he glances back] ... You're sh!t." for something racist but I may have been in big trouble.


Really not sure whether... other than a discriminatory element (which is always unacceptable)... that shouting at an opposing player to put them off their game is acceptable or not. Really fine line for me.

I don't get what you get from saying to a top level footballer "you're sh1t', but if that's how you enjoy yourself then who am I to judge?

The problem is that what you think is ok will be different to others. You may draw a line but others may not, hence some of the posts in this thread justifying it.

When there's a comedic element it can be funny, but let's be honest that's rare.

 

[spence]

This is exactly why I cancelled my season ticket this year.

Just had enough of the crap that fans shout at players and officials, including their own team.

Also had enough of it when my boys (15 and 11) play. Football has a really sh1t element to it, where people for some unknown reason act like complete ****s.


CAVEAT
- No I'm not a snowflake
- Yes I do swear
- Yes I did challenge other people regarding their behaviour

I'm sitting here shaking my head. Unbelievable. Maybe you did the right thing in the end and allow someone else to have your season ticket.

 

[JCL666]

I'm sitting here shaking my head. Unbelievable. Maybe you did the right thing in the end and allow someone else to have your season ticket.

Yeah you're right.

I certainly have better things to do with my time than listen to out of shape middle aged idiots shout random abuse at footballers or officials.

 

[Gritt23]

Isn’t Sterling from Shepherds Bush?

Yes he is.

 

[trueblue]

I think this is a 'line in the sand' moment. Whatever happens regarding the racism allegation, if this were the Albion I would hope the club would make a very strong statement that the behaviour of the 3 main protagonists is just not acceptable and issue some lengthy bans. Most of us swear at football, most of us make ourselves look a bit foolish from time to time, but most of us would not lean across a barrier to scream vile abuse at a player who's just a few yards away. It's not 'banter', he's not 'fair game'. Why should any player have to put up with that shit?

Even if it was, say, Zaha - and 3 Albion fans were filmed giving him that sort of abuse at that proximity, I'd very happily see them turfed out. Yes, it's a passionate game and all that but it is just that, a 'game' and not an excuse for grown adults to leave all human decency at the turnstile.

 

[oneillco]

Old blokes likes him at football who go apopletic with rage are probably the same ones who lose their sh1t in road rage situations. They seem to think they are entitled to righteous anger in the safety of a crowd or behind the wheel of a 4 wheel drive. In either case it's great when they they get called out.

 

[Gazwag]

Chelsea bingo

Saturday --- Racism TICK

Thursday --- Anti-Semitism TICK

One more for a line

Sundry --- Homophobia

 

[Knocky's Nose]

You get 'Behind a Barrier Warriors' everywhere I'm afraid... From the bloke spewing abuse whilst being held back to the plonker in the safety of a car gesticulating at the driver in front.

I was a few rows behind one such 'Warrior' at the Brighton v Palace game. I'd say about 18 years old, standing on his seat shouting expletives and making 'w@nker' gestures for 44 of the first 48 minutes of the game actually got a bit wearing, but hey.. Then, in the second half people started getting bored of him and a (I'd guess he was in his 60's) a steward had a word. He then turned his attention to mocking the steward when he wasn't looking (brave.. so, so brave) amongst his w@nker signs at the away end. He then got escorted out when another steward spotted him, but came back for the last 10 minutes for some more bravery, mocking the steward.

I was with the Mrs at that game, and we both agreed that if he was actually put in the away end with the Palace fans he'd have been as quiet as a Monk at silent Mass, and if he'd have been put in a room with the steward he'd have been staring at his shoes.

We live in a world where people become braver than brave when they think they can't suffer any retaliation. Sterling couldn't exactly walk up and punch them in the heads so they got all trappy and wavey.

Cantona set the standard. The players behind him dropped the flag.

Seriously though - There's a line between banter and abuse. I've laughed at a few genuinely funny shouts at players, and I've seen players laugh back. Pure vitriol isn't something that sits well with me though....

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

My child is 12 and playing at a very high standard of football. Its all they want to do. Its great fun going to the games, supporting, chatting to the other parents, watching them grow. But I am really nervous about what happens if they do make it to a top level - it just doesn't look fun to be a footballer half the time, you've either got the opposition abusing you or your own fans laying into you. As a parent, I'm not sure I could take much of that.


One episode of the Peter Crouch podcast was focused on the abuse they get from fans, and it is the one time in the series where they got below the frivolity and you could see that people had really got to Crouch in his early years, and that he'd had to grow a very thick skin to cope

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

You get 'Behind a Barrier Warriors' everywhere I'm afraid... From the bloke spewing abuse whilst being held back to the plonker in the safety of a car gesticulating at the driver in front.

I was a few rows behind one such 'Warrior' at the Brighton v Palace game. I'd say about 18 years old, standing on his seat shouting expletives and making 'w@nker' gestures for 44 of the first 48 minutes of the game actually got a bit wearing, but hey.. Then, in the second half people started getting bored of him and a (I'd guess he was in his 60's) a steward had a word. He then turned his attention to mocking the steward when he wasn't looking (brave.. so, so brave) amongst his w@nker signs at the away end. He then got escorted out when another steward spotted him, but came back for the last 10 minutes for some more bravery, mocking the steward.

I was with the Mrs at that game, and we both agreed that if he was actually put in the away end with the Palace fans he'd have been as quiet as a Monk at silent Mass, and if he'd have been put in a room with the steward he'd have been staring at his shoes.

We live in a world where people become braver than brave when they think they can't suffer any retaliation. Sterling couldn't exactly walk up and punch them in the heads so they got all trappy and wavey.

Cantona set the standard. The players behind him dropped the flag.

Seriously though - There's a line between banter and abuse. I've laughed at a few genuinely funny shouts at players, and I've seen players laugh back. Pure vitriol isn't something that sits well with me though....

True - that is the anonymity of a football crowd. I once chucked a coppers helmet around the north stand. God help me if I'd done that in the real world!