[Football] Raheem Sterling's solution to racism at football

[Super Steve Earle]

Hmmm. He would like to see 9 points deducted from clubs for racist chanting. Not something I've ever heard in 55 years of following the Albion, but I would be pretty annoyed if Brighton had 9 points deducted because some random idiot at the Amex started some M-word chants and threw a B-word skin on to the pitch. I'm all for racism being firmly stamped on wherever it is apparent, but racism isn't just a football problem and frankly I don't expect to be penalised along with the racist idiot. Punish the individual not the whole class. Not sure how Raheem would feel if a Man City fan took a pop at an opposition black player and City lost the Premier League as a result. Then where does it stop? Burnley fans sing 'We can see you holding hands'? Do you prioritise racism over homophobia? Back to the point though, football is not a weapon to to brandish against racism. Football is not even a part of the problem. Racism is what it is and will be around long after I'm gone. but you can't give racists the power to influence our national sport.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Or seagull chant was thought to be a Nazi salute

 

[Nixonator]

3 points deducted for diving while you're at it please.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Or seagull chant was thought to be a Nazi salute

Or a player doing a Nazi salute which actually wasn't, I was unaware, I wouldn't ever do such a thing, I'm ignorant really, I promise....

 

[Gwylan]

Hmmm. He would like to see 9 points deducted from clubs for racist chanting. Not something I've ever heard in 55 years of following the Albion, but I would be pretty annoyed if Brighton had 9 points deducted because some random idiot at the Amex started some M-word chants and threw a B-word skin on to the pitch.

You should have been at the last game at the Goldstone - that was pretty unsavoury. The only time that I've ever seen a banana luzzed at a black player. And there was plenty of sporadic racist chanting at away games in the 80s ... happily, it never caught on with the mass of our supporters.

I don't think Sterling was talking about the odd idiot, he's talking about the wholesale booing and chanting from 100s of fans. It happens all too often but, fortunately not at the Albion any more.

 

[blue-shifted]

The problem with this would be people going to rivals grounds and doing it.

 

[BN41Albion]

I don't think Sterling was talking about the odd idiot, he's talking about the wholesale booing and chanting from 100s of fans. It happens all too often but, fortunately not at the Albion any more.

Does that happen often though!? I really don't think it happens at all! Perhaps in other countries, but here I can't remember hearing of a racist incident involving 100s of supporters in the last couple of decades!?

 

[Paris]

Fed up with hearing about Raheem Sterling. Self-promotion central. Great footballer though.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Hmmm. He would like to see 9 points deducted from clubs for racist chanting. Not something I've ever heard in 55 years of following the Albion, but I would be pretty annoyed if Brighton had 9 points deducted because some random idiot at the Amex started some M-word chants and threw a B-word skin on to the pitch. I'm all for racism being firmly stamped on wherever it is apparent, but racism isn't just a football problem and frankly I don't expect to be penalised along with the racist idiot. Punish the individual not the whole class. Not sure how Raheem would feel if a Man City fan took a pop at an opposition black player and City lost the Premier League as a result. Then where does it stop? Burnley fans sing 'We can see you holding hands'? Do you prioritise racism over homophobia? Back to the point though, football is not a weapon to to brandish against racism. Football is not even a part of the problem. Racism is what it is and will be around long after I'm gone. but you can't give racists the power to influence our national sport.

Fine. But in principle I have no issue with his idea.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Fed up with hearing about Raheem Sterling. Self-promotion central. Great footballer though.

Ignore him then. I have warmed to him.

 

[carlzeiss]

Probably not a good idea to jeer or boo any diverse player now as this could be misconstrued as racism .

 

[Acker79]

Would you stop someone from racist chanting? Would you report them to the stewards?
Would you be more inclined if to not do so put us at risk of being deducted 9 points?

That's the point. So often people turn the other way when there's unsavoury chanting, it's not at them so they don't care, or they chalk it up to 'bantz'. There are plenty of people one here who frequently come out against fans reporting their own - those that view snitching as the lowest of the low.

Putting the punishment on everyone at the club incentivises everyone at the club to tackle it.

Yes, it's a societal problem, and football is part of society. If every facet of society shrugs their shoulders because the problem is bigger than them it is never dealt with. If football stands up, it flows through. With social media highlighting incidents, such as what happened with Chelsea, should lead to people to applying those standards outside football stadia - travelling to the games, watching in pubs etc.

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

3 points deducted for diving while you're at it please.

So racism is only 3x worse than a dive? Interesting priorities.

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

Probably not a good idea to jeer or boo any diverse player now as this could be misconstrued as racism .

We give Zaha all kind of stick, he hasn't accused us of racism

 

[BBassic]

Football is a weapon and Raheem is using it commendably.

He has a platform he can use to inform and educate hundreds of thousands of young kids, and adults for that matter, whatever their skin colour, that racism has no place in society and that those who practice it are witless f**ksticks.

Good on him.

 

[SweatyMexican]

Punishing clubs for their supposed ‘supporters’ isn’t the right way to go about it.

There’s literally nothing they can do at the time, unless they tape everyone’s mouths shut as they come through the turnstiles.

We’ve come along way in the UK, but it still persists in small circles. Severely punish the individuals who are more interested in spouting racist/homophobic/etc abuse than watching the football, but don’t punish the clubs. They don’t condone it whatsoever.

My 2 cents. For what that’s worth.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

You should have been at the last game at the Goldstone - that was pretty unsavoury. The only time that I've ever seen a banana luzzed at a black player. And there was plenty of sporadic racist chanting at away games in the 80s ... happily, it never caught on with the mass of our supporters.

I don't think Sterling was talking about the odd idiot, he's talking about the wholesale booing and chanting from 100s of fans. It happens all too often but, fortunately not at the Albion any more.

I was at the last game at the Goldstone, don't remember the banana incident but impressed with your memory. Wish I could remember detail like that!

 

[Nixonator]

So racism is only 3x worse than a dive? Interesting priorities.

Was waiting for that

 

[bhafcjack]

The individual scum should be punished with a life banning order and fine and if happens more than once then club should be fined but never a point deduction as this is unfair on the 99.9% of good fans.

 

[carlzeiss]

We give Zaha all kind of stick, he hasn't accused us of racism

That may be so however other recipients might react differently to similar criticism .