Racism in Football

[dww]

There is a real danger that Herbert and his actions distract from a sensible debate. I think there probably do remain problems with race issues in football, as in wider society, and that steps could be taken that improve things. Screaming blue murder even when there is no evidence available such as in the Clattenburg case only makes things worse for everyone.

[Alex]

Peter Herbert was on 5live this morning telling them he is reporting Spurs fans to the police for racist changing in relation to the word 'Yid'

I've had it explained why its racist to me, and I can understand why it is. But I cant see how what spurs do is a hate crime.

[dom9]

So who is he reporting? The football club?

Or the fans? All of the fans?

[Alex]

He wasn't specific. Just said he was reporting it to the police, and will be every time it happens.

[dom9]

He'll need to get access to the cctv footage then. Thinking about it, the police will have that already as they monitor it during the game.

[TheElephantMan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20705867

PFA backs FA's plans to introduce five-match bans for racist abuse

Plans for a minimum five-match ban for racist abuse have been backed by the Professional Footballers' Association.
The Football Association have yet to endorse the sanction, but it is one of a number of ideas being discussed.
"The PFA have agreed proposals with the FA that 'racist abuse' should carry a minimum five-match ban," they said on their Twitter page.
Chelsea captain John Terry received a four-match suspension in September for racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand.
Liverpool's Luis Suarez received an eight-match ban in December 2011 for his abuse of Patrice Evra.
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: "We are not opposed to it [a minimum five-match ban].
"We want there to be some consistency and to illustrate the seriousness of our approach to this issue."
Meanwhile the PFA want all players and managers from overseas to have "cultural lessons" to make them aware of English rules on discrimination under the proposals to tackle racism.
Currently only apprentices take such courses.

My opinion has shifted so much during the past 12 months. I am totally opposed to racism, but if someone is a racist then so what? I give up with it all, whichever viewpoint someone holds it's seemingly wrong. The racists are vile and the anti-racist people are equally so.

[ChesterDave]

He wasn't specific. Just said he was reporting it to the police, and will be every time it happens.

He dint seem to want to report supporters for saluting to Spurs fans. Keen to report hem for calling themselves the Yid army though. Odd that.

[Neil Young]

Hasn't that already been reported to police?

As for Spurs fans, I've heard quite a few of them arguing they are "reclaiming" the word, in spite of the fact they're not Jewish.

Next: how white guys foiled the KKK by using the N-word.

[TheElephantMan]

I just wonder how or why football has to take a lead on racist issues? Most people are appalled by racism, but it's got nothing to do with football. It seems that racism has become an opportunity to acquire credibility and moral high ground for people with nothing better to do say or do. It's farcical really. I was very anti-racism 12 months ago and now I couldn't give a monkeys.

[McDermotX]

I just wonder how or why football has to take a lead on racist issues? Most people are appalled by racism, but it's got nothing to do with football. It seems that racism has become an opportunity to acquire credibility and moral high ground for people with nothing better to do say or do. It's farcical really. I was very anti-racism 12 months ago and now I couldn't give a monkeys.

Careful now !

[ChesterDave]

[TheElephantMan]

Seriously though - apart from the fact that people are offended by racism, why is it such a bad thing? I'm playing devil's advocate here. I know people who are genuinely racist and they're very nice people. The anti-racism campaign seems illogical and wrong to me. If someone genuinely harbours racist views then they're entitled to do so surely? I can see flaws and issues whichever way racism is viewed. We are far too eager to embrace other cultures whilst other cultures (for good reason) seem to hate us! I am not a racist, but I'm much more sympathetic to racists than I was a year ago.

[Red_Polo]

Seriously though - apart from the fact that people are offended by racism, why is it such a bad thing?

Seriously?

It relegates people to second class status through knowing and unknowing discrimination. Surely that's clear?

[MrMichael]

What? Hang on... having an issue with the way anti-racism campaigners and the whole racism in football thing has been dealt with is surely not the same thing as actually having sympathy with racists? I mean how is judging, abusing or discriminating against someone on the basis of their skin colour or ethnicity ever not a completely abhorent thing to do? Talking about what "other cultures" think or do assumes a heterogenity of belief and attitude on the basis of ethnicity that is reductive and false. If someone of another background is racist about white people that's also wrong and is no excuse for then being racist yourself in any way shape or form.

People may be entitled to their own views, but they are not entitled to promote, expound, express or act upon those views if they denegrate or offend others in any way based on skin colour. Or sex, religion, disability or sexuality either. Bigotry expressed in any form is unjustifiable in modern society, surely that is not a subject for debate?

What has been going on in football of late, with self-righteous and self-promoting interests scrambling over each other to take the moral highground and trying to act as judge, jury and executioner in cases such as the Suarez one is a separate topic entirely. We appear to be reaching a point where it is assumed that in case of any allegation of racism on a football pitch the alleged perpetrator is guilty unless they can prove otherwise, and anyone who tries to defend their right to a fair hearing or believes their account, such as their team mates or club, is subject to heavy criticism for not "setting the right example". That is a very worrying trend really, innocent until proven guilty and the right to representation etc must be defended at all costs, but the hypocritical and messy way these situations have been addressed in football of late can not be allowed to obscure the basic and fundamental unacceptability of all forms of discrimination.

[TheElephantMan]

Maybe we're too eager to be judgemental? Vilifying someone because they think differently is dangerous. I just don't think it's football's job to change society and I'm sick of these moralistic anti-racist campaigners using our sport as a platform for self promotion. These tedious self-righteous people air their views on an almost daily basis which really don't help anybody. I'm not advocating racism, but it seems that aggressive anti-racism just makes the racists more intensely racist. Racism is rife. It's wrong, but it's everywhere. I'm concerned that the anti-racists are actually intensifying the issue and making things much worse.