Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

Recommended Posts

If the song was racist in intent, and a reaction to the Ferdinands V Terry, then it has to be asked why no-one's reported hearing it before now. Given it's only being sung in the immediate aftermath of the older, longer-lipped Ferdinand's perceived England snub I'm more inclined to think it was a reaction to that (these are England fans after all), with Anton's name being included because, well, he's associated with Rio and the song needed two names. Muddled thinking (these are England fans after all), but not racist, IMO.

 

All that said, it now appears that the song was never sang anyway! If so, it'd be interesting to source who first claimed it was.

 

Also, if anyone's claiming it was racist on the basis that they were defending Terry, and that Terry was clearly mouthing racist abuse (which I agree he was) then presumably they also understand why many people levelled the same accusation at us as a fanbase for defending Luis and booing Evra. Leaving aside the agenda-mongs, they would've understandably believed that Luis was guilty as charged and reacted in the same way as some on here are towards the supposed England song.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 320
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Also, if anyone's claiming it was racist on the basis that they were defending Terry, and that Terry was clearly mouthing racist abuse (which I agree he was) then presumably they also understand why many people levelled the same accusation at us as a fanbase for defending Luis and booing Evra. Leaving aside the agenda-mongs, they would've understandably believed that Luis was guilty as charged and reacted in the same way as some on here are towards the supposed England song.

 

Only if they were incapable of understanding the differences in the two cases. Terry was caught on film bang to rights, whereas to believe racist intent from Suarez, you have to swallow Evra's version of events whole. Booing Evra wasn't something I agreed with by the way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only if they were incapable of understanding the differences in the two cases. .

Of course it is possible that there was more to this.

 

The idea that football fans chant nasty things to be nasty may be misguided.

 

I have heard that England fans, prior to games, can be seen earnestly debating Descartes, Plato, Nietzsche etc, although obviously they might favour Locke, Hobbes and Bacon. Etymology, precedent and subliminal message are essential to England’s travelling support ( although difficult to tattoo on eight knuckles).

 

The word “build” certainly has totalitarian overtones, as in building a Reich, and the word bonfire, with its literal sense of a fire in which bones were burned, suggests cannibalism. Now whether they were advocating that Rio ( and or Anton) should be eaten is unclear. “Thrown” was no accident, it almost certainly related to the defenestration of Prague probably expressing implicit support for the Hapsburg cause in the Thirty Years war.

 

I suggest no less than a European Commission enquiry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A flawed post in full.

 

JohnnyH, none of us can say for certain what was in the minds of those chanting. What I can say for certain is that your claim that I am “absolutely, 100%, clearly being wrong,” is foolish and your opinion ( fair enough), no more. An own goal on your part.

 

I am amazed by how you, and only a few others, are so suckered by the media, and have become so removed from how football crowds behave.

 

Fans will say anything to bait those whom they choose. The thought processes and motivations are nowhere near as sophisticated as you suggest.

 

I too think that Anton’s inclusion relates to the Terry case. Now was this about a matter which the Ferdinands “lost” , or was it about racism? Does England attract some pretty unsavoury racist characters? Yes. Were even they abusing Rio because he was black, or because he let England down and took the piss with his TV jaunt?

 

When the “john arne riise....I want to know how you broke Smiths' leg” was a popular chant amongst our support it was simply to bait the Mancs, it wasn’t personal, it didn’t advocate breaking legs, nor did it require John to sit down and talk us through it. Tasteless? Yes. Did people join in because it was catchy and of the moment? Yes. Did it reflect their moral standpoint on sporting injury? No. Welcome to the world of football fans.

Well, all I can say is thank you.

 

I've never actually been to a football match, or even watched one on the telly, so until you explained it to me, I had no idea how football crowds behave.

 

Teach me more, O Wise One!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Manchester police investigate alleged racial abuse of Vincent Kompany | Football | guardian.co.uk

 

 

Manchester police investigate alleged racial abuse of Vincent Kompany

 

• City's captain allegedly abused while giving interview

• Manchester police made aware of footage on Sky TV

 

Press Association

guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 9 April 2013 18.51 BST

 

Greater Manchester police are studying TV footage of a post-match interview after Monday's Manchester derby following claims that the Manchester City captain, Vincent Kompany, was racially abused.

 

The comments under investigation could be heard while Kompany and his team-mate James Milner were being interviewed on Sky Sports following their 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.

 

"Greater Manchester police have not received a complaint about racist abuse directed towards any players following last night's fixture, however we have now been made aware of this footage by the Manchester Evening News," a police statement said. "The force will work with both clubs and review any footage to investigate the incident."

 

Neither City nor Kompany have made a complaint over the obscenity, which it is believed came from outside the tunnel area. The area was sealed off from public view by large metal gates, though it is not uncommon for supporters to yell abuse as they make their way past that part of the stadium, before barriers are erected to allow supporters to wait for players to emerge and for players' cars to be brought for them to leave.

 

 

Anyone hear the abuse?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd have thought a guy the size of Kompany would be the last one you'd be looking to dish out any kind of verbal abuse to. He has a proper hard as fuck look that could get really nasty real quick if he wanted to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The insult seemed to strike Vincent Kompany with the force of a sniper's bullet. He froze, then strode back to the byline from where the jibe had come; an isolated figure staring into a sea of hostile faces. He made a brief, helpless gesture, then he turned away again, the tears spilling down his face.

 

And in those deeply disturbing moments, the ugliness of racism confronted the people who control Manchester United Football Club.

 

Both sets of players, including the manc captain, that lovely little French black man whose legion indiscretions we conveniently ignore, helped to control and console him, but humiliation had been inflicted upon a distraught young man.

 

Liverpool race row, Tom Adeyemi: Patrick Collins has his say | Mail Online

 

 

 

Let's hope Patrick Collins "has his say" on this one too. Ham it up, Paddy, lad, you pretentious poisonous lacky!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A flawed post in full.

 

JohnnyH, none of us can say for certain what was in the minds of those chanting. What I can say for certain is that your claim that I am “absolutely, 100%, clearly being wrong,” is foolish and your opinion ( fair enough), no more. An own goal on your part.

 

I am amazed by how you, and only a few others, are so suckered by the media, and have become so removed from how football crowds behave.

 

Fans will say anything to bait those whom they choose. The thought processes and motivations are nowhere near as sophisticated as you suggest.

 

I too think that Anton’s inclusion relates to the Terry case. Now was this about a matter which the Ferdinands “lost” , or was it about racism? Does England attract some pretty unsavoury racist characters? Yes. Were even they abusing Rio because he was black, or because he let England down and took the piss with his TV jaunt?

 

When the “john arne riise....I want to know how you broke Smiths' leg” was a popular chant amongst our support it was simply to bait the Mancs, it wasn’t personal, it didn’t advocate breaking legs, nor did it require John to sit down and talk us through it. Tasteless? Yes. Did people join in because it was catchy and of the moment? Yes. Did it reflect their moral standpoint on sporting injury? No. Welcome to the world of football fans.

 

Xerxes. I could just as easily say you have been suckered by the media into believing that all football fans are idiots who just chant for the sake of the chanting and are incapable of realising how a chant is meant or could be read. That’s a very silly, simplistic view. Personally, I’d never ever chant “Patrice Evra, you know what you are” as I’d know exactly what the connotations of it would be. It’d be a copout because we could say we mean he’s a liar, when we know many others would have very different meanings to what they were chanting. I’m a normal everyday football fan, so what makes me different from all these pied-piper followers you seem to think go to the match?

 

You are of course absolutely right that the chants about Alan Smiths leg was done to bait Man Utd fans. I don’t think it’s as popular as you suggest, but it was sung. It wasn’t at Smith and it wasn’t in support of breaking legs; so it was done to antagonise Man Utd fans. So what fans were the England fans baiting by singing about Rio and Anton Ferdinand then? None. They were directly baiting Rio Ferdinand about his no-show. They then added in Anton Ferdinand. As everyone knows, Anton Ferdinand didn’t even report Terry. TV caught him out. There was one reason and one reason only to include Anton in that chant. To say football fans just made it up or joined in as it was a catchy tune is the kind of evasion I expect from an FA trying to dodge a fine. Yes, some on the periphery would be just singing alone, but if you think that the bulk signing it didn’t know exactly what they were saying then I’d say you are very very naïve.

 

As an aside, I really hate that “You know what you are” chant. It’s cowardly, pathetic and derisory. Chelsea Football Club can keep it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Xerxes. I could just as easily say you have been suckered by the media into believing that all football fans are idiots who just chant for the sake of the chanting and are incapable of realising how a chant is meant or could be read...

A good reply in full, Johnny H.

 

I think we would both agree that the issue of chanting contains an unholy alliance of the malevolent, sheep, lemming and naive, the combination of which varies wildly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The insult seemed to strike Vincent Kompany with the force of a sniper's bullet. He froze, then strode back to the byline from where the jibe had come; an isolated figure staring into a sea of hostile faces. He made a brief, helpless gesture, then he turned away again, the tears spilling down his face.

 

And in those deeply disturbing moments, the ugliness of racism confronted the people who control Manchester United Football Club.

 

Both sets of players, including the manc captain, that lovely little French black man whose legion indiscretions we conveniently ignore, helped to control and console him, but humiliation had been inflicted upon a distraught young man.

 

Liverpool race row, Tom Adeyemi: Patrick Collins has his say | Mail Online

 

 

 

Let's hope Patrick Collins "has his say" on this one too. Ham it up, Paddy, lad, you pretentious poisonous lacky!

 

Did they never pick up the follow up story - when the public prosecutor confirmed she had heard a clean recording of what was actually said and it proved that what was shouted was not racist? Odd that. It's almost as if they're a shower of shitwitted inkwasting hacks with no concern for the truth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New Liverpool race row fan abuses Oldham player | Mail Online

 

Liverpool 5 Oldham 1: Andy Carroll breaks his duck but race row engulfs Anfield| Mail Online

 

Tom Adeyemi turned down place at Cambridge to become a footballer | Mail Online

 

Liverpool race row: Police probe Tom Adeyemi abuse at Anfield | Mail Online

 

Liverpool race row, Tom Adeyemi: Statement reveals police help | Mail Online

 

Liverpool race row, Tom Adeyemi: Fan arrested | Mail Online

 

Liverpool racism allegations: Police probe after Tom Adeyemi breaks down in tears | Mail Online

 

Liverpool apologise to Tom Adeyemi race row | Mail Online

 

And the crowning nut in the turd:

Liverpool race row, Tom Adeyemi: Patrick Collins has his say | Mail Online

 

 

 

 

 

But the Mail clearly redressed the balance with an open and frank apology. Oh, no they didn't, they printed the story accompanied by still after still of the incident and almost ironic quotation marks around the word "tend":

 

Liverpool fan accused of racist abuse against Tom Adeyemi not charged | Mail Online

 

They may as well have put "A LIKELY STORY!" as a concluding paragraph.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is the actual quotation from the prosecutor:

 

“I have viewed the extensive CCTV footage available, which has been enhanced to isolate and improve the sound.

 

“I have also read statements from Mr Adeyemi, the match officials and the many independent witnesses to the incident, many of whom came forward after the game to offer their evidence after hearing media reports of the incident.

 

“There are two important factors I have relied upon when making my decision: the enhanced CCTV footage and the high proportion of witness statements which tend to support the suspect’s version of events.

 

“On the balance of all of the evidence, I have therefore concluded that there is insufficient evidence to bring any criminal charges in this case and I have advised Merseyside Police of my decision.”

 

What a hate-filled rag the Daily Mail is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...