Drogheda ban fan for life over racism

by DonalÓF-Supersaint. Fri Jul 11, 2008 23:14

Racism has no place in the League of Ireland, glad to hear this.

It's up to everyone attending games week in week out to do their part to stamp it out when you hear it, just telling a young lad to shut up will normally do the job to stop him and his mates sharing their 'wisdom' with those within earshot.

In recent times, there's plenty of Polish fans in particular visiting Inchicore to watch Saint Patricks play, and this should be encouraged. Attendances aren't super at present in the league, so it's important the environment is as welcoming as possible, and morons like the bloke in the above story should not be welcome on the terraces or in the stand of any ground.

Football is the game of the people, and of course that includes everyone. I once heard a young lad yelling the same thing at one of our own players, who was then a 'bloody legend!' when he knocked a goal in five minutes latter. Typical enough.

by Norman Hunter Sat Jul 12, 2008 01:51

If the same fan had shouted at a female Referee "you stupid bitch", would he have been banned for life for his undoubted sexism? No, he wouldn't have been banned at all. More double standards.

by lulu Sat Jul 12, 2008 09:24

All the 'isms' are shite that must be discouraged, even seemingly positive 'isms' like "nimble black people", "clever Jews", but fair play to the stewards for being on the ball. I hope that very soon, sexism will be treated in the same way - we are still evolving, and what we now call Political Correctness has changed over the years; it was once rude to call dark-skinned people 'black' - the polite word was Negro.

by Soccerman Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:15

I can fully understand the frustration of some soccer fans. When I go out to watch a match between Cork City and and St. Pats, then I want to see Cork lads fighting it out with the lads from that particular part of Dublin. I do not want to see teams of foreign mercenaries whose players neither bond with the town and club they ar playing for, but are in the game formonetary gaines, moving from club to club club, town to town and country to country every two years.

by lulu Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:23

sure, but 'nigger' doesn't mean 'mercenary'.........& it's not just players who've brought about the current hireling state of the game.

by DonalÓF Sat Jul 12, 2008 14:23

"I can fully understand the frustration of some soccer fans. When I go out to watch a match between Cork City and and St. Pats, then I want to see Cork lads fighting it out with the lads from that particular part of Dublin"

Ah yeah, but what football fan doesn't?

For instance, among the Saints starting eleven we've got a goalie from County Clare, a London born defender, an American midfielder and I could go on. In fact I doubt there's a handful of players in our starting eleven, or on the bench even- from Inchicore or West Dublin in general.

It's very unusual to find teams made up of local lads (Beyond the Under 12s Kickabout Final maybe), and if you're playing away to Bohs or Shelbourne or anyone else, they won't be "lads from that particular part of Dublin" at all.

I don't think that justifies football fans shouting racist remarks but! A bit of slagging has always played a role in the game in Ireland, the 'Inchicore is full of smack' and 'Always look on the Northside for shite' stuff is thrown around- but it's commonplace to end up in the pub together after a game. There's a fine line between lighthearted slagging and racist insults.

The last time I heard racist comments from one of our own fans they were told to 'shut up' by a few fans around them, I hope it's the same at other clubs.

by Soccerman Sat Jul 12, 2008 14:57

Soccer was converted to mercenary sport in the late 60's or early 70's. Before this it was predominantly local people who played for the teams. These people stood by their clubs even in difficult times. And when they retired from the active playing field, then they they coached the youngsters or manned the ticket booths beforethe matches. Not like nowadays when they only care about the money they make and move from club to club never staying long enough to bond with any of the clubs they are playing for.

by foreign games Sat Jul 12, 2008 17:44

I just went and had a look at the website http://www.theredcard.ie/index.html and was very impressed at the ideas and strategy to link the issue to the values people like to associate with sport. I couldn't help wondering where the bracelets are made though, since they look very like the ones produced for "make poverty history" and every new regular concern fad - in which case they'd be made in sweatshops out east (Very far east). I honestly don't know what a bracelet has over an old bit of coloured ribbon which could have been knocked up somewhere under the "guaranteed irish" umbrella and only needed the extra little safetypin to be imported from out east (eastern Europe not Asia). But times have changed and we've welcomed the citizens of eastern Europe to our capitalist club and football clubs to stand next to us and cheer and chant in the best possible way. Even if we don't buy their safety matches or safety pins anymore. Football has changed a lot which this old sketch from a comedy program by Harry Enfield showed in which the team of Arsenal 1933 played the team of Liverpool of 1991. (In black & white).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JR1fhQr-3U

Everyone should check out that "show racism the red card ireland" site. http://www.theredcard.ie/index.html

by leo bloomers Sat Jul 12, 2008 18:11

Racism usually comes from ignorance and resentment; it's better to have a discussion with racists (when possible!) than to merely condemn them. Some people who consider themselves PC will speak of racists as sub-humans, which sounds depressingly familiar. It's usually lower-income communities which have to bear the consequences of immigration in terms of access to housing and services, and their resentment can be raised by irresponsible media and leaders.

by Jacqueline Fallon Sat Jul 12, 2008 20:28

I don't agree that the Drogheda supporter should have been banned by the club. After all, he has been attending matches and paying money at the gate for years and this is how they repay him for his loyalty! He should have been given a 'yellow card' for the offence and told not to do it again or he'd get a 'red card' and be sent off for good. This sort of unfair treatment to a loyal fan is only going to create more resentment towards foreign people here.

The Senegal born soccer player himself should have been banned from Drogheda for uttering this statement when asked by his family where Drogheda was, he replied: "behind England" - buachaill dána!

by Pollytix Sat Jul 12, 2008 22:38

I wonder how many people here know where Senegal is, beside, behind, above, below, under, via, a cote de, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal

In our world where justice is upside down, Ireland is indeed behind England.
Ibrahima Iyane Thiam has probably done more for Ireland in le Sénégal than anyone else and like many other Senegalese puts up with all sorts of abuse and receiving very little thanks for it.

For anti-imperialists le Sénégal only shook off its former colonisers in 1960; perhaps some out there can empathise.

by jeff Sun Jul 13, 2008 03:17

this guy is an idiot.I'm glad he's banned. End of.

I hope that African fella's capable of scoring goals for his team. If not, shout 'You're crap!" at him. Bringing in race is another matter. It's a bit sick and needs to be eliminated from anywhere, be it football or on the bus.

One time, I was on a bus, and it was a Bus Eireann bus to Ashbourne, ands me ticket was out of date, and I was going to pay the extra to make up the difference. The bus driver was some African fella , and he said I couldn't do it that way, he'd been driving for years and ye can't make up differences in prices, I'd have to buy a fresh ticket. I took out my wallet but my face was pissed off. Maybe cos it was Christmas, or perhaps it was my 'foreigner, what does he know' face, he actually let me on for free!

Either way, if he'd have made me pay the tariff, I hope now he'd not have picked up stupid ignorant "foreign" vibes. The dudes driving a bus, playing football, debating a point in legal argument or diagnosing an illness, their ethnicity needs to be left alone.

Our former colonial masters seem to have a thing for the BNP.Hopefully, we won't emulate these cretins. When people younger than me get on a bus and argue with a driver, I wish that they will be pissed off with him because of his attitude(if he's a bollix), and won't be adding race to it.

Certain minority racist webshites have been arguing the opposite. Please, God, let them slip into the gutter where they belong.

Amen

ps; i'm human, i think the wrong things sometimes, but i know the difference between right and wrong.

by lulu Sun Jul 13, 2008 07:16

I think Jacqueline's right about yellow card - in a coupla years he may think quite differently, & if he doesn't, he may have the sense to keep quiet. People change, sometimes for the better!

by lulu Sun Jul 13, 2008 07:19

Perhaps I'm making a sexist assumption that it was a he?

by Norman Hunter Mon Jul 14, 2008 03:00

No, you weren't being sexist, just a bit unobservant. All the necessary information about this person's gender was contained in the above phrase in the original post.