Bulgaria Racism

Breaking news is that Bulgarian FA HQ in Sofia has just been raided by police special forces. This follows the resignation of their President, after last nights disgraceful scenes by Bulgarian football supporters during the England game.

It was clear the racists were very organised last night, I suspect Ultra's involvement and news reports are now suggesting that stewards were among the fans doing Nazi salutes, it's alleged they removed there Hi Viz jackets. Ultra's are well known for being organised, so hearing stewards were involved is no surprise.

From the Times;

Campaigners are calling for Uefa to expel Bulgaria from Euro 2020 after evidence emerged that many of the perpetrators of the racist abuse directed towards England players in Sofia were stewards and stadium security staff.

Observers for football’s anti-discrimination body Fare saw “at least 20 people” remove staff bibs before joining the group in the Vasil Levski stadium that then performed Nazi salutes and chanted racist abuse.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/england-players-racially-abused-by-stadium-staff-l2hbn2rfv#

 

Pathetic behaviour and the national team should be banned indefinitely.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50054475

 

As difficult as it may seem to stamp out racism on the level we saw last night, the one thing we need to remember is I believe that was orchestrated racism. There was several traits of evidence in that; Firstly the group were formed, not scattered casual racism, secondly and more importantly, they all walked out at the same time, in an organised manner. I've already stated several times since yesterday, hallmarks of an Ultra group. Third and final proof of that, would have been eye witnesses to at least 20 stewards taking off thier hi viz and joining the group.

For me this can be controlled by ticket sales. For example, my name and home address is registered with my football club, they issue me with a membership number, if I buy tickets, I need to either register with my details, or do so on my membership number. If I break the rules, my membership number becomes blacklisted, along with my name and home address. It's really not difficult to sort this problem, it just needs UEFA to kick a few butts into gear. Remember this is not about an incident outside the ground, which is harder to control, this is an incident inside the ground, where you should have FULL control. There really is no excuses for an organised group to be that big and that active, inside a football stadium.

 

Racism exists at every level of the game. If an example is going to be made by expelling Bulgaria, then the same punishment should be meted out to every nation and league club that has fans who dish out this abuse.

I think this is unrealistic and unworkable, since most leagues would be decimated.

Instead, I think sporting bodies should ban entire fan bases from grounds, and bans should remain in place until racist perpetrators are grassed up and reported. Then the ban can be commuted to life bans for the perpetrators and the rest let back in.

What we have to do is breed a culture of intolerance among fans, and get away from this pathetic notion held by many that it is wrong to grass up the perpetrators.

Zero tolerance should mean zero tolerance. At the moment, it doesn’t.

 

But you don't need to grass them up, the authorities should know who these fans are. If we are suggesting they don't then that don't bode well with the ongoing threat of terrorist organisations.

It's simple tickets are allocated a seat number. To gain a ticket you have to register for a membership number, where your name and address is taken. This could be extended a step further with a verification code via your mobile number, in the same way banks do. Ticket sales are limited to 2-4 per person, no group bookings.

Tickets are then barcode read at the ground - this will assist in two ways, firstly it will identifiy that a holder of the ticket is in the ground and secondly, if fake or multiple addresses are registered, it gives time for the ticket sellers to void those tickets before the game. Thus the ticket holder will have to go to a query office to clarify why a discrepancy exists.

This isn't tinpot lower league grounds we are talking about, we are talking about multi-million pound football grounds. If certain governing bodies are not up to date with the technology, they are banned from competitions until they sort it. Less fortunate countries can be waivered from the rules if they have no history of crowd disturbances.

 

It’s obviously terrible but I can’t really abide the holier than thou attitude of our press and politicians given the rhetoric in this country currently.

 

UEFA have charged Bulgaria's FA with some stuff but also charged England's FA with some stuff. The latter is basically to say that it's not UEFA's fault that in 2019 black footballers are still called n*****s.

 

The thing that gets me is the little things. I've been hearing on the radio about the incident and the language being used is the black players, they, them but not we. The abuse of Raheem or Tyrone is the abuse of the England squad not them or they. It's a collective.


I get your point about the rhetoric currently, and Boris being indignant after his Muslim women comments is laughable. But for me it goes a little further. And I refer to something that may get me some stick, the whole poppy on the shirts incidents. This stuff needs to be kept away from football because ultimately it can be about nothing more than nationalism, which can become racism. The booing of the national anthems by England fans needs stamping out too.

 

That's why England are being punished too. Over the Anthem booing.

I'm a Nationalist and I wear a poppy, what is your problem with that?

 

Players have always worn poppies,

 

Always makes me shake my head when people knock the poppy. Many people that knock it, wouldn't have had the freedom too, if it weren't for people from all walks of life, that gave their lives.

Problem is as the two great wars fade from memory, so does the respect.

Men dug the trenches, that for many was to be their burial ground, but a new dawn arose, when the turn soil gave new life to the germination of the poppy seeds.

 

Many of our long gone players, died in the wars, some teams lost many players.It may sound corny 'BUT THIS IS ENGLAND'.

At least respect them ffs, or **** off.

 

Seems to be a crime to be a Nationalist these days, or you get tarred with being a racist. I doubt their is many countries in this world, where you would get away with so freely insulting someones identity.

 

I don't give a **** about the royal family, nor any ruling goverment. I'm English. Proud of our history,

 

Not sure if im proud of our history but i take your point. I can only be what i am from birth, i can't be to blame for our woes before my birth.

 

Woes?

We had a great nation, and now it seems hip to knock it.

 

I have no problem with the poppy generally. It's only in football where I believe politics of any kind need to be kept out.

 

For internationals? I stand corrected if so. I was only aware of the fuss over recent times tbh

 

The poppy has been worn long before football was invented in 92.