I read this week Neil Warnock stating how Fulham fans chanting 'cheat' at Luis Suarez was disgraceful, and that clubs should take action against fans for doing this sort of thing. Suarez's response to those fans was a raised middle finger which provoked numerous responses from fans, pundits and managers. There's no direct point or question to this thread, I simply which to know other peoples stance on players reactions to fans, and how far fan chants can go? Personally I have nothing against, for example, Adebayors celebration in front of Arsenal fans. However, I do object to scumbags like Lee Hughes winding the fans up after they refer to him as a murderer. On the fans side of things, I find songs such as the 'he used to like coach trips/but not any more...Adebayor' chant (whilst being somewhat ashamedly amusing), quite uncalled for, yet the likes of 'Arsene Wenger is a *****phile' I have no problem with - it is not a direct insult, rather a pun on his penchant for bringing in young players. Share your thoughts, however politically incorrect they may be
Is this the same Warnock who moaned for at least a year about Tevez at West Ham? I have no problem whatsoever with what either the Fulham fans or Suarez's response. No problem at all with Adebayor's celebration against Arsenal, or Clinton Morrison's at the Valley. Lee Hughes is a special case. I find him objectionable in general, and especially his general demeanour in a football match. But, if opposition fans spend the whole match having a go at him, I don't really have much of a problem with him giving some back. The problem with him is he's a prick regardless of what opposition fans do. That coach trips song is not on imo, nor are songs like the one mentioned on here recently about one of our ex-players. I don't know the background to the Wenger song so I won't comment on it. The incest song annoys me because it's stupid. The Ched Evans song that seems to have come on tour for every away match since Bramall Lane is not on in my opinion. I don't care at all about Evans' feelings, but I think it makes a joke about the incident, which is offensive to the victim of the alleged crime and other victims of similar crimes.
I too find the adams family song tedious, particularly when its sung at a small group of hardy away fans.
Agree but fortunately we haven't heard it so much this season. There are much better songs around now.
Hate the Adams Family song - I'll hold my hands up and admit I've sang it a few times but its just got tedious now, can someone please explain the reasoning behind the Kevin Lisbie song?. In terms of Adebayor / Morrison when they celebrate in front of their tormentors I say good on them. Football is a form of theatre (just look at the falling over in the Euro games) and when people give abuse (banter would probably be a better word) they should understand that the offending person has every right to give it back. Aka At the Yeovil home match last season my mate started insulting Sam Williams (ironically who was on trial with us in the summer) because he'd dived, and to our astonishment started giving it back (we simply found it hilarious and still joke about it). What I dont like is when the player comes out after the match moaning about their treatment (like Robbie Keane did a few years ago) or when a fan turns round and moans at the abuse / banter they've been given. And yes I certainly do agree - Lee Hughes is the one exception who deserves whatever he gets
The best chants don't need to be abusive or offensive, they tend to be more witty when the language is used in a comic repartee way.
Exactly - Which is why I was offended by Rio Ferdinand's twitter comments during the John Terry race row when he asked if the players should be shake hands with the fans when they're abused. Im sorry mate but we're not in Russia or Spain - If an fan was to clearly and obviously give racial abuse in this country then we'd be fed to the dogs!!
I say good luck to the playerss having a go back what I hate is fans who dish it out then report players to the police for reacting
You pay your money and they take it you can sing what you like. Go to a rugby club dinner and see if they care about pc correctness.
I caught part of a song on Saturday about an 83-year-old fan and a bag of Viagra - does anybody know this one?
Tewks I remember hearing something similar last season, only remember bits of it "with a belly full of viagra and a...*persons name* is turning *person age* Bet that helped I'm assuming there is no real motivation behind the aforementioned Lisbie song, other than perhaps that he was on loan with Millwall. As for the Adams family, its slightly amusing against teams like Bristol/Norwich which are seen by some as the incest capitals of the UK, but it gets so boring being sung against every single one of the 71 other clubs in all four divisions (and Halifax). To spice things up a bit here (not intending to put across my own belief, simply wanting to spark a debate), if you were offered 10k-100k a week to be racially/homophobically abused, would you complain much about your job?
Yes because it's unacceptable whatever the profession or salary level, racist or homophobic abuse doesn't make any difference to what you do. More people need to report it at football rather than accept it shrug shoulders and walk away. I'll always challenge it where safe to do so or report it to the authorities.
Chanting is one thing, nasty abuse another, hearing an individual behind me on Saturday shouting 'F88king C88t" at any opposition player (amongst other things) was tedious and unpleasant. I have some sympathy with players, they get 90 minutes of sustained often nasty abuse from sections of the crowd (and I mena far worse than the booing former players like Defoe get), and if they dare raise a finger or mouth something back, then suddently the supporters become all innocent and shocked, as if they were a 70 year old nun.
I am sorry but how can players get any sympathy? They earn a decent wage and live our dreams and ambitions! they must expect abuse. How many players have left to become nurses or bog cleaners because of the abuse. They dont give a monkeys about the fans, never have , never will, they say they do on blogs and twitters to give themselves some sainthood sincereity but do you think they will ever stop and think that every bugger gets abuse on their jobs!! Why are they differnt from say a telesales rep or traffic warden etc
Just because they earn more money it doesn't mean they deserve to be subjected to racist or homophobic abuse for the job they do as neither do nurses, teaching assistants or any other lower paid workers. I am making a general comment about what is and isn't acceptable behaviour in the workplace and that cuts across all professions.
If you take money for a job then expect the highs and lows. And exactly what homophopic racist abuse is out there for say your average footballer compared to a traffic warden. You have to take everything in proportion and abuse in a public forum is acceptable within limits. My hearts bleeds for that million pound footballer who goes cottaging and gerballing and gets called a ****!!! FFS.
Typical: well said, my friend. An honest assessment from a very honest football supporter. I like the cut of your gib.
That's the one WW, sung to the tune of Top of the League Wonder how the rest of it goes? If there is a rest of it...
I'll have to keep an ear out this time next year Tewks Strangely, (for once) I actually agree with Typical on this. If I was offered a contract of 10k a week under the condition that people would racially abuse me, I'd take it in an instant. Especially if it was for a dream job, something I'd spent my whole life wanting to do, and something that probably 80% of the country wish they were doing. I'm sure we all hold the regret at not quite being good enough to be a professional footballer Saying that, I don't condone racial abuse at all at football matches, but I'm frustrated at how a lot more is done about the abuse of footballers when compared with the average citizen. Every week we hear one or two cases of footballers being racially abused via twitter/at matches, but take a look at any Youtube video and without a doubt, you will find comments arguing over the supremacy of Christianity/Islam, and comments so vile I wouldn't wish to post them on here. Yet how many of these people are being investigated by the police or sentenced to months in prison?
WWOCB you can have your wish. Recently a young woman was imprisoned for racially abusing other passengers on a tram, her child taken away into care and she is remanded until the new year. Now while what she said was wrongish, she expressed an opinion that many are sympathetic too. Yet girls of Muslim faith can get laggered up and smash another girls face in and get off without doing a lump? The point being is you can't fairly sentence racial crime when no one knows what the rules are.
