Yes we know that and it might be a little easier when a physical attack has also taken place as I said in the first place. Are you PISKIE in disguise?
Herbert is presumably too busy filing nuisance lawsuits against every US store for saying today is Black Friday, even though their staff and customers aren't all black...
Semantics, I'm afraid. The key phrase here is, intent is extremely difficult to prove. Which, IMO, is why the old bill won't get involved unless they come under tremendous pressure to do so. However, so far, our boy Herbie has done nothing but make a nuisance of himself. With even black football pro's telling him to butt out.
. . and this is the crux of the issue. Intent, semantics and the cultural right to use Semitic words and phrases. Spurs are not a 'Jewish' club, no more than Arsenal who have at least as large a Jewish following. You can morally pontificate about it all day and night. Only bona fide Jewish groups can really say how it feels and whether it's offensive. In the context of whether allowing or chastising a group of football fans fans to chant it, you can't differentiate between the legitimacy allowing one set of fans to use of it and nobody else's .
Again, as has been said, there is the matter of intent. There is a clear difference between one set of fans using the word Yid as a slur, and another set, whose club has long been associated with having a Jewish fan base, using the word as an affirmation of identity. This is blatantly obvious to anybody with a balanced view of the matter. Many other clubs, including Arsenal, may well have a large Jewish fan base. However, the fact remains that it is well known and accepted in football circles that Spurs are the only team whose identity is firmly linked with the Jewish faith.
...not least because Spurs fans don't have a chant that manages to be both racist and antisemitic in their songbook.
Looks like West Ham could be in the **** after their fans' behaviour today. The media woke up because of their Viva Lazio chanting and there's several reports of their hissing and songs about stabbing Spurs fans and Hitler. Letting off a flare won't have helped, either. Herbert's going to have his hands full with this one. In a way, I hope he does the dumb thing and focuses on the Yids/Yid Army songs, as it'll expose him for exactly what he is.
Herbert is an opportunist. If he sees mileage in this, he'll champion the cause, if there's no publicity in it, he won't.
I don't think that Spurs fans ceasing to chant about the long-associated Jewish identity of the club sends across the right message though, after all such incidents as we have seen this week are exactly the reasons why such chanting from Spurs fans began. Backing down in the face of racist abuse is entirely the wrong thing to do. Such chants from other fans group all Spurs fans as Jews and abuse them as if they are, even though this obviously is not the case. The point is that the Jewish association is part of the identity of the club now, for whatever reason, so the fans respond to that and react when that is attacked even though perhaps they wouldn't when they're not at the football.
Herbert's hit a new low today: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/25/peter-herbert-combat-football-racism "The link between the appalling incidents in Rome and the "Y" word chanting is obvious. The chanting of the word simply legitimises antisemitic abuse by other fans." What a ****ing moron.
Of course, by Herbert's own twisted logic and the behaviour of Lazio fans at WHL, had they been monkey chanting during the attack, it would be our fault for having black players and complaining about the chants. The man's a ****ing idiot and the quicker he disappears back up his own arse the better, frankly.
All it confirms is that he's nothing but an opportunist trying to seize on anything he can to further the publicity he gets and that adds to his credibility as self-appointed moral compass for football. He's already been made to look ridiculous and has just done it again saying that us using the "y-word" legitimises anti-semites stabbing fans **** off Peter
"The Society of Black Lawyers, in seeking to challenge racism in football, has been accused of being "naive", "publicity-seeking", "unhelpful" or out to "get work". Organisations or individuals who speak out on human rights are seldom welcomed by those whose inaction or collusion with racism is challenged." They guy's not even on this Planet. He's living on a planet on his own in a galaxy far, far away where logic and reason hasn't yet been developed "Racism and antisemitism in football are problems for everyone and those who think they can be no-go areas for the law are sadly mistaken. One of the consequences of such complacency is that football grounds, with some notable exceptions, continue to be a largely white affair." .... Did I just read that right?
It seems that Herbert thinks that racism is a one way street and fails to see how his own statements and the SBL are themselves racist. Just how would he feel if a society for white lawyers started a campaign to muffle rap music. I am struggling to see how he is helping in the struggles for an equal society in which all are treated with respect.
