OT: Why have the white british left London

I saw this article on the BBC news website. It provoked alot of debate... over 1500 responses. I posted some of the article and the link below.
I posted a thread after the Milton Keynes game at home. What was different there - was the crowd. It was much more working class, white, local, vocal. This was of course driven by the decision to drop the price of the tickets to £25.00. So even at QPR have we seen a 'push' of the indigenous out of the ground. It was notable that the vitriol was strong on Park - lots of anti - Korean comments where I was sitting. I had never really thought how much the crowd had changed over the 30 years I had followed QPR. What is also interesting is that we DO have a core fan base that could fill a stadium. They may not be as local and they might only come if we are pricing conscious - or is that traditional QPR crowd gone for ever and not in the minds of our owners for future profitability?


Something quite remarkable happened in London in the first decade of the new millennium. The number of white British people in the capital fell by 620,000 - equivalent to the entire population of Glasgow moving out.

The consequence, as revealed by the latest census, is that white Brits are now in a minority in London, making up just 45% of its residents.

So where have they gone to - and why did they leave?

I've been analysing and mapping the census data, and what emerges is a much more positive story than some headlines would make you think.

The movement of the white British is often characterised as white flight - the indigenous population forced out of their neighbourhoods by foreign migrants. That may be part of the story, but I think the evidence suggests it is also about working class aspiration and economic success.


Trying to track internal migrants is never easy. Just because the population of one place has fallen and another has risen does not mean residents moved between them. But there are some clues as to where London's white British migrated to between the censuses of 2001 and 2011.

While the capital's white British population fell by 620,000, the white British population in the rest of England and Wales increased by 220,000. (The overall fall of 400,000 is explained by a low birth rate and emigration.)

See Link here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21511904

 

where have they gone & why did they leave i think the article says it all.

 

There is no news here as far as London football in general and QPR in particular are concerned. The exodus of 'aspirational' working class starting happening many years ago and most people now commute to their preferred club just as they do to their work place. The same is true of London theatre and West End shopping.

When asking these kind of pseudo Xenophobic questions you need to make the distinction between the tourist audience (who do tend to be quiet and are obviously not passionate) and non-white fans who, as far as I know, are every bit as capable of passion and vocal support as anyone else. A 'traditional' QPR supporter is not just delineated by the colour of their skin surely?

Arsenal are now attracting a multi-cultural fan base much more so than other London clubs (for obvious reasons in regard to the likes of West Ham and the scum). QPR would do well to follow suit.

 

I am not sure that the BBC article regarding the flight of the white Londoners does dovetail that neatly in to a direct comparison with what has happened at LR. I think what has happened to QPR both on the pitch and financially since 1996 has damaged the short term and perhaps medium term fan base.

I do think the infamous day in 1996 when we managed to beat West Ham 3-0 and got relegated has a lot to do with where we are now in terms of having a larger core fan base. Had we survived in 1996 and had not gone into financial meltdown we may well have maintained a large core following in the intervening years and we may have been riper for investment earlier and may be further ahead now in terms of a new ground, larger crowds, more established brand (which is not necessarily what the fans think is important, but it would be to the owners) and in a larger stadium of lets say 40K capacity a few hundred Korean fans coming every couple of weeks to see JS Park would not indicate a change in the demographics of the fan base as it appears to now in an 18K stadium.

With us then further sinking as low as the 3rd tier of English football I suspect that as a result there are now teenage kids and many young adults in their twenties who are all now Chelsea/Arsenal supporting off spring of QPR parents. It is fine for us to get all high and mighty and say "no son/daughter of mine is gonna support Chelsea under my roof" but unless the parent is a regular at LR and drags them along week in week out, then it will have been hard for many QPR fans to have hung onto their kids team loyalty when Premier League teams are playing each other on Sky every week and we are away at Barnsley or home to Huddersfield or Brentford on a Tuesday night and serving up dross.

Had we survived and been one of the Premier League 20 for the last 16 years, I suspect that there would have been less offspring deserting and starting to support other London Clubs or Man Utd and had the right investor come in 10 years ago we would be more established.

If that had happened then I don't think that you can totally discount the above argument altogether that the fan base would be more culturally diverse anyway. If we had been a top London club since 1996 we probably would have maintained local support from White City/The Bush and the couple of miles each way. Whether they would be white, black, Asian who knows. I do know that many of the white Irish who lived in White City, Shepherds Bush, Fulham, Ladbroke Grove and Acton had moved out along the west London corridor in the 70's and 80's like my own parents did and hence the Central Line gets pretty packed on the West Ruislip branch before and after home games as those of us who are 2nd generation supporters are now out in the suburbs and some even out further.

I also think the rise of QPR back to the top tier following the Four Year Plan by Messieurs Tango & Cash was also unfortunate timing because in many of the working class pockets of people living in West London who would perhaps like to go and support QPR there is just not the money to spend £40-£50 on a single game at LR in the current climate and therefore it is only those lesser cup games where the Club dramatically cut prices does it prove that there is a potential larger fan base who could be tapped into if the timing was right both on the pitch and off the pitch and sadly the time is not right at the moment as things stand.

 

Very good post 4stringR.

Enjoyed the read.

 

would I want to live in London
No ****ing way
Too many reasons to go through but some people would not be happy with most of them, so I would just say I prefer Herts

 

"The movement of the white British is often characterised as white flight - the indigenous population forced out of their neighbourhoods by foreign migrants."
Was there a physical removal of the "white British" ?
Pray tell how were they "forced out"

"would I want to live in London
No ****ing way
Too many reasons to go through but some people would not be happy with most of them, so I would just say I prefer Herts "
Consider writing an article on what you feel, and shy away from racist terms, which some people, and the law, may find offensive.

 

Now THAT'S what i call self moderation! Well done that man!

 

Contrary to decades of popular opinion, still plenty of white Brits round our way...

Issue?

 

I'd love you to post this OP on WATRB...be burning crosses within 10 posts

Please let us know if you do, would love to se the responses.

As for me, I dont think its an issue as loads of non-white British have also left london (myself included).
i certainly wasnt forced out by a (non) white majority. What a ridiculous statement!

Seems a bit of a nothing story?

 

as I white male born and bred in west London I am ashamed to say I was forced out by a kiwi female

like ****ing E T they are
they all want to go home

 

not that I ever classed myself as british anyway

 

Well, having lived in Sydney for many years, now residing on the Gold Coast and mainly working in Brisbane, I can't tell you how many British ex pat's now live here. There are thousands and I have no problem with that. Many of them are my good mates and I work with a couple as well.

They all say the same thing about their homeland. To be politicly correct, that it is not the same anymore and they love it here. There also thousands of Kiwis here as well and I say to anyone looking to come here, it is a great place, a great lifestyle ................ except, the biggest problem is finding work. If you can do that, then you have it made.

Anyway, onto the subject............

I know in Sydney, where I grew up, has changed dramatically. Fair to say that life keeps moving and sometimes, we don't but .............. regardless of where we are in the world, i still don't like seeing whole areas change. History to me is most important and I don't care what anyone says, I can get by with a little change but to rid an area of it's history, replace it with a new group of people and cultures .......... I think is dead wrong.

If I choose to travel to a given city in a given country, I expect to see the history and the people who represent it, not some other race or culture, otherwise, what's the point?

Multi cultism has it's benefits and has improved areas and people's knowledge the world over but not at the sake of history.

For what's it's worth, that is my two bob's on the subject.

 

There is plenty of them in Spain if anyone wants to file a missing persons ad?

 

should have listened to enoch powell back in the 60's.

 

Familiar sounding story...

 

I hope james the one doesn't see this thread...

 

REALLY...?

This coming from a white englishman who now lives in Sydney..are you f-ing joking?
are you aware how nice and politely the English nation claimed this country and MANY others around the world to assemble the Empire.
Are you aware of how many people English soldiers killed to claim countries that had F-al to do with Them

I say this as a proud Englishman - although not white

We as a country and race are a nasty, racist bunch of f**kers.

I've read this post 3 times now and not sure If you are winding us up or not.....Replace it with a new group of people and cultures..? WTF do you think YOU are doing?

Close this post before the closet WATRB racists get a chance to post

And who-ever it was thatt posted on Enoch Powell..i hope your daughter marries a coloured guy..just for fun....love to see you babbysitting on a sat !

As for the post I'm responding too..If you grew up in Sydney then you have absolutely no idea of what is happening in London with regards to race.

I'm a black person living in QLD..hopefully soon we'l take over this white majority country...now does that sound as racist as the post

Terrible terrible post & shows openly every reason I'd never be proud to call myself an Aussie.

#disgustedbeyondbelief

 

Prick

Where would all your rich white boys (JT, DB) be going on holiday then? Barbados, Dubai, Peurto Benus..dont think so!!

Chaz & dave at SouFend!

Idiot!

ps..oH YEAH, AND IF YOU AGREED WITH HIM, THEN WHY DIDNT YOU DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT?
A group as big as the NF could surely have made something happen, unless, as suspected, they were a bunch of ***gots who could front up when asked. Guys who shaved there heads so they could be around ather guys always worried me..but not for that reason....think Bronski Beat!

Facts were, the racist parties got found out as idiots and soft, hence the need to try and join Combat 18 etc.

I'l leave this now, but will happily discuss racism on another OT thread with anyone who cares to raise it.

 

Calm down queenie....deep breaths!