BBC reporting that the Durham Brach of the NUM have asked for the Wearmouth Colliery Banner which hangs at the SOL to be returned to them. This in a protest about Di Canio's appointment being "an insult to their members who died fighting fascists". I hope the Club meet with the NUM to sort this out amicably and convince them of the sincerity of Di Canio's statement that he is not a fascist, indeed is not politically minded and that remarks from long ago have been taken out of context by the media.
It's true, i've already posted this in Shameless's poll thread, but here it is again, incase you missed it. The Durham Miners' Association have just issued a statement attacking the decision to appoint Paolo Di Canio as manager of Sunderland and demanding that a Miners Banner is removed from the club. I would encourage everyone to read the statement and show their support for the excellent DMA. For more information on the DMA, visit: http://www.durhamminers.org Here is their statement: "Dave Hopper the General Secretary of the Durham Miners' Association is writing to Sunderland Football Club to demand the return of the Wearmouth Miners' Banner, which is on permanent display in the Stadium of Light, in protest at the decision to appoint the self-confessed fascist, Paolo Di Canio, as their head coach. Mr Hopper, who worked for 27 years as a miner at Wearmouth Colliery, the site on which the Stadium of Light now stands, described Di Canio's appointment as an outrage and a betrayal of all those who fought and died fighting fascism. He said,"I like many thousands of miners have supported Sunderland from infancy and are passionate about football. But, there are principles which are much more important. "Our banner represents the Durham miners' long struggle for the rights of the working class, rights which were annihilated by fascism in Germany, Italy, Spain and Chile. "We have a sacred obligation to the millions who were wiped out by Hitler, Mussolini and Franco to oppose fascism wherever and in whatever context this evil creed raises its head particularly at a time when working people are again being forced to pay for capitalism's crisis as they were in Europe in the 1920s and 30s. "The appointment of Di Canio is a disgrace and a betrayal of all who fought and died in the fight against fascism. "Everyone must speak out an oppose this outrage and call on Ellis Short and the Sunderland Board to reverse their decision." Hope not hate is proud to support the DMA's efforts to secure the return of the Monkwearmouth Colliery NUM Lodge banner and its protest at the appointment of Di Canio. http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/blog/nick
Becoming a joke this media vendetta like, hope all this bull doesn't detract PDC from the job in hand
Yes they are. A union of a now dead industry trying to make political mountains out of molehills? No, surely not!!
Even worse than that Billy mate, they are dragging up a fellas past, yet forget this... Not Sam Fox's tits, the other one please log in to view this image
Exactly mate...I backed this union to the hilt during the last miners strike, and witnessed first hand the biased media vendetta that was set against them...It is the short memories of the person/people making this decision that upsets me most..
All this will be forgotten when we show Chelsea the blood and sweat we are going to put into Sunday's game. Di Canio has even more motivation (as if he needed any anyway) to succeed and rub it all the media's faces.
So, communism (Stalin) is good! Half the labour party were (still are) communists. All the wet lefties and media luvvies are milking this for all they're worth. I think it could bring SAFC fans together (siege mentality or 'nobody likes us')
Wet lefties? It's the bloody Murdoch ran Sky TV and newspaper empire, as well as the BBC, who are at the forefront of all this, and they are about as right wing as you can get in this country..
I do feel some people are entitled to genuine grievances eg the war veterans who risked their lives in the fight against fascism. They will have similar feeling now Billy to what you have towards James Mclean.
The vast majority of us on here I'm sure will despise fascism. However, Di Canio has personally stated that his past comments have been taken out of context regarding this, and I for one am willing to take him at face value..
The war was against hitler and hitler went under the banner of the national socialist workers party, not facism which is mainly from italian and spanish parties. I cannot believe that these bigots, led by dmillie, drag up a 70 year old war as a reason to stick pins in a football manager. Then again maybe I can with dmillie it was a "principled way" to get away altogether to his well paid non job in the USA with maximum publicity and, sadly, with the old timers its often the old memories that is all that's left, Hitler is dead lets move on, it seems clear PDC has.
I supported the NUM in '84 too as I saw first hand what happened at Orgreave. That said, both Joe Gormley & Scargill ****ed the miners over. Neil Kinnock brokered a deal with the Thatcher government that Scargill flatly refused to accept or even put in front of his members. Democracy? Why are the NUM still even in existence? There's no ****ing pits left. Give the whinging ****s their banner back. Who gives a ****? Not me.
No one complained when Miliband shook hands with Gerry Adams & Martin McGuiness! I can remember some furore when Nissan announced it was buliding a factory at Sunderland, James McLean refused to wear a poppy on his strip & a few mentioned that, I have yet to see Dicanio do his fascist salute in this country, like he said it was all twisted to suit the media needs, the miners & Miliband have only jumped on the bandwagon for publicity & M<iliband may at some stage wish to come back into politics, If we got a Tory or Lib Dem supporter on the board at SAFC would the same thing happen, some of my relatives fought in WW2 against the Germans, Italians & Japanese, we have had an Italian as national manager, German & Italian players in the Premier League & no-one questioned their beliefs, is the road we are now going to take, Alex Ferguson is no fan of the English, so what should happen to him?
**** em. My dad was a miner and he'll be turning in his grave (more like his ashes swirling in the wind on the SOL pitch) at this. Nothing is bigger than the club. Not a manager, not a union. SAFC is not a club for conditional support, that's what makes us so special.. **** em.
The NUM are partly to blame for 18 years of Tory rule and the misery heaped on the working classes by Thatcher and the plum Major. They are an out dated pile of **** and I'd personally shove the banner up David Hoppers fat ****ing arse the prick. This is the worst peice of sensationalism since time began. What a disgraceful situation.
What I don't get is that all this has started since he became our manager.It wasn't like this when he was playing or when he became manager of Swindon.The press are tossers always will and always have been let them write there **** I'm sure PDC couldn't give a **** it will just make him want to do better.
