I find the Tottenham "yid" issue really perplexing and get the impression that the word is almost acknowledged by the club these days. A former director I worked for who supported Spurs once made a comment about the club advertising discounted cup tickets as " a yid for a quid" but I do not know if this was officially sanctioned. I was quite surprised by his remark but it was quite clear he could see no offence in using the phrase. The impression I get is that the Spurs fans are ok with it's use. It does seem odd that away supporters then get prosecuted for using the word. Because of the press's perceived issues with Jeremy Corbyn's alleged antisemitism, this kind of behaviour by away fans has now gone to the top of the agenda. I think the suspension probably needs to be taken into account with this. The most striking impression Spurs fans made on me was when there used to be a giant Israel flag that was passed up and down the terrace at White Hart Lane. This first appeared around the time the Premier League started from my recollection. I would consider this to be far more offensive to most right-thinking people and have been surprised that the appearance of the Israeli flag has not been controversial. If I was a non-Jewish Spurs fan I would have been embarrassed by this as it is exactly the same kind of nationalism I would not want to blight the English game. As has been touched on previously, a lot of the sports fan base using the term are not actually Jewish and I am intrigued why no one has ever picked this up as social appropriation. The tying up of religion and football is something I am deeply uncomfortable with even if I recognise that teams like Southampton and Man City have their origins is Christian social clubs. The sectarian stuff that appears in Scotland and Northern Ireland is thankfully absent in England. I have no issue with clubs denoting regional identities yet think that I would be deeply unhappy to see certain football team associated with religious or social movements in 2020. On a side note, I wonder if anyone else had read David Bolchover's book "The greatest comeback" about the manager Bela Guttman who survived the holocaust and ultimately took Benfica to European cup success? It is quite thorough in chronicling Jewish football teams in Eastern Europe during the 1920s and 30s which makes for quite uncomfortable reading. Guttman's story is one of the greatest in football yet he was still a rather flawed and difficult to understand character. It did make me think that the fuss generated by Spurs regarding the use of racist language was small scale when considering the magnitude of bile, hostility and ultimately persecution directed to Jewish players in areas of the former Austro-Hungarian empire. This was on a totally different magnitude and made me glad that English football is now pretty tolerant albeit far from perfect.
Portsmouth's long winning run could be coming to an end, as Matty Godden pokes Coventry in front with a lovely first-time volleyed finish.
Interesting comments there IT. Rangers fans also fly the Israelí flag. These same fans are part of the renowned "Blues Brotherhood" along with Linfield and Chelsea, whose fans are not renowned for having Jewish sympathies despite their owner being an Israelí citizen now.
The race for 2nd place in the Championship is looking good. Leeds in 2nd to Bristol City in 7th, seperated by only three points. Unfortunately it looks like they'll be joining the most boringly weird yo-yo phenomenon that is West Brom. Do West Brom fans even get emotional about relegations and promotions any more?
Celtic fans have also displayed the Palestinian flag for some time - in solidarity with Palestinian and Irish Catholic oppression and discrimination. I don't know if the Israeli flag flying from the Rangers fans is some kind of response, by gleefully aligning themselves with oppression over the displaced. https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/af5c...lvbnMucG5n&s=0ae68401e12cb7e67a424f225b874963
Good news. What he said was foolish but it was never meant to be aired in public. He should have been warned and made to attend an FA course (which he is now doing) rather than instant dismissal. He'll get back to the PL, he's only 34.
Maybe even 8th too. I'm sure Villa would try and argue that the League Cup European place should now go to them regardless of the outcome of the final, because that are now the only side left in the competition who can qualify for Europe. But I would still expect it to revert to the next PL side, as per normal, in the event that City win the final. 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the CL. 6th, 7th, and 8th in the EL. Potentially.
