To understand the actions of the Millwall fans on Saturday you need to go back in time. In the 1950’s most of the workers who lived in Millwall were dockers, it was a job that supported the jobs of workers in others sectors, much as the mining industry did in your area, I imagine. For leisure Football, along with other pursuits such as greyhound racing and speedway racing were the options of choice. At the time there were 32 dog tracks in the London area, now there are none. It was the same with speedway, numerous venues that ran a league table much in the same way as football- now there are no speedway clubs in London. Things were to get worse. Containerization in the late 60’s meant that the traditional dock work was to be lost forever, a new container port was created at Felixstowe which meant that the traditional work of the docker was no longer required, and by extension, neither were the docks. West India dock was developed to create what is now Canary wharf and other docks were gentrified to create up market housing, at prices that were beyond the scope of the locals,fuelling resentment, however the biggest issue was the influx of immigrants from the sub-continent who were seen as a threat to what was, their way of life. Suggestions abounded that immigrants were given preferential treatment on the housing ladder, there was a lack of understanding when it came to customs, many locals found it hard to comprehend that alcohol, gambling, and certain meats were taboo for religious reasons. It is right to say that parents should take responsibility, but it is difficult when the older generation, and by that, I mean parents and grandparents who are in their sixties and eighties who are living in the past. The world that they used to inhabit has gone forever, and there is no place for an 'Alf Garnett’ mentality in today’s climate.
People are speaking out, the likes of Rooney etc. Has anyone actually asked the Millwall fans why they were booing? That would be the starting point. If it is because they don't give a **** about black people, then for sure they are scum of the earth. If it is because they view BLM as a political organisation (a slightly controversial one at that), and they think this has no place in football, then I can completely and wholeheartedly understand where they are coming from. Though i think this has got very complicated now, as many within the BLM movement have begun to distance themselves from the political organisation BLM USA or UK. I have to say though, its either very careless or very calculated to have such ambiguity. I expect it to be the former which is probably a problem with me viewing Millwall fans a certain way. Perhaps thats unfair. A lot of people I know are now sick of having this organisation forced upon us on a daily basis. I'm bored of it - Sky Sports are non stop with this **** all the time. I think BLM, the organisation, were so cute in how they duped everyone with the use of the George Floyd image etc. Its amazing what happens when you involve people with serious money and media contacts. I know loads of people who took part in blacking out on social media, started promoting Black Lives Matter everywhere. When it was pointed out that that was actually a political party with very murky aims, a lot of those people deleted that black out, and stopped promoting them immediately. I know the league at some stage realised the ambiguity between the premise of black lives mattering, and the organisation BLM, they tried to clarify it didn't they? If they haven't they should! Unfortunately I think that deliberate ambiguity remains, and a move away from that black lives matter slogan would be for the best. No one is saying black lives don't matter (bar racists), but there has to be a better way to express that than indirectly promoting a political organisation with dodgy values. Its got no place in football for me. I do think anti-racism has a place in football, and I'm all for football being used as a vehicle to help social change.
Millwall are a disgrace. Being a southerner I have a few people I know who support that sack of **** team and just don't get what they are doing is so insanely wrong. I've seen post's like: "#BLM - Boo Like Millwall" leading to all lives matter posts. "Kick *politics* out of football" and other such ****e. Unfortunately they are a product of their upbringing and their environment and the club are useless at taking a stand against it. They (the club and the fans) get off on being hated and love all the media attention. Doubt they care that they've upset and humiliated their own players and fans doing this. The best thing is to completely ignore them and not give it any notice - which while it will not help the situation there will not highlight their are still Neanderthals like them still in the world. Honestly the best thing would be to shut the club full stop but not allowed to do that.
Why does everyone say BLM is a political party? Here's the official register of parties, it's clearly not on there: http://search.electoralcommission.o...regStatus=registered&optCols=EntityStatusName
Millwall v QPR. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but didn't all the players LINK arms at the start instead of bending the knee which drew applause from the fans. It then only kicked off after QPR scored and 2 QPR players, in front of the Millwall fans bent the knee then raised their arms with a clenched fists gesture ( as in the Black Panther movements Black Power. gestures) To me this was incitement to cause trouble and clearly a political gesture. I sincerely hope the PL deal with this and discipline the players in order to stop more doing it. PLEASE lets get back to Football Matters, end of.
