A Chelsea fan called Gavin Kirkham has apparently been identified as the individual seemingly making "monkey" gestures at the Man Utd match on Wednesday. Leaving any Police action to one side, how should Chelsea act, bearing in mind recent events? On one hand, those who think that Mark Clattenburg should never referee again if found guilty of calling Mikel a racist name would surely have to support a life ban for Kirkham if found guilty. On the other hand, would such a penalty be disproportionate to the offence, bearing in mind the fact that JT only received a four match ban for making a racist remark, on live TV, and he still remains captain of the team that Mikel plays for? A difficult problem for the majority of intelligent Chelsea fans out there, is it not?
Life ban. Terry was acquitted in a court of law and charged in kangaroo court for use of racial words.
Terry was acquitted because no one heard him say it, and also couldn't disprove his story regarding the context, not because he was innocent. Life ban in answer to the OP's question.
Presumably an Independent Tribunal, headed by an eminent QC is only a "kangaroo court" when it finds against your captain? The simple fact is that JT admitted using the words "f-ing black c-t" and his defence was based on the context in which the words were spoken. Anyway, my post was clearly addressed to the majority of intelligent Chelsea fans, not you!!
I don't think you really understand the difference between the sanctions the club can impose on an employee and those they can impose on a match attending fan not otherwise associated with the club. Don't forget Terry got a £250,000.00 fine (plus whatever the club gave him) as well as a 4 game ban. Clearly the club can't fine or ban the fan from playing so the sanctions can't be compared. Clearly your post was merely a veiled attempt to try and have a dig at the punishment given to Terry. Anyway, if guilty, life ban. How someone can be that stupid given the current climate is beyond me.
My point was that his punishment wasn't for being a racist, it was for using racial words. Stupid for the OP to compare both.
Every club has idiots like this one. Liverpool fan was done recently for similar, couple of Blackburn fans a few years back for abusing Dwight yorke. But to compare it with John Terry is totally wrong. He might of said words that were offensive but the context was not meant to be racially abusive - as a court of law and the "kangaroo" court both stated. This clowns actions appear to be racially motivated and he deserves to be banned etc. but as I said , every club has idiots like him. I know at spurs we have a fair few, likewise the goons, west ham etc and then there's Leeds.....
dont you think a life ban is a bit harsh? what about matey next to him who is laughing at him? where do you draw the line? some of the stuff i used to hear shouted (non racial) at chelsea games by a minority still makes me cringe to this day, shouldn't they also be weeded out and banned?
i go with the two year ban and then if he is caught again he is only allowed to view the game from a specially constructed cage on the terraces, for him and any other want to be monkey's
