Nine people have been arrested following a series of raids by British Transport Police (BTP) investigating suspected racist chanting following Charlton's FA Cup match against Fulham earlier this month. Operation Midas was launched into events on a train between Putney and Waterloo on January 7th following reports from concerned passengers that a group of fans - believed to be Charlton supporters - were being rowdy and intimidating and had been heard chanting racist songs. http://www.cafc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10267~2588440,00.html Its all over SkySports News as well at the moment Such a shame that a few individuals can ruin a superb couple of weeks for the club Thoughts?
Nothing proven yet - if they are guilty and especially if they are the chaps that I have heard in the past, I will not shed any tears
I'm glad this is now being taken seriously and followed up by the BTP. What it means is that people are no longer afraid to report it and are not prepared to sit there and take it. The club also needs to ensure, along with the police, that these individuals are no longer welcome at home and away matches and given banning orders.
I'm assuming it was the Lisbie chant. Quite embarrassing that its appearing on the Guardian website etc.
Such contemptible behaviour by a mere vile minority. Should be handed life bans from all and any football matches (not just ours). Greenwich has had such a bad reputation in recent weeks with the Stephen Lawrence trial, and this just adds to their arguments about how bad our area has become.
But we can get them out cafc fan and the tide is turning against them. If you come across it on trains call the BTP on 0800 40 50 40 - worth committing to memory.
I mentioned on an earlier thread that there were one or two rather unpleasant individuals at the Walsall away game, and this was the game when the club first started actively monitoring the Charlton fans to pick out the offending individuals, so I'm glad the club are continuing to take a hard line.
Long long time since I posted but I witnessed this and was on that train. I need to be very careful as it is now in legal process and understand if the moderator pulls this but hopefully this will stay on the right side of the line. If I said they were singing a song glorifying a gentleman from Eltham who had just been found guilty of murder that week then I hope you get my drift. It was disgusting by any right thinking objective standards and it was hugely intimidating. They were singing this song in my name as a CAFC fan and I was fuming. I got off at Clapham junction and was so annoyed I shouted 'fascist scum' at them as I passed the door where they were congregated. I'm not that brave - the doors were just about to close but they reacted like a pack of rabid dogs. Should this go to a court of law? Not sure it is the best use of stretched resources, it was after all only verbals however disagreeable. Should they be banned from our club - 100%. Hope this gets through the moderator as it might make apologists for their free speech think twice before commenting in their defence.
I imagine it would have to go though a legal process for the banning orders to be instigated and they are usually imposed by the courts. It would be worth giving evidence to the club or BTP if you haven't done so, they'll attack anyone who challenges them so you were very brave and did well. I would've probably phoned the BTP and given a good description as I do when there's ASB on trains now.
I'm going to speak to my friend in the BTP and see what he says. I really wouldn't recognise a single one - you know the cloned type - baseball cap and Stone Island jacket to a man - presumably any conviction rests on clear identification of individuals. Plus I was quite well lubricated - hence my valour being the better part of discresion.
Very embarrassed and even more disgusted. Confident in the knowledge that they will never step foot in the Valley again and it won't be long before their scumbag mates are caught. Either by the police or by another group of fans who will stand up to them. I hope for the latter.
One of the saddest days I can ever remember as a Charlton Athletic supporter. The only crumbs of comfort I can take from this sorry affair are firstly that these neanderthals are almost certainly not "supporters", just a scum of festering detritus that floats to the surface whenever success is on the horizon; and secondly, that they were almost certainly reported by one of our own, a true supporter. Good to see the club's robust response and their close working with the police. Terrible.
Does leave a very bad taste in the mouth. In every bunch of roses sadly there are several pricks! Hats off to all concerned for trying to sort this.
I haven't posted for some time but feel it is right to add my we ght tto the condemnation voiced on here. As a club that has been in the forefront of anti racism campaigns for nearly 20years it is an embarrassment to us all that we have been sharing the Valley with these intolerant biggots. The club has got to be praised for its action in helping the BTP to identify these people. That they get 'life bans is not something I will lose a seconds sleep over. However the damage has been done to our reputation. Today at work someone asked me whether I had been arrested. A friend, also an addick at a different firm some miles away had the same question. Both of us are fairly senior responsible people in our businesses. The accusation was made to both of us in humour, but the implication was clear. As a club we are in a good position to repair the damage, and as supporters we must do everything in our power to help the club repair the damage. a zero tolerance policy must be adopted by supporters to anything of this nature.
Sadly Tewks the woman who made the call to the police was a 'member of the public' - an outraged middle aged woman with her husband and friends, innocently going on a night out in London. I apologised to her but it didn't cut much ice which is why I got so angry. A black guy left the carriage soon after and I felt so embarassed - as you say unfortunately when a minority behave like this we all get tarred with the same brush by some. It was about 7 30 and there weren't many Charlton fans on the train. I'd like to think if there was they would have been confronted more stridently than I was able to manage on my own. Although the cowards probably wouldn't have spouted their bile in the first place.
Why is everyone on here so quick to label these fellow fans as scumbags, fascist etc? Is that not provocative and inciteful in itself, perhaps a bit OTT? Has anyone got any proof that what was said was not anything more than lively banter? I know they have CCTV on trains but lip readers? From what I've read and heard it was a complete waste of time just the police and club misusing its powers to satisfy its own agenda. Where does this all stop? Will guy Fawkes soon be seen as a Protestant celebration offensive to Catholics and banned? Will they stop songs about northerners rifling about in bins? Will this mean I have to wear another stupid badge at the valley?
