The difference is that the Saints fans are singing about another teams support in general, whereas some West Ham fans were specifically targeting a race, religion etc. Big difference.
I'd have thought this would have been obvious to him but clearly it is not. It's like England playing UAE in UAE and throughout the game calling the home fans terrorists etc and abusing Islam throughout the game. Or playing Rome in Europe and being anti-Catholic all game. Completely different than singing about just about Pompey , although I don't agree with the chants at Pompey either.
Well yes. Those Pompey chants I have never joined in with and always been embarrassed by. It's a game of football no need to be violent or chant abusive things.
You may have noticed I did say that in my post. But if it was, you can bet your life there would be anti-semitic chants from saints fans. Singing about shooting people is, to me at least, no more acceptable than singing about jews. It's the same kind of mindset, and the "I don't actually mean it" excuse doesn't really wash. But those West Ham fans probably think it's just to get at the other team. If you did a straw poll of people who had taken part in that chanting you would find most of them do not identify themselves as anti-semites.
Of course not. But if you are going to punish one club, you probably have to punish 80% of other clubs too.
But if you are going to tar one entire set of supporters with the same brush then you have to do the same with all of them surely? Some research from yesterday shows that 70 people were singing the Hitler songs out of 2,500. More of our fans admittedly sang the Lazio song which is unfortunate. I am sure Arsene Wengers family are upset when Fans sing about him being a nonce. I am sure Sol Campbell's family were upset when he was driven to serious depression by chants about his colour and his sexuality (which they were charged and fined for for by the way). The bottom line is, all clubs have fans with this mentality as PTF has rightly pointed out. It doesn't make it right, but we certainly don't deserve to portrayed as animals anymore than any other club.
Interesting perspective from a presumably Jewish West Ham fan (and journalist): http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/nov/26/west-ham-antisemitic-chants-sickening Any relation Joe?
I seem to remember a section of the Northam chanted "shoe, shoe, shoe bomber" at a Spurs player of Arabic origin a few years ago. Point being, no club is completely innocent. Still, at least that one was funny.
Well written and reflects the view of 99% of West Ham fans. Not a good day for my club but this is a problem in football in general not just at West Ham.
At least the club are taking swift action: http://www.whufc.com/articles/20121126/tottenham-hotspur-update_2236884_2992257
Fans from just about every football club have sung daft & distasteful chants at opposing teams/fans. I admit to doing so myself when i was younger. Football was/is very tribal and this was/is one the rituals. I have sung and chanted things at football matches that i wouldnt think of saying outside of a football ground, not that i am proud of it now. And so have many other football supporters. As you mature and get older then you usually grow out of it to an extent. Some chanting can cross the line of decency but most who chant these things dont really mean the things they say, it is just winding up the opposition. I have heard some really crass stuff from both sides at Saints v Pompey derbies but it is largely forgotten after the game is finished. No right minded person will agree with the actual wording of what a few WHU supporters may have been chanting on the w/e, but it is just football chanting to wind up Spurs and there is plenty of examples of Spurs fans doing just the same to others. The media will drive it on of course and everybody will be up in arms til they arrest a few guys for it, and then it will die down til the next politically-uncorrect chant is heard.
He was pissed off in a presser straight after a poor defeat. Didn't cover himself in glory I agree but a little unfair.
My point was you saying we're lucky Pompey isn't a Jewish area. That wouldn't make any difference to the chant and who it offends. I realise what you meant now though from the first sentence of this post. I didn't understand what you meant before
Just seen your embarrassing thread on the WHUFC forum. Most unfair and a massive generalisation on our club.
