Racism at Euro 2012

Its a tough one, but think I'd support walking off. Why should anyone be subjected to that? Maybe walking off would finally force the authorities to act - though you know that they would prob find a way of acting against England and sweeping the bile under the carpet. That said, not sure I could cope with watching a certain defender walking off the pitch in a stand against racism!!

 

I wouldn't be angry or dissapointed in any of the players IF they walked off, but at the same time, if you at it subjectively, as disgusting as racism is, is it any more personal or hurtful as the abuse some footballers get in the Premier League?

Ashley Cole gets dogs abuse everywhere he goes!

Sol Campbell appeared on Panorama in a state of disbelief and yet heard this from the Spurs fans whilst at Arsenal:

Sol, Sol, wherever you may be,
You’re on the verge of lunacy,
And we don’t give a **** when you’re hanging from a tree,
Judas **** with HIV

Accusing someone of homosexually contracting HIV and referring to their reported struggle with depression...Is that not more offensive than someone making monkey noises or doing Nazi salutes?

 

The fact that non-racist abuse can be incredibly hurtful does not mean that racist abuse should be tolerated.

And there is a significant difference in the way ti operates. An insult aimed a Ferdinand (or whoever) is directed at him because of his supposed characteristics. Racist abuse is aimed at one part of the population allegedly on behalf of another part of the population. It's that ability to morph into an ideology, or a mob, that makes it more dangerous than other vile insults.

 

If it did happen, it would be more effective if the manager, or at least the team captain, gathered the team together and left the pitch than if a single abused player left.

Can't see it as likely, unfortunately.

 

A bit more likely now we've changed captain tho, maybe??

 

Might seem a bit of a copout though if we're three nil down and leave the pitch because Terrys abusing Walcott...

 

I don't think walking off will have the impact we'd all hope for. I think this will be clarified in the rules and will result in the team leaving the field being punished. I'd imagine there is something in there that only a referee has the power to abandon a game of football. I think a team leaving the pitch would just see them go home early.

I must admit I'd feel the racists had won if teams/players started walking

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm in no way justifying one with the other. My point is, the English players will have thick skins, if we're 3:0 at say 65 minutes in, I think they're strong enough to ignore the abuse for a further 35.

Similarly I think as others have said, winning the game is the best form of 2 fingered salute!

 

Agree with this!

 

To be fair, with Terry's speed these days he'd prob still be walking on the pitch by the time anyone was ready to walk off

 

Much as the rules say its the ref that calls it off, UEFA would struggle to award a win to the opposing team from a PR point of view, particularly if its Ukraine fans at a Ukraine game. Much as they'd like to brush over it, the threat of major nations pulling out (and Holland and France have enough of a vested interest to do so, plus Mario!) would make it a very difficult situation.

As far as letting the racists win, it only does so in the sense of letting them have a small win by affecting a football game. What it also does is ensure their country doesn't get a major tournament again for a very long time (and possibly affect European status for their clubs), as well as pressuring UEFA to consider their host nations with more thought applied than 'who'll give us a nice back hander?'. If a small 'win' for the racists is what's needed to do that than they can have it frankly.

 

^^ This ^^

 

Fair point, FIFA made the African FA overturn their decision to ban Togo after they effectively walked out of the tournament. But with so much money invested through television rights etc. any decisions to award the game/points/KO stage position would have to be done within the competition's set schedule...With the number of appeals the guilty party would launch, I'd say there'd be a fair chance the country that walked would still get ****ed over!

n yeah, I would love for FIFA to go through the top to bottom shake up it so badly needs!

 

From what I can see over the last few years a PR disaster like that wouldn't really bother UEFA/FIFA! They've been dropping much worse gaffs non stop. I think what you'd find with the other nations is that the solidarity would be lost and the team who walked would be hung out to dry.

I must admit I'm completely against teams walking off. It sets a bad precedent because you can't just limit this to the race issue. You could then have teams walking off just at the standard abuse they receive. It is also open to any amount of strategic abuse by teams. How do you define what level of racist chanting results in walking off? Does it have to be heard by match officials or can it just be one player has heard the abuse? With all the different languages spoken there could be a misunderstanding in some cases. There are just a multitude of problems with the sentiment and it could result in having the opposite effect long term.

It is not for players/teams to sort out this issue and I don't believe major tournaments should be used as a vehicle to cure all the ills in the footballing world. We've been trying the carrot and stick scenario with these nations in the past, it made no difference.

 

First: Ask the ref to do what is necessary to protect the playrs from abuse.

Second: Ask twice.

Third: Take your team off the pitch

Four: Any flack, sue FIFA for attempting to force your players to endure racist abuse.

It'll be a lot better entertainment than anything in the way of football that England is likely to produce.

 

You have to wonder what the point of that program actually was? Nothing they showed doesn't go on in leagues across Europe, including our own, yet on the eve of a tournament that is set to boost the economy of these two former communist states, this documentary is released.

Whether it is bad isn't the point really, what I wonder is why pick these two countries? Why only feature one actual attack and a few nutters giving it the seig heil? Why not get further into the matter, look at the similar behaviour in Italy, turkey, Greece, Russia and Spain? It is rife there too, and it is an issue that UEFA ad FIFA will not tackle. Surely it is more salient to highlight it happening in leagues where some of the worlds most famous teams play, in fact, highlight fans of those teams doing it? But no, instead the BBC dedicate a half hour to feign disbelief at two host nations to make us feel even more outraged that we didn't get the world cup.

 

Thats the disappointing thing with the media for me. They've stirred up storm and got everyone threatening to do this and that. Italy has some problems of a similar nature and other well documented problems yet no one had any worries about them hosting major tournaments. The picture they paint is a small insight into these countries. No one is denying there are issues that need progressing in that part of the world, but I'm not convinced they are giving the whole picture and an accurate reflection of what to expect. Stirring up the debate/ill feeling so close to the tournament is not very sensible and potentially something which will result in an increase in tension.

 

I think its simply 'cause the tournament is being held in those 2 countries, judging by the popularity of the documentary, plenty more will be on the way exploring racism in european football further!

 

Even Poland is vicious as ****.
Went to Krakow to watch Wisla Krakow and as well as monkey chants and bananas, oranges with razor blades stuck in thrm were chucked around in the stands

 

Been invited to Poland for a free holiday, not exactly top of the list for a holiday. The people I've met from there have been nice enough people for the main part though.