All week I’ve been telling myself that it is a healthy thing that discriminatory chanting has come under the spotlight prior to Euro 2012. The world needs to focus on those who are unable to find an outlet for their testosterone without picking on the vulnerable.
We know all about discriminatory chanting in Scotland, you could say, we’re up to our knees in it, so I’ve been slightly uncomfortable at the tone to some of the reporting about Poland and Ukraine. It feels a bit like we’ve decided, ‘They have it too, let’s talk about them. Not us’. When I say “us”, I don’t mean you, of course.
Fair enough, I thought, let’s bring this issue out, but at the start of the second half between Netherlands and Denmark when BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce reported “We haven’t heard any racist comments here today. Not when the young, black, Dutch left back got the ball, or at any other time” I figured this is more about xenophobia than racism. Xenophobia about Eastern Europe.
We’re no wiser about how to deal with our testosterone-fuelled under-achievers with a purpose to find than anyone else. In fact, we’re worse for allowing our intellectuals to indulge in the last refuge of the scoundrel.
My money is on the Polish and Ukrainian fans emerging from this tournament with a better reputation than some of their Western European counterparts.
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Celtic Fc
or Russian for that matter Paul
Paul u up?
FTSFA
Sometimes these institutionally screwed dimwits don’t even KNOW whe they’re bein’ racist. They’re so dumbed down they are hardly aware of their cultural deficiencies.
HH.
And xenophobia is ALL about insecurity.
And low self esteem.
7 mins to get a top-10 ?
where is everyone ?
Sanna
Modern Dutch teams are rubbish…
Paul67
‘My money is on the Polish and Ukrainian fans emerging from this tournament with a better reputation than some of their Western European counterparts’
I hope you are correct. Methinks Tuesday’s encounter between Poland/Russia will be the biggest test so far for your theory
GB 2011 2012
Paul67,
Good article, they have no shame.
A repost from the end of the last article as it is timely and relevant.
Kojo on 9 June, 2012 at 17:31
I have mentioned before on here about Chuck Missler. This guys ministry is Koinonia House.
I find the story below very powerful…..
“Clarence Jordan was a man of unusual abilities and commitment. He had two Ph.D.s, one in agriculture and one in Greek and Hebrew. So gifted was he, he could have chosen to do anything he wanted. He chose to serve the poor. In the 1940s, he founded a farm in Americus, Georgia, and called it Koinonia Farm. It was a community for poor whites and poor blacks. As you might guess, such an idea did not go over well in the Deep South of the ’40s.
Ironically, much of the resistance came from good church people who followed the laws of segregation as much as the other folk in town. The town people tried everything to stop Clarence. They tried boycotting him, and slashing workers’ tires when they came to town. Over and over, for fourteen years, they tried to stop him.
Finally, in 1954, the Ku Klux Klan had enough of Clarence Jordan, so they decided to get rid of him once and for all. They came one night with guns and torches and set fire to every building on Koinonia Farm but Clarence’s home, which they riddled with bullets. And they chased off all the families except one black family which refused to leave. Clarence recognized the voices of many of the Klansmen, and, as you might guess, some of them were church people. Another was the local newspaper’s reporter. The next day, the reporter came out to see what remained of the farm. The rubble still smoldered and the land was scorched, but he found Clarence in the field, hoeing and planting.
“I heard the awful news,” he called to Clarence, “and I came out to do a story on the tragedy of your farm closing. Clarence just kept on hoeing and planting. The reporter kept prodding, kept poking, trying to get a rise from this quietly determined man who seemed to be planting instead of packing his bags. So, finally, the reporter said in a haughty voice, “Well, Dr. Jordan, you got two of them Ph.D.s and you’ve but fourteen years into this farm, and there’s nothing left of it at all. Just how successful do you think you’ve been?” Clarence stopped hoeing, turned toward the reporter with his penetrating blue eyes, and said quietly but firmly, “About as successful as the cross. Sir, I don’t think you understand us. What we are about is not success but faithfulness. We’re staying. Good day.”
Beginning that day, Clarence and his companions rebuilt Koinonia and the farm is going strong today. “
sannabhoy on 9 June, 2012 at 18:41:
How many predicted a Dane win?
Please don’t tell me TTT did!!
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Blantyretim, indeed.
voguepunter, brief cameo appearance between being led astray by a CQN’er this afternoon and a BBQ to come.
miki67, it sure is. Good point.
Ten Men Won, nervous already about the Poland-Russia game. Fans will be fine, but we need the result.
petec, indeed they don’t.
no one has picked Denmark on the predictor..
3 people have gone for 1 1
The bottom line Paul, is that there have been clear examples of racist chanting at this tournament clearly directed at black players. There is a massive problem with the behaviour of a selection of some of the hosting fans and their ‘neighbours,’ because patronising British commentators latch onto this problem as a crutch of one-upmanship doesn’t make it any less of a problem.
I hope however that your right and come the end of the tournament the Polish and Ukranian fans do emerge with their reputation intact but it doesn’t look promising thus far…
The reporting of racist chanting has been minimal on German TV outlets. Not the headlines we see in the UK. Lets not forget why Rio is not in the England sqaud and that Roy Hodgson who played in South Africa during apartheid.
I believe the UK reporting on these Championships will be negative and is a consequence of England not getting the world cup.
I have met many Poles and Ukranians over the years and my bigot detecting gene has never twitched as much as when I am in the company of Brits.
We as a support have a long way to come as well. Witness Denmark achievements and compare with the casual racism very evident on CQN after Kopenhagen turfed WGS Celtic and oors out of the CL.
They have a national association that has more than one remit.
HH
Oh yes….!
Well that’s thrown the cat among the pigeons.
Paul67
Thank you. Your words mean a lot to me. Honesty in some countries need a courage. Never doubted the Celtic supporters are honest and have courage.
Dutch beat as Orange walk heads my way
blantyretim on 9 June, 2012 at 18:49:
Cheers mate…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Great true story petec!HH!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koinonia#The_spiritual_meaning_of_koinonia
‘GG on 9 June, 2012 at 18:52 said:
>>>
The Danes? Paul67? Or both?!
Looks like my Feyenoord pal on holiday was right on the button (apart from Huntelaars miss!)
Extra incentive for the Germans to win tonight. Beat Portugal and then be in the position to put their greatest rivals out of the tournament
Paul,
I watched the evening news on BBC last
night and it majored on the non story of racism against the Dutch.
No Syria or any other big story.
The length of time afforded to this was disproportionate.
I couldn’t understand the emphasis, until it dawned on me that they were building a firewall for themselves prior to the Olympics.
They want the World to see them as the champions of racial equality.
Clarence Seedorf disengenuously wondered why Rio was not inthe squad.
Apropos of everything,the startled owl flimflammin’ about Ferdinand’s non-appearance…..aha!
Racism is rife in all parts of the world sadly. (Italy is one of the worst).
The English, sanctimonious though their TV commentators may be, have done a great job at more or less ridding their game of racism (and their society as well).
Just listening to Hodgson’s reason for not taking Ferdinand on the BBC
If England’s defence gets the runaround in the Euros (a distinct possibility), Hodgson will get savaged by the English press
If Hodgson thinks Jagielka and Lescott are better centre halfs than Ferdinand, he is delusional imo
Someone (elsewhere) mentioned racist chants at yesterday’s games.
I didn’t notice it during Poland-Greece and missed Russia – Czech Rep (but didn’t think there were any black players involved there).
Can anyone enlighten me?
Hodgson = straw man. FA dictated decision – is explanation lacks credibility – I would think more of Hodgeson if he just said – Rio was banned by FA.
Further evidence of institutional racism by FA. Shocking!
ttt – you’re right, ole Clarence knows all about the divisive nature of racism from his time with previous Dutch squads. He should have called it as he saw it.
T4
Zbyszek
I’m on your side my friend.
Would still like to see him playing in the Hoops and mentoring our young team! :-)
T4
His name is Rio and he watches from the stand.
I wonder if Lineker or Chiles will ask Terrys opinion on this racism thing.
Donthold yourbreathCSC
HH
Archdeaconsbench at 18:50
“The bottom line Paul, is that there have been clear examples of racist chanting at this tournament clearly directed at black players. “
Have you ever taught why the only person who talked about these racist chanting was Van Bommel then the UK media and some other media who made reports after UK media?
In the post training conference Holland coach told how wonderful were fans from Cracow. Nobody, none of the Dutch correspondents, none of the Polish journalists asked about the racists chanting. It was next day when Van Bommel again told that he heard them. Dutch journalists said that none of them heard jungle voices. Van Bommel answered them : “Open your ears. If you did hear it and don’t want to hear it, that is even worse.” This was said to the jounalists, not to UEFA.
Look. Why, if there were jungle voices, nobody claimed it to UAFA? Why it is only Van Bommel who hear it? Why no other Dutch player said he was abused? None.
There are about 200 hi-tech cameras at Wisla stadium. Do you think it’s a problem to check if something wrong happened?
More than 400 cameras on each stadium in Warsaw, Poznan, Gdansk, Wroclaw.
Van Bommel is an xenophobe. He did wrong think to all honest people and to those who do good job against the racists in Poland, Ukraine and UK.
As soon as Terry’s court date was confirmed, the FA should have made it clear he would not be considered for the national side until the case was concluded
They have made a total pigs ear of it, and are letting Hodgson take the flak
Rio better (in every sense) than Terry – clear WASP decision making..IMO