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Post by superckat on May 30, 2012 22:33:36 GMT
When Ali fought Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. There was a lot of crime there. A few months before the fight. The President at that time ordered the police to raid the houses of all known criminals, arrest them and lock them up until after fight. A bit harsh. But everything went off without a hitch. Food for thought.
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Post by schuter82 on May 31, 2012 1:36:54 GMT
Wait ...we like balotelli? The same filthy cleats up balotelli, face stomping balotelli? But our very own Joey Barton (who also claims to be intellectual) who gives some cheating city lads a taste of their own is a thug who should be turfed from qpr?
My oh my I'm really confused at this point.
My own opinion: I agree balotelli, Barton, whoever, they make football interesting. But wow. Do we ever change our opinions and judgment when it's Barton.
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Post by fraserinbc on May 31, 2012 2:52:09 GMT
Really? You can't tell the difference between Balotelli and Barton. I can't say that I am talking for everyone, but this is why I like Balotelli, and not horrendously keen on Barton.
Sure, Balotelli can be a dirty player on the pitch, like Barton, but that is not why I have the pitchforks out for Barton. Balotelli had two red cards and nine yellows in 34 appearances last year, compared to Barton's ten yellows and two reds.
But Balotelli didn't get himself sent off (with three sending-off offences no less) when his team was under the cloud of relegation on the last day of the season. Balotelli isn't the captain of that same team (which makes what Barton did worse), and lastly Balotelli doesn't play for QPR, and so I don't hold him to a higher standard that I expect of my team.
Balotelli scored 17 goals last season, I would be happy if Barton assisted in half that many. Let's face it Barton played well in about 6 games last season and so what you are seeing is a season's worth of pent-up frustration. It really isn't that difficult.
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Post by Markqpr on May 31, 2012 6:45:32 GMT
When Ali fought Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. There was a lot of crime there. A few months before the fight. The President at that time ordered the police to raid the houses of all known criminals, arrest them and lock them up until after fight. A bit harsh. But everything went off without a hitch. Food for thought. The same President whom watched the fight from the sanctuary of his own palace because his security could not guarantee his safety at the stadium. Maybe that was because people shouldn't have to live under a rule where you can be arrested and locked up on a premise that you might commit a crime. If that's food for thought, I'm skipping breakfast.
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Post by bp on May 31, 2012 6:58:37 GMT
When Ali fought Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. There was a lot of crime there. A few months before the fight. The President at that time ordered the police to raid the houses of all known criminals, arrest them and lock them up until after fight. A bit harsh. But everything went off without a hitch. Food for thought. Right then you big fart tat, I'm sending the flying squad round your house about 5am tomorrow morning. xx
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Post by superckat on May 31, 2012 7:29:32 GMT
When Ali fought Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. There was a lot of crime there. A few months before the fight. The President at that time ordered the police to raid the houses of all known criminals, arrest them and lock them up until after fight. A bit harsh. But everything went off without a hitch. Food for thought. Right then you big fart tat, I'm sending the flying squad round your house about 5am tomorrow morning. xx Oh great. Now I'm a big fart tat. Hmmm, 5am you say.....
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Post by superckat on May 31, 2012 7:35:13 GMT
When Ali fought Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. There was a lot of crime there. A few months before the fight. The President at that time ordered the police to raid the houses of all known criminals, arrest them and lock them up until after fight. A bit harsh. But everything went off without a hitch. Food for thought. The same President whom watched the fight from the sanctuary of his own palace because his security could not guarantee his safety at the stadium. Maybe that was because people shouldn't have to live under a rule where you can be arrested and locked up on a premise that you might commit a crime. If that's food for thought, I'm skipping breakfast. "Maybe that was because people shouldn't have to live under a rule where you can be arrested and locked up on a premise that you might commit a crime." Well it was working fine in Minority Report until Tom Cruise threw a spanner in the works. Damn you Tom Cruise.
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Post by alfaranger on May 31, 2012 7:37:26 GMT
The same President whom watched the fight from the sanctuary of his own palace because his security could not guarantee his safety at the stadium. Maybe that was because people shouldn't have to live under a rule where you can be arrested and locked up on a premise that you might commit a crime. If that's food for thought, I'm skipping breakfast. " Maybe that was because people shouldn't have to live under a rule where you can be arrested and locked up on a premise that you might commit a crime." Well it was working fine in Minority Report until Tom Cruise threw a spanner in the works. Damn you Tom Cruise. Miners strike!
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Post by Macmoish on May 31, 2012 7:59:07 GMT
This I posted three years ago...How bad things used to be in England This is re Chelsea. But they obviously weren't the only ones... This one is specifically about Paul Canoville and Chelsea in the 1980s. But obviously it was far broaderREVEALED: The shocking revelations of Chelsea's first black player Paul Canoville By Matt Barlow 29th May 2009 Paul Canoville was settling into a seat at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea take on Barcelona when he was recognised. 'Hey, Canners.' A wave of acknowledgement, a thumbs-up, a handshake, small talk and then a confession. The routine is familiar to Canoville. 'Paul, I was one of the idiots who shouted those things. Sorry, mate. I never meant it. I'm not a racist. I was just swept along with the crowd.' That's the usual format. Canoville has heard this thinly-veiled plea for absolution several times in 27 years since he became Chelsea's first black player. It may well happen again on Saturday as he strolls down Wembley Way to cheer on Chelsea in the FA Cup Final. He is getting used to it, but he still doesn't know how to reply. What can he say? Is he expected to forgive those who turned his dream into a nightmare that haunted him for years? How can you have a chuckle about racist taunts from your own supporters? Standing up: Chelsea first ever black player Paul Canoville braved a barrage of racial abuse during his four-and-a-half year spell as a Blues first-team player 'It's a case of getting these people and talking to them,' says Canoville. 'They're grown up now. So I ask them, "What were you trying to achieve? Why did you feel you could racially abuse me? What was going through your mind at that time?" It would be nice to have time to sit and hear their views, chat about it.' Talk has been therapeutic for Canoville. He started to open up as part of rehab from crack cocaine addiction and, before he knew it, his award-winning autobiography Black and Blue was flying off the shelves. It tells his gripping story of survival, from his strict upbringing in a single-parent family, through petty thievery, borstal, homelessness (he lived in an abandoned car for three weeks), football, racism, injury, drugs, Cancer and more. His experience at Chelsea shamed English football in the Eighties, when racism and violence stalked the terraces in the form of National Front skinheads. Plucked from non-league football with Hillingdon Borough in December 1981, he made his first-team debut four months later, at the age of 20, as a substitute, away at Crystal Palace. Looking back: Canoville recalls how he felt 'physically sick' after being subjected to racist taunts at Chelsea - by the club's own supporters When he climbed from the bench to warm up, Chelsea supporters screamed: 'Sit down you black c***', 'You f***ing w*g, f*** off'. Then they started to chant: 'We don't want the n****r, we don't want the n****r, la la la la'. A banana landed near his feet. 'I felt physically sick,' recalls Canoville. 'I felt totally numb. To this day, I do not know how I got home. I was living in Slough. I don't think I would have gone on the train. I would have got a lift but I don't know who from. 'All I know was that when I came off I sat in the corner and I was frightened. Was this the end? Will Chelsea say it's a risk and they can't go on with it? There were a lot of things going through my mind. 'I didn't know anything about the fans at Chelsea. I didn't support Chelsea. I didn't go to watch them. When I trained or played in the reserves, I still didn't see them. 'I didn't see the first team until I'd been chosen. I didn't even realise what was coming. I'm in the dressing room thinking, "Yeah, I'm going to put on a performance". Until you come outside and warm up and it's like, "What the hell?". 'This went on for two-and-a-half years. Even when I scored it was like: Nah, it's still 0-0, the n****r scored, it doesn't count. You're going, "What did I hear?" I didn't even go home and tell anybody what was going on. 'People would say, "Paul, how was the game?" and I'd be, "Yeah, wicked man". I didn't want to be negative.' Canoville built up barriers and blocked out the abuse. Over the years at Stamford Bridge, his ability and effort silenced the racists among the supporters but there were issues in the dressing room, too. 'I still ask myself how I got through it,' he adds. They intimidated me, screamed vile racist abuse and threw bananas... and that was my own club's fans'Did I say nothing because I didn't want to be a pest? Did I not want to be rocking the boat because I was the only black player in the first team? 'Normally I'm the sort of person who will tell it straight if I don't like something, but I just closed up. Being a footballer was a dream for me. Here was my chance. I was coming in late and I doubted whether I was good enough. Later in life, my eyes were opened.' A knee injury meant Canoville was a professional footballer for less than six years but his four-and-a-half years at Chelsea ended after a pre-season fight with a drunken teammate, who called him a 'black c***'. It was not an isolated incident but he was advised against naming and shaming the culprits in his book. 'They are names you would know,' he nods. Chelsea's reaction to the incident was to talk Canoville into a £50,000 transfer to Reading, even though he had three years left on his contract. 'Mugsy here was the one treated like a troublemaker,' he says. 'It was upsetting. Looking back, Chelsea should have done more for me. I didn't think so at the time, but looking back, yeah, they really should.' In the past couple of years, Canoville has returned to the Chelsea family, turning out for the old boys' team and working with their education department. 'Even when I got a goal it was: "Nah,it's still 0-0. The n****r's scored, it doesn’t count"'As ever, the relationship has not been perfect. The club resisted selling his book in the club shop, citing the drug element as the reason, but they helped him get a ticket for the FA Cup Final against Everton and he certainly feels more valued than before. 'The Ken Bates era didn't look after me,' says Canoville. 'Now we can get tickets to watch a game. That's great and it's really appreciated. We have dinners and meet the fans. But football's changed. It's big business now. The training ground at Cobham is un-be-lievable! We played there with the ex-players. It's a shame more of the fans don't get to see it. 'You can't even get near the players. The channels you have to go through just to get a shirt signed doesn't make sense. Back in my day, you'd come up to us with something and we signed it. Poignant memories: Watching from a hospital Cancer wing, Canoville saw a black manager, Ruud Gullit, lead out the team, and Eddie Newton, one of two black players to start for Chelsea, score in a 2-0 FA Cup final win in 1997 'Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't take away the wages. I've seen how the game goes... with one tackle you could be done. I won't argue with the wages they're getting but it's the celebrity side of life. If I'm a fan and I want an autograph, I don't expect players to turn round and blow me a no.' The closest Canoville got to Wembley as a player was a League Cup semi-final defeat by Sunderland in 1985. Twelve years later, he watched Chelsea's FA Cup triumph on television from his hospital bed, recovering from a setback following an operation and treatment for non- Hodgkin's lymphoma. Twice he has beaten Cancer - both times the disease struck after he became hooked on crack cocaine and this, he insists, is not a coincidence. Since kicking the habit, cleaning up his life and finding work as an assistant teacher at St Matthew's Primary School in Westminster, he has discovered a gift for communicating with children. This year, he has launched Senkaa, a business which starts up youth projects to tackle gun and knife crime. 'I thought racism was enough to go through and it still goes on, it's just unseen, behind your back now,' says Canoville. 'But this knife killing is like an epidemic. Last year, 29 kids dead from youths killing youths? I can't believe what's going on.' 'After my debut I felt numb and sick... now I ask them what wasgoing on in their minds'Few can be better qualified to offer advice on pitfalls than Canoville. He has tripped into every pit imaginable in his 47 years but he has climbed out of them again. 'It might not have seemed like it when I came out of football at my peak and had all my troubles with drugs and Cancer but I realise I am here today for a reason,' he says. 'It's helping the kids. And I totally enjoy going into school, which I used to hate. 'I'm getting up at 6am just to go to school. It's a turn-around. Unbelievable. But I've always got on with kids. I don't know why, but when I talk they always listen. 'They'll say, "This is my Mr Canoville, he used to play for Chelsea" and I'm going, "All right kids, calm down". 'I was so nervous applying for the job. These people are teachers, they've been through further education. I didn't do exams. I didn't want to go to school. But they're just like me and you. They want to go to the pub and have a drink. They've accepted me and I've accepted them. I love it.' Youth opportunity: Canoville has found a new purpose after a career wrecked by racists Enlarge Canoville should not be surprised to discover a connection with children. He has fathered 11 of them with 10 different women. Tye, born with a heart defect in 1995, died in Canoville's arms, only a few days old. The others are aged from 13 to 29. 'I spend some quality time with them now, whereas I didn't give them that time before when it was all about fast cars and drugs or the football life,' admits Canoville. 'It's something I'm trying to repair. I hope they can understand from my experiences.' Cheering on Chelsea against Middlesbrough from the Royal Free Hospital's Cancer wing in 1997, Canoville saw a black manager, Ruud Gullit, lead out the team, and Eddie Newton, one of two black players to start for the Blues, score in a 2-0 win. At Wembley on Saturday, Guus Hiddink could start with seven black players . To reach this point, was it necessary for one man in a Chelsea shirt to be subjected to a disgusting public humiliation by the NF morons who followed the club? What if they had beaten Canoville? What if he had run from the racist mob after his debut at Selhurst Park instead of staying to silence them? Would a black footballer want to play for such a club again? He is not entirely comfortable being hailed a pioneer, but Canoville's role in Chelsea's success cannot be ignored. 'Sooner or later someone probably had to take that grief,' he admits. 'There were several youth players coming through the ranks who were at the club before me. How would they have taken that? 'I was shy but I was a bit older when I went through that. I was strong but it still had a big effect on me. I've made it through and now I look back and I'm proud to know I pulled on the Chelsea shirt. 'I'm here today and that's the main thing. If any youngster can reflect on my experiences and learn from them, then I'll be more than happy. 'I'll do what I can do now and if I can put my footprint www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1189328/REVEALED-The-shocking-revelations-Chelseas-black-player-Paul-Canoville.htmlqprreport.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=4066
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Post by Lonegunmen on May 31, 2012 8:12:14 GMT
If I'm a cnut and at my size, you could fill me up and use me as a swimming pool!
Just remember, say no to racism.
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Post by haqpr1963 on May 31, 2012 8:28:19 GMT
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Post by Macmoish on May 31, 2012 8:49:19 GMT
In today's New York Times (Online - and I presume also in the paper version)... On the Website Front page Racism Troubles a Soccer Tournament in Europe British authorities fear racial abuse of players and fans in Poland and Ukraine, hosts of the Euro 2012 championships. One of England’s top players, defender John Terry, left, faces a criminal charge of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, right, during a club match last October. By JERÉ LONGMAN www.nytimes.com/And then if you go to the actual story "Racism and Soccer Are in Play at a Big Event in East Europe" And what's that? Andy Rain/European Pressphoto Agency One of England’s top players, defender John Terry, left, faces a criminal charge of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, right, during a club match last October. www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/sports/soccer/concerns-of-racism-precede-european-soccer-championships.html?_r=1&hp
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Post by alfaranger on May 31, 2012 8:50:32 GMT
Really? You can't tell the difference between Balotelli and Barton. I can't say that I am talking for everyone, but this is why I like Balotelli, and not horrendously keen on Barton. Sure, Balotelli can be a dirty player on the pitch, like Barton, but that is not why I have the pitchforks out for Barton. Balotelli had two red cards and nine yellows in 34 appearances last year, compared to Barton's ten yellows and two reds. But Balotelli didn't get himself sent off (with three sending-off offences no less) when his team was under the cloud of relegation on the last day of the season. Balotelli isn't the captain of that same team (which makes what Barton did worse), and lastly Balotelli doesn't play for QPR, and so I don't hold him to a higher standard that I expect of my team. Balotelli scored 17 goals last season, I would be happy if Barton assisted in half that many. Let's face it Barton played well in about 6 games last season and so what you are seeing is a season's worth of pent-up frustration. It really isn't that difficult. Not so sure of the last para. really. Balotelli is a forward who they spent a lot of money on to score goals with a spectacularly expensive team round him to assist and scoring goals for fun. JB has been up to his neck in firefighting (some of the fires he started himself I know) whilst other teams scored against us for fun. I agree with the rest of it though and think he's gone too far now. He can't play his way back because there are no games. He can't tweet his way back as the papers will jump on him. There are no 'good works' he can start doing without being a hypocrite. He has no 'positive' he can employ so for the rest of the summer it will only get worse.
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Post by Markqpr on May 31, 2012 9:01:09 GMT
Paul Ince captained England for his first time on 9th June 1993. Please don't ask me what the score was that day. Certain friends and family like to remind me of it every time I see them.
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Post by schuter82 on May 31, 2012 16:48:12 GMT
Really? You can't tell the difference between Balotelli and Barton. I can't say that I am talking for everyone, but this is why I like Balotelli, and not horrendously keen on Barton. Sure, Balotelli can be a dirty player on the pitch, like Barton, but that is not why I have the pitchforks out for Barton. Balotelli had two red cards and nine yellows in 34 appearances last year, compared to Barton's ten yellows and two reds. But Balotelli didn't get himself sent off (with three sending-off offences no less) when his team was under the cloud of relegation on the last day of the season. Balotelli isn't the captain of that same team (which makes what Barton did worse), and lastly Balotelli doesn't play for QPR, and so I don't hold him to a higher standard that I expect of my team. Balotelli scored 17 goals last season, I would be happy if Barton assisted in half that many. Let's face it Barton played well in about 6 games last season and so what you are seeing is a season's worth of pent-up frustration. It really isn't that difficult. Fair enough, I'll agree Barton as captain should be held to a higher standard. But I'd say balotelli's sending off and overall childish display in the Arsenal match nearly destroyed city's title hopes, which is a similar scenario but at a different spot on the table. Could have been a lot worse for city and balotelli had united not let them back in.
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Post by saphilip on Jun 2, 2012 14:42:01 GMT
No country is perfect and every one has its own hangups - and bigotry and racisim and everything inbetween can be found in any country, and you wouldn't look hard to find it either. I have visited many countries - and so has my wife - and that is the simple conclusion that both of us have come to.
That's not to say that the countries are all wrong. It's what they do to tackle those issues that separates the greats from the rest. I should also add apart from one of two hell holes the decent far outweigh the bad.
When we were chosen to host the 2010 WC there was a lot of doubts raised about our abilities - and let's not forget the safety and racial issues were right up there with those doubts. Some of the English media insulted our country by making some of the most outlandish BS stories that I still have to wonder how they came up with some of those "ideas".
Yes some people did have reason to doubt us - we aren't exactly first world, even if we are more adavanced than most peopel give us credit for - and of course we can't forget the past. For sure our crime rates are shocking - but guess what folks? So is Brazil and within 4 years they will host both the WC and the Olympics.
What many people forgot at the time is that from 1995 SA hosted the Rugby WC, the Cricket WC, the African Cup of Nations, the Confed Cup, Junoir world events of various sports and an All African Games. Yes the Football WC was another level but we did have experience of hosting big time world events - and none of them were flops. We also happened to be atop tourist destination as well.
And what happened when we did host it? How many people were killed in the streets, how many people were victims of big cromes - I am not talking about petty crime and even that was very low - and in contrast how many people said they enjoyed the experience and were pleasantly surprsied with it all?
Suddenly the media went very quiet and the doubters were nowhere to be seen.
That's why I do treat the Panorama report with sceptism - as it is pretty easy to highlight all the bad things and ignore the good things - and sadly the BBC does have that reputation in overseas countries. Add in what the tabloids had to say about us in the early parts of 2010 and I can understand the frustrations of Ukrainians and Poles alike. Like any country the decent far outweigh the bad.
That is not to say that there isn't a problem with racism in those countries. We have all read the reportst I have seen some of the games on TV - and I have seen the banners and bananas and heard the chants. There can be no doubt that the violence in some of those games is on par with England in the late 70's and throughout the 80's.
For UEFA to sweep that under the carpet and pretend it doesn't happen is an insulty - and a disgrae. Let's put it this way if this was still the norm (or even a fraction of it) in England then your country would still be facing UEFA isolation. That's how two faced the whole corruopt organsaition actually is.
Yes Engaldn did have serious issues of both violence and racism in the 80's but that wa sthen - this is now and i have no doubts that tehc ountry has made great strides in tackling the problem. They will never eradicate it (nobody can) but they have made the game much safer to the extent that you see far more women and non whites at football games.
I don't think there is anything that the UK do about terrorism except be vigilant and be prepared. To compare that to racism and football violence where the cops turn a blind eye is just plain ridiculous.
So why I don't doubt the intentions of the vast majority of people in Plaoldn and Ukraine - I still have my doubts.
You see hosting the WC opened many people's eyes to something else as well. The level of corruption and attitude of looking after each others backs that existed in FIFA and how prevalent it was as well.
The FIFA fact finding committee for both the 2018 and 2022 WC bids did not recommend either Russia or Qatar for many reasons. In addition FIFA and UEFA are supposed to be very much against racism. If they had stuck to the advise given to them and stuck to their own lofty principles then we wouldn't be talking about these issues right now - but as we know lofty principles are just words which does not stand a chance when the word money comes into play.
It goes back to what I stated initially in this thread - the choosing of the hosts has everything to do with corruption and turning a blind eye to the obvious problems.
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Post by ozzh00p on Jun 3, 2012 0:22:07 GMT
No country is perfect and every one has its own hangups - and bigotry and racisim and everything inbetween can be found in any country, and you wouldn't look hard to find it either. I have visited many countries - and so has my wife - and that is the simple conclusion that both of us have come to. That's not to say that the countries are all wrong. It's what they do to tackle those issues that separates the greats from the rest. I should also add apart from one of two hell holes the decent far outweigh the bad. When we were chosen to host the 2010 WC there was a lot of doubts raised about our abilities - and let's not forget the safety and racial issues were right up there with those doubts. Some of the English media insulted our country by making some of the most outlandish BS stories that I still have to wonder how they came up with some of those "ideas". Yes some people did have reason to doubt us - we aren't exactly first world, even if we are more adavanced than most peopel give us credit for - and of course we can't forget the past. For sure our crime rates are shocking - but guess what folks? So is Brazil and within 4 years they will host both the WC and the Olympics. What many people forgot at the time is that from 1995 SA hosted the Rugby WC, the Cricket WC, the African Cup of Nations, the Confed Cup, Junoir world events of various sports and an All African Games. Yes the Football WC was another level but we did have experience of hosting big time world events - and none of them were flops. We also happened to be atop tourist destination as well. And what happened when we did host it? How many people were killed in the streets, how many people were victims of big cromes - I am not talking about petty crime and even that was very low - and in contrast how many people said they enjoyed the experience and were pleasantly surprsied with it all? Suddenly the media went very quiet and the doubters were nowhere to be seen. That's why I do treat the Panorama report with sceptism - as it is pretty easy to highlight all the bad things and ignore the good things - and sadly the BBC does have that reputation in overseas countries. Add in what the tabloids had to say about us in the early parts of 2010 and I can understand the frustrations of Ukrainians and Poles alike. Like any country the decent far outweigh the bad. That is not to say that there isn't a problem with racism in those countries. We have all read the reportst I have seen some of the games on TV - and I have seen the banners and bananas and heard the chants. There can be no doubt that the violence in some of those games is on par with England in the late 70's and throughout the 80's. For UEFA to sweep that under the carpet and pretend it doesn't happen is an insulty - and a disgrae. Let's put it this way if this was still the norm (or even a fraction of it) in England then your country would still be facing UEFA isolation. That's how two faced the whole corruopt organsaition actually is. Yes Engaldn did have serious issues of both violence and racism in the 80's but that wa sthen - this is now and i have no doubts that tehc ountry has made great strides in tackling the problem. They will never eradicate it (nobody can) but they have made the game much safer to the extent that you see far more women and non whites at football games. I don't think there is anything that the UK do about terrorism except be vigilant and be prepared. To compare that to racism and football violence where the cops turn a blind eye is just plain ridiculous. So why I don't doubt the intentions of the vast majority of people in Plaoldn and Ukraine - I still have my doubts. You see hosting the WC opened many people's eyes to something else as well. The level of corruption and attitude of looking after each others backs that existed in FIFA and how prevalent it was as well. The FIFA fact finding committee for both the 2018 and 2022 WC bids did not recommend either Russia or Qatar for many reasons. In addition FIFA and UEFA are supposed to be very much against racism. If they had stuck to the advise given to them and stuck to their own lofty principles then we wouldn't be talking about these issues right now - but as we know lofty principles are just words which does not stand a chance when the word money comes into play. It goes back to what I stated initially in this thread - the choosing of the hosts has everything to do with corruption and turning a blind eye to the obvious problems. Yeah but what about them fvkcing Vuvuzelas?
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Post by cpr on Jun 3, 2012 5:49:21 GMT
Paul Ince captained England for his first time on 9th June 1993. Please don't ask me what the score was that day. Certain friends and family like to remind me of it every time I see them. I knew a song that featured Paul Ince.
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 6, 2012 21:21:29 GMT
BBC
Has Uefa done enough to fight racism?
David Bond | 15:52 UK time, Wednesday, 6 June 2012 David Bond, the BBC's Sports Editor.
The debate about racism in football hangs heavy over the final preparations for Euro 2012. For England manager Roy Hodgson the next few days are likely to prove extremely uncomfortable as he faces difficult questions over his decision to pick John Terry and leave Rio Ferdinand at home. He says Ferdinand's omission was for purely "footballing reasons". But his refusal to change his mind even after Gary Cahill fractured his jaw has led to claims that his motivation was more political. As we all know Terry is accused of racially abusing Ferdinand's brother Anton during a Premier League match between Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers last October. He will stand trial directly after the tournament and it is hard to believe this hasn't played some part in Hodgson's thinking. Platini says referees must stop games if they hear racist abuse Whatever the truth it is a controversy certain to dominate the headlines as England and Hodgson settle into their team base in the pretty medieval market square here in Krakow. Three hours train ride away in Warsaw a wider discussion about racism - prompted by the BBC's Panorama investigation into co-hosts Ukraine and Poland - is taking place. The programme, which showed sickening scenes of two Asian students being beaten by neo-Nazi thugs in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv (one of the country's host cities), highlighted long held concerns about the challenges of taking the tournament to Eastern Europe for the first time. Last night Polish television replayed the programme and followed up with a discussion about the issues raised. It's fair to say the reaction in Poland has been defensive to the point where some TV programmes took to showing footage from last summer's riots in the UK. Pointing to another country's problems doesn't remove your own and what has perhaps shocked me the most has been the apparent absence of shock from those here who have now seen the Panorama footage. This is not because they in any way agree with the thugs making monkey noises or wearing anti semitic T-shirts. They don't. It's just they are so used to it they don't think it's a story. Of course it would be extremely unfair to think these problems exist only in places like Kharkiv or Krakow. Across Europe and even in English grounds you hear and witness behaviour which is unacceptable. The difference with England is that the game has done a lot to shift attitudes in the last 10 years. Racist fans are the latest in a long line of problems to dog preparations for Euro 2012. The venues were late, the transport network is a problem both in and between the two hosts and politicians of western governments, including our own, are threatening to boycott Ukraine over the government's treatment of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko. Despite all these problems Uefa has continued to stand by Ukraine and Poland, arguing it was right to award its prized event to two eastern European countries. Today in an interview with the BBC, Uefa president Michel Platini told me they have done their best to prepare for the tournament despite facing so many major challenges. But he added he was "shocked" and saddened by the Panorama report - although, remarkably, he admitted he hadn't actually watched it. "I feel bad of course," he said. "Because I am not a racist. I played with many people of many colours, from many regions. "We are shocked about racists but we are trying to do something, we have to fight against that." The question is how hard are Platini and Uefa really fighting? The Frenchman says referees here have been given the power to take players off the pitch if they see or hear any evidence of racist abuse during Euro 2012. But Uefa have repeatedly failed to send out a strong message on racism when it comes to sanctioning clubs and countries whose fans step out of line. Take the example of Manchester City - fined 40,000 euros for taking the field late - while Porto were fined 10,000 euros fewer after their fans racially abused City striker Mario Balotelli. Platini disagreed with me that there was a contradiction here, arguing that City had previous form in this area. He also made it clear he, as head of Uefa, couldn't be seen to be intervening in the decisions of an independent disciplinary panel. Maybe. But this example shows how out of touch Uefa's sanctions are with the severity of the problem. The punishments need to be much much harder to ram the message home. Over the next month Ukraine and Poland will be in the spotlight in a way they have never encountered before. Should it go wrong then the reputation of Uefa and its ambitious French president will also be on the line. www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/davidbond/2012/06/has_platini_and_uefa_done_enou.html
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 7, 2012 6:55:14 GMT
GUARDIAN Euro 2012: Michel Platini warns of bookings for racism protest players • Uefa president responds to Mario Balotelli threat • Platini empowers Euro 2012 referees to halt games Dominic Fifield in Krakow Michel Platini has warned players they will be booked if they walk off the pitch at Euro 2012 in protest at being racially abused, though the Uefa president has empowered referees to halt matches if the issue flares up during the tournament. The Italy forward Mario Balotelli has threatened to leave the field of play if he is subjected to abuse in Poland and Ukraine yet Platini, hosting a pre-tournament press conference in Warsaw, insisted the rule preventing players from departing the pitch without the officials' permission would stand. In that case, a player would be cautioned. "It's a yellow card," said Platini when asked what would happen if a player took matters into his own hands. "We'd certainly support the referee if he decided to stop the game. It's not a player, Mr Balotelli, who's in charge of refereeing. It's the referee who takes these decisions. So, the referee has been given advice and he can stop the game if there are problems. We will stop the game if there are problems because I think racism is the worst of this." Platini's briefing was dominated by questions on racism, an issue highlighted in a BBC Panorama programme last week – titled "Stadiums of Hate" and detailing discrimination and violent incidents at recent club matches held in the co-host nations – in which the Guardian columnist Sol Campbell warned black fans they risked "coming back in a coffin" if they chose to attend the tournament. The families of England's Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have chosen not to travel to the finals over fears for their safety. The line of questioning increasingly appeared to frustrate the Uefa president. "What would you like me to say? How would you want me to answer this?" said Platini, when asked to respond to Campbell's comments. "I don't think there's any more racism in Poland and Ukraine than in France or anywhere else, or even in England. It's not a footballing problem. It's a problem for society. It's the states that need to take charge of this. "There is more and more nationalism in Europe. You can feel this at a number of football matches. There are some worries, some big worries, but a lot has been done thanks to football. There have been problems with violence in the 1970s in England. They made great strides actually to change the situation and we need to do work in the field of racism and we need to stop this from happening. But how can you say outside the stadium: 'He's a racist, he can't come in; he's not a racist, he can come in'? You can't do it." Uefa's chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, insisted each of the 16 teams involved and the governing body's 12 referees had been made aware of the procedure to follow if one of their players is abused. "Things are clear," he said. "Referees have a protocol so they know what they have to do. The match director, who is responsible for each match, knows what has to be done on the field of play." The governing body has invited Football Against Racism in Europe (Fare) to select a group of 31 expert spotters who will monitor every team's fans for banners, chants and racist behaviour inside stadiums which would breach Uefa's zero-tolerance anti-discrimination policy. "There is no question we are worried about this tournament more than any other," said Piara Powar, Fare's executive director. "I think Platini understands what is going on. "For us, the Uefa system is three strikes and you're out. Fine and then another fineand then a ban or forcing teams to play behind closed doors.If the system is in full effect, we could have a team kicked out of the competition for far-right banners." www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/06/michel-platini-yellow-racism-protest
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Post by alfaranger on Jun 7, 2012 8:54:28 GMT
GUARDIAN Euro 2012: Michel Platini warns of bookings for racism protest players • Uefa president responds to Mario Balotelli threat • Platini empowers Euro 2012 referees to halt games Dominic Fifield in Krakow Michel Platini has warned players they will be booked if they walk off the pitch at Euro 2012 in protest at being racially abused, though the Uefa president has empowered referees to halt matches if the issue flares up during the tournament. The Italy forward Mario Balotelli has threatened to leave the field of play if he is subjected to abuse in Poland and Ukraine yet Platini, hosting a pre-tournament press conference in Warsaw, insisted the rule preventing players from departing the pitch without the officials' permission would stand. In that case, a player would be cautioned. "It's a yellow card," said Platini when asked what would happen if a player took matters into his own hands. "We'd certainly support the referee if he decided to stop the game. It's not a player, Mr Balotelli, who's in charge of refereeing. It's the referee who takes these decisions. So, the referee has been given advice and he can stop the game if there are problems. We will stop the game if there are problems because I think racism is the worst of this." Platini's briefing was dominated by questions on racism, an issue highlighted in a BBC Panorama programme last week – titled "Stadiums of Hate" and detailing discrimination and violent incidents at recent club matches held in the co-host nations – in which the Guardian columnist Sol Campbell warned black fans they risked "coming back in a coffin" if they chose to attend the tournament. The families of England's Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have chosen not to travel to the finals over fears for their safety. The line of questioning increasingly appeared to frustrate the Uefa president. "What would you like me to say? How would you want me to answer this?" said Platini, when asked to respond to Campbell's comments. "I don't think there's any more racism in Poland and Ukraine than in France or anywhere else, or even in England. It's not a footballing problem. It's a problem for society. It's the states that need to take charge of this. "There is more and more nationalism in Europe. You can feel this at a number of football matches. There are some worries, some big worries, but a lot has been done thanks to football. There have been problems with violence in the 1970s in England. They made great strides actually to change the situation and we need to do work in the field of racism and we need to stop this from happening. But how can you say outside the stadium: 'He's a racist, he can't come in; he's not a racist, he can come in'? You can't do it." Uefa's chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, insisted each of the 16 teams involved and the governing body's 12 referees had been made aware of the procedure to follow if one of their players is abused. "Things are clear," he said. "Referees have a protocol so they know what they have to do. The match director, who is responsible for each match, knows what has to be done on the field of play." The governing body has invited Football Against Racism in Europe (Fare) to select a group of 31 expert spotters who will monitor every team's fans for banners, chants and racist behaviour inside stadiums which would breach Uefa's zero-tolerance anti-discrimination policy. "There is no question we are worried about this tournament more than any other," said Piara Powar, Fare's executive director. "I think Platini understands what is going on. "For us, the Uefa system is three strikes and you're out. Fine and then another fineand then a ban or forcing teams to play behind closed doors.If the system is in full effect, we could have a team kicked out of the competition for far-right banners." www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/06/michel-platini-yellow-racism-protestI wonder if there will be any manipulation here. A few fans dressed in opposition kit. A few racist chants. A game stopped when the wrong side is winning. Not that any teams or groups of fans will be that cynical of course.
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Post by Jon Doeman on Jun 8, 2012 6:11:23 GMT
Black Dutch players got monkey chants at training! This could get messy .
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 8, 2012 6:39:07 GMT
GUARDIAN/Daniel Taylor
Euro 2012: Holland players subjected to racist abuse at training session • Monkey chants aimed at Dutch squad in Krakow • Van Bommel anger as Uefa denies racial motivationShare 982 Euro 2012 was plunged into its first racism controversy after the black players in the Holland squad were subjected to monkey chants during an open practice session in the same city where England will also invite the public to watch them train on Friday. Several hundred people targeted players such as Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel when 25,000 spectators attended the Dutch practice session at the Stadion Miejski, the home of Wisla Krakow. The players, on the instructions of the captain, Mark van Bommel, responded by moving their training drills to the other side of the ground. "It is a real disgrace especially after getting back from Auschwitz [the Dutch squad had visited the concentration camp on Wednesday] that you are confronted with this," Van Bommel said. "We will take it up with Uefa and if it happens at a match we will talk to the referee and ask him to take us off the field." The problems occurred as the players began the session by jogging a lap of the pitch only to be greeted at one end of the stadium with monkey noises and loud jeers. On the second circuit, they were even louder and it was then the players decided not to go around again. "At least now we know what we can encounter," the Holland coach, Bert van Marwijk, said with heavy cynicism. "Very atmospheric." Uefa subsequently tried to deny that it was racially motivated, saying they had checked with the Dutch squad and had been told it was not thought to be of that nature. Instead, the official line is that a small part of the crowd was protesting about the fact that Krakow had not been made one of the host cities. Another theory that has been put forward is that Wisla's supporters did not want their stadium being used by anyone but their own club and were simply booing the Dutch players. Van Bommel, however, responded angrily when it was put to him not everyone had heard monkey noises. "You need to open your ears," he said. "If you did hear it, and don't want to hear it, that is even worse." Privately, the midfielder is understood to be unhappy that the authorities are not treating the issue more seriously, but the incident is still threatening to be a major embarrassment for Uefa, coming before a ball has even been kicked, and will increase the scrutiny on Poland's supporters when the tournament opens with the co-hosts playing Greece in Warsaw on Friday. The Polish authorities have been eager to dispel the sense that the backdrop to this tournament will have racism at its centre, and the country's prime minister, Donald Tusk, went through an elaborate public relations exercise on Thursday to drive home the point. Tusk was accompanied by a television crew on a 90-mile journey to Lodz to dine with Poland's first black parliamentarian, John Godson, and his family, including relatives who had flown in from Nigeria. The idea was to show the improvements both in Poland's road network and acceptance of different races. Godson criticised the BBC Panorama documentary Euro 2012: Stadiums of Hate that had warned racism would be rife. He argued that Poland was a "hospitable and tolerant country" while Tusk wore a badge that said "Welcome" and said he was convinced there would be no problems: "I very warmly invite all English people. You will definitely not encounter anything unpleasant here." Panorama had focused on the racist elements in the support of Krakow's two major clubs, Wisla and Cracovia, as well as highlighting the seriousness of the problem in Ukraine. Michel Platini, the Uefa president, has subsequently said the referees have been empowered to take teams off the pitch if there are serious issues – but added that any player who walked off without permission would be booked. The families of two of England's black players, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott, have already decided against travelling to the tournament because of the potential problems. England are based in Krakow, along with the Netherlands and Italy squads, and will allow the public to watch Friday's practice session at Hutnik stadium on the outskirts of the city. www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/07/euro-2012-holland-racist-abuse
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Post by fraserinbc on Jun 8, 2012 7:00:49 GMT
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 8, 2012 9:36:08 GMT
As noted by Amnesty International Euro 2012: 'A complicated adventure' By Caroline Cheese, for CNN June 7, 2012 -- Updated 1917 GMT (0317 HKT) CNN STORY HIGHLIGHTS Euro 2012 kicks off on June 8, with 16 nations taking part Buildup to the four-yearly tournament has been difficult for the co-hosts There have been fears that infrastructure in Ukraine will not be sufficient Country has also been criticized over human rights and racist football fans (CNN) -- If the pre-vote predictions had been accurate, football heavyweights Italy would be preparing to host the 2012 European Championship. It wasn't a shock on the scale of Qatar's swoop for the 2022 World Cup, but the joint bid from Poland and Ukraine was at one stage considered third favorite to host Euro 2012 -- out of three candidates. But taking advantage of the hooliganism and match-fixing allegations making ugly headlines in Italy back in 2007, Poland and Ukraine stole up on the outside to pip both the 1968 champions and another joint bid from Hungary and Croatia to the honor. Racism, rather than Ronaldo and Ribery, dominates Euro 2012 storylines Fulfilling UEFA chief Michel Platini's ambition of balancing the power in European football, this will be the first major football tournament in the former Iron Curtain. But as early as 2008, Platini was telling Ukraine to "get going" as the building of new stadiums and improvements in the transport network slipped behind schedule. At one stage, there was even talk of Scotland stepping in as emergency host. Platini: Bayern, Chelsea worthy of final Platini: Blatter racism claims 'clumsy' By the end of 2011, Platini was diplomatically describing the buildup as a "complicated adventure." "Difficult births often lead to beautiful babies," the French football great concluded in March as Poland and Ukraine finally declared they would be ready for the June 8 kickoff when an estimated worldwide audience of at least 150 million is expected to be watching. Only time will tell whether Platini will return to UEFA's headquarters in Switzerland a proud father. Most major sporting tournaments experience a rocky buildup, Poland and Ukraine's has been at the turbulent end of the scale -- understandably so, given the countries' lack of major event experience coupled with ambitious improvement plans that are reported to have cost $38 billion combined. The stadia are breathtaking. Five of the eight on show during the tournament are brand new, and the existing venues in Kiev, Donetsk and Kharkiv have undergone major developments. The 50,000-capacity, newly-constructed National Stadium in Warsaw will host the opening game between Poland and Greece. Kiev's 60,000-capacity Olympic Stadium, which began life in 1923 as the Red Stadium of Lev Trotsky and hosted games during the 1980 Moscow Olympics, has been completely renovated with a new transparent roof and will host the final on July 1. While the venues have been tested, the transport network will come under scrutiny for the first time when an estimated one million fans descend on the two countries. Euro 2012: Key players Eye on Poland Ukraine faces a race against time to complete the planned 1,750 kilometers of new roads in time for the start of the tournament. It has also shipped in high-speed trains from South Korea to ease travel between the two host countries. Poland has already accepted that some of its transport improvements -- including the construction of 750 km of new motorways -- may not be ready. "We know not everything will be completed in time for Euro 2012," Poland 2012 communications director Mikolaj Piotrowski told CNN late last year. "But today we can say that a lot of important investment projects will be completed three to five years sooner than without the Euros scenario, so I think it was worth it to see Michel Platini opening the envelope in Cardiff in 2007." If getting around should be manageable for fans, finding somewhere affordable to stay once they get to their destination is an altogether trickier task. England -- traditionally one of the best-supported European teams -- failed to sell out its original allocation of tickets for its group games in Kiev and Donetsk, with many fans opting to stay at home as Ukrainian hotel owners seek to make hay from the tournament by ramping up prices. In April the Football Supporters' Federation said fans were being quoted as much as $1,000 a night for a three-star room. The England team avoided that problem by choosing a base in Krakow, Poland -- even though it will mean thousands of miles of travel between the two countries. If it isn't financial concerns putting off fans, it is the fear of the kind of reception they'll get. The English Foreign Office warns that there has been a recent "increase in hostility" toward gay people in Ukraine and that "travelers of Asian or Afro-Caribbean descent and individuals belonging to religious minorities should take extra care." The stadiums of Euro 2012 From Orange Revolution to Euro 2012 The families of black England players Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have already decided against traveling to Ukraine -- and that was before a BBC documentary highlighting racism and violence in the host countries was screened "It's a major concern," said Oxlade-Chamberlain's father Mark, himself a former England player. "I think your safety is more important than a game of football." Poland, too, has suffered serious problems with racism. "Monkey chanting, banana throwing, that has happened in Polish matches unfortunately," Rafal Pankowski from the campaign group Never Again told CNN. "We want to use the Championships to highlight some of the issues and make a difference in a positive way in terms of anti-racism education." A series of bomb blasts in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine's fourth largest city, in late April only added to the pervading nervousness over traveling to the country, while several EU leaders will boycott the tournament over Ukraine's treatment of imprisoned opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko. Amnesty International, meanwhile, has warned of "widespread police criminality" in Ukraine, leading to concerns that any crowd trouble could be met with a particularly brutal response. UEFA has always accepted that giving Euro 2012 to Poland and Ukraine was a risk. EU leaders snub Euro 2012 over Ukraine human rights row UEFA's fight against racism "From the beginning, it was a big challenge to go to Poland and Ukraine," Platini told CNN last month. "Four years ago when all the signs were red, red, red -- stadium, roads, accommodation -- it was not easy. "But I say it was a good risk." And Kiev could witness a historic moment if Spain can follow up 2008's victory and become the first team to successfully defend the title since the tournament began 52 years ago. On a lighter note, we await the predictions of Ukraine's "Psychic Pig" and Poland's "Citta" the elephant with interest. They follow in the footsteps of 2010 World Cup soothsayer Paul the Octopus in what seems to be becoming a curious tradition at major football tournaments. For most pundits, the Spanish are favorites for the title, but they have their problems. Record scorer David Villa and veteran defender Carles Puyol have been ruled out of the tournament, while striker Fernando Torres -- who netted the only goal of the 2008 final -- has endured another torrid season for Chelsea. Their competition looks set to come from Joachim Low's youthful Germany side, 2010 World Cup finalists Netherlands, and perhaps a France team that appears to be back on an even keel under the calming influence of Laurent Blanc. Italy, six years on from the scandal that so seriously damaged the country's chances of hosting the tournament, is embroiled in another match-fixing crisis that led defender Domenico Criscito to be cut from the squad. The English are even less fancied, particularly so among their own pessimistic supporters. Roy Hodgson took up his coaching job just 29 days before the first game against France and has to get the best out of a squad that must survive the first two games without the suspended Wayne Rooney, one of the team's few world-class players. As for the hosts, Poland looks to have the easier group with Czech Republic, Greece and Russia. Ukraine must contend with France, England and Sweden. For 35-year-old national icon Andriy Shevchenko, the tournament is a chance to put the perfect full stop on a 17-year international career. "Ukrainians, our time has come!" declares the team's slogan. UEFA might be hoping it also applies to the country as a whole. edition.cnn.com/2012/06/07/sport/football/football-euro-2012-poland-ukraine/index.html?hpt=ifo_t1
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 8, 2012 20:42:54 GMT
KICK IT OUT [UK] BACA speaks out as Euro 2012 commences Friday 8 Jun 2012 The Black and Asian Coaches Association (BACA) has spoken out after a number of Netherlands squad members were subjected to racist abuse during a training session in Krakow on Wednesday (6 June). Commenting at a coaching workshop aimed at upskilling and educating young people from BME communities in Brixton earlier today (8 June), Colin King, BACA's co-founder, said: "I feel extremely disturbed and hurt by what has happened out in Poland. The tournament is being overshadowed by incidents of this nature and it makes you wonder why they chose to host it in these countries." Troy Townsend, Kick It Out's Mentoring and Leadership project manager, added: "These types of incidents are a massive issue and need to be addressed. UEFA must take swift decisive action against any perpetrators. It is vital that football prevails." www.kickitout.org/news.php/news_id/5512
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 9, 2012 7:04:00 GMT
GUARDIAN - Paul Wilson in Kharkiv
Euro 2012: Holland camp unsettled by differing views on 'racist' abuse
• Head coach Bert van Marwijk questions nature of jeering
• Captain Mark van Bommel says 'the whole group heard it'Fault lines are developing within the Dutch squad over the alleged racist jeering at their open training session in Krakow this week. Mark van Bommel, the captain, initially reported it in the strongest terms, yet was not backed by his association, who declined to make an official complaint. Now in Kharkiv, ahead of Holland's opening game against Denmark, the head coach Bert van Marwijk said he could not be sure he heard anything racist at all, while sitting next to him Van Bommel stuck to his guns and said the whole team found the incident unpleasant. "I didn't hear anything that was racist in nature," Van Marwijk said. "I heard a few things, there was noise of some sort, but I'm not sure I heard anything racist. It's true that I am trying to be as nice as possible, in a new country on the eve of a tournament, but I don't wish to make any further comment on the matter because as I said, I didn't hear it." The Dutch FA will not to lodge a complaint to Uefa, and if Van Bommel was disappointed that they did not take his allegations more seriously then he failed to say so, though he did not back down either. "It happened exactly as you said," he replied, to a question about whether the black players in the squad had been subjected to racially motivated abuse. "The whole group heard it. The easiest thing at the time was to move to the opposite end of the pitch but it was not pleasant. We were all happy to get out of there." Captain and coach have now become enmeshed in a difficult situation which they seem to be trying to play down rather than escalate. Uefa, meanwhile, said it had "no plans" to launch an investigation into the incident, although it did confirm it had "been made aware that there were some isolated incidents of racist chanting." The governing body said it was satisfied by claims the abusive chanting from the stands was actually a protest against the fact Krakow had not been made one of the host cities for Euro 2012. A measure of how uncomfortable Van Marwijk, right, was with questions about events in Krakow, which effectively curtailed the press conference before Denmark got much of a mention, was that he was eager to respond to his Danish counterpart Morten Olsen's suggestion that the Dutch were an arrogant footballing nation. "That's quite an old one," Van Marwijk said. "Although it's perfectly true that we did use that word a few years ago. It's more about self-belief really, you need to have that sort of confidence in yourself if you are going to win things, but you have to have the ability to back it up. It must not be misplaced, otherwise you are going to look silly." Holland and Denmark played each other in the opening game of the last World Cup at Soccer City in Johannesburg. The Dutch won 2-0 and went all the way to the final. Van Marwijk has not drastically altered his side in the meantime, despite having injury problems all across the back line. Jorios Mathijsen has been ruled out, so either Wilfred Bouma or Ron Vlaar will have to come in to partner John Heitinga. Bouma may also be needed at right-back, but left-back is the position of most uncertainty. Van Marwijk is thought likely to go with Eindhoven's young and inexperienced Jetro Willems, though he has refused to confirm or deny this despite being asked on countless occasions. His other options include Gregory van der Wiel, or the ubiquitous Bouma, who have both operated at left back in warm-up matches. "We are very familiar with the Danes as opponents," Van Marwijk said. "We play in the same way and we don't have any secrets from each other. We have a lot of respect for each other too, and I am sure the game will be played in the right spirit." It probably will be, since far from bearing any grudges, Olsen conceded that his accusation of arrogance was intended as a compliment. "I'm not trying to wind anyone up, I don't think we can bluff the Dutch," the Denmark coach said. "They are arrogant in a good way, they believe in themselves, and there's nothing wrong with that. To be perfectly honest I think we are a little bit jealous of the Dutch. They are the favourites, after all, and we would love to be in their shoes. "I think it is about time we met someone else in the opening game, it is hard to keep coming up against the same strong opponents first time out. I think the Dutch are probably better now than they were two years ago, andhopefully so are we. But we clearly go into the game as underdogs, there's no doubt about that. "I have heard it said that the Dutch will regard it as an enormous disappointment if they do not win this title. I don't think we are in a position to say anything like that." www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/08/holland-racist-abuse-krakow
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 10, 2012 10:04:37 GMT
GUARdIAN Euro 2012: Uefa hits Russia with disciplinary probe over fans' attack • Four stewards injured during win over Czech Republic • Uefa also investigating alleged racism towards Czech player Share 7 Email David Hills The Observer, Saturday 9 June 2012 Russia fans have been accused of racially abusing the Czech Republic's Theo Gebre Selassie. Photograph: Armando Babani/EPA Uefa opened disciplinary proceedings against Russia on Saturday night over the behaviour of fans during their match against the Czech Republic. The decision followed reports that the Czech's only black player, Theo Gebre Selassie, was the target of monkey chants during the game in Wroclaw, with fans also seen displaying far-right "Russian Empire" flags. In a separate incident, four stewards needed hospital treatment after being attacked by a group of Russian fans inside the stadium. Uefa – under pressure over their slow response to the racist abuse aimed at Holland's players during a training session in Krakow on Wednesday – said they would hold an immediate investigation. "Having looked at the security reports and available images, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the Football Union of Russia," said a Uefa statement. "This relates to the improper conduct of its supporters, the setting-off and throwing of fireworks and the display of illicit banners. The control and disciplinary body will review the case on Wednesday June 13. "In addition, regarding reports of alleged abuse directed at Czech Republic players from Russia fans, Uefa is investigating this further and is working with Football Against Racism in Europe to collect more evidence." The chief executive of FARE, Piara Power, had earlier confirmed that one of the group's match observers had reported "fleeting" racist abuse aimed at Selassie from a "small section of the crowd", though added: "It may not be easy to pull together evidence for a case to be brought." The violence, footage of which appeared online, included one steward being punched to the ground and then kicked before the fans walked away. Police said the fans appeared to have become aggressive when stewards tried to detain a man who had thrown firecrackers towards the pitch. No arrests were made, but footage of the incident is being reviewed. A Russia team spokesman, Nikolai Komarov, said the federation declined to comment on the details of the reported incidents, but added: "The federation has many fans. You don't have control over them all." www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/09/euro-2012-uefa-russia-fans-violence
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Post by Macmoish on Jun 10, 2012 10:07:09 GMT
Daniel Taylor/The Guardian
Football's dark side casts ominous shadows on the streets of Krakow Poland and Ukraine, the hosts of Euro 2012, have a serious problem of institutional racism that is clear to any visitorThe graffiti stares back at you as soon as you leave John Paul II International Airport and set off on the drive into Krakow. It follows you into the city, on the sides of the roads and the little clusters of apartment blocks. White supremacy symbols mostly, though it does not take a great deal to find the larger, more sinister pieces of work. At least the authorities here are trying to do something about it. Maybe not enough, but more than you might realise given the way England's host city has commonly been portrayed as shrugging its shoulders and wondering, bemusedly, why the rest of us are getting so worked up. They spend around zloty 150,000 (£30,000) every year trying to remove the spray paint from Krakow's walls. Interkulturalni, one of the organisations tackling racism, has a "Streets of Shame" section on its website, where the public can post photographs and report offenders. The city council has its own hotline and the Krakow Post is routinely filled with stories promoting multiculturalism. One recent front-page headline read simply: "Stamp Out Racism." The problem, according to Interkulturalni, is "institutional racism", passively accepted by the public. Already we have had the monkey chants that polluted a Holland training session at the Wisla Krakow stadium and, just as shockingly, something that strayed suspiciously close to an attempted cover-up. Listen to the footage and it is not merely a handful of people involved, as Uefa tried to purport, but hundreds. It is the ghastly "ooh ooh" noises that symbolise only one thing, and it was pitiful in the extreme that Uefa, as well as a number of Dutch journalists, tried to pass it off as something it very obviously wasn't. The default setting for many is that Uefa got it wrong awarding the tournament to Poland and Ukraine when this could easily have been predicted during the bidding process in 2007. No doubt that line will be pursued even more vigorously if there are more problems over the coming weeks. Yet that is to presume the alternatives had a racism-free guarantee when that is plainly not the case given that the rival bids came from Italy and a joint package from Croatia and Hungary. Croatia, to put it into context, were fined at Euro 2004 after their supporters targeted France's Sylvain Wiltord and displayed banners bearing Celtic crosses, the symbol of the white power movement. The same kind of thing happened when they played Turkey in Euro 2008. Alternatively, think back to England's game in Zagreb in 2008, when Emile Heskey got the full monkey treatment. Or the most sinister one yet: the friendly against Italy in Livorno in 2006, when the Croatian fans stood on the terraces in the formation of a swastika and made Sieg Heil salutes. Italy had been favourites to land this tournament and, presumably, would have been a more popular choice, yet they, too, have demonstrated an apparent inability to embrace a multi-ethnic identity. Juventus supporters once held up a banner about Mario Balotelli, then 18, with the words: "A Negro cannot be Italian." When he broke into the Italy team, another bore the message: "No to a multi-ethnic national team." Balotelli has become a serial target in his young career, but whatever misgivings he might have about this tournament it is unlikely he will encounter anything so callous as his experiences in his own country. This is not to avoid the very clear issue that Poland and Ukraine have a serious social problem, or the sense of deep unease that the black players in the Dutch squad cannot even do a lap of their training pitch without being hounded. It is just that before there is any more demonising of the co-hosts it is wrong to file this away as simply a problem for eastern Europe. There is not a country in Europe where prejudice does not exist in some form, and that includes what some might class as more civilised football environments such as Italy or Spain or Portugal. One of the reports into Euro 2004, compiled by Football Against Racism in Europe, talks of Spanish fans with tattoos and flags featuring neo-Nazi symbols such as Waffen-SS skulls, Celtic crosses and the number 88, the abbreviation for HH – Heil Hitler. More recently, consider the abuse directed at Balotelli on Manchester City's foreign excursions last season, first at Villarreal, then Porto. Or remember the treatment reserved for England's black players during a friendly against Spain at the Bernabéu in 2004 and the indignation in the Spanish media when their English counterparts had the temerity to complain. Antena 3 talked of "absurd accusations" and "gross exaggerations". The sports daily As accused the English of being "very serious when it comes to race, politically correct to the extreme, which is just another way of hiding their own defects". There are people in Poland and Ukraine who are starting to suspect the same thing, and maybe with at least the basis of a point. Anyone who watched the Panorama documentary, Euro 2012: Stadiums of Hate, will understand that a football match in Krakow or Kiev is very different to one in London or Manchester. Yet let's not be too self-congratulatory or delude ourselves into thinking the Premier League is devoid of racism, especially after some of the things that have happened over the past year. Or that just because the newspapers don't like to give them too much publicity there are not groups of boneheaded men going on racist marches through various towns and cities on their weekends. Of course, the issue is strikingly worse in Poland and Ukraine, where the anti-racism campaigners are only just starting to get their voices heard and there is still the sense that many people in high positions would rather turn a blind eye. Uefa, we know, are patently weak when, if they had been stronger, the two host countries would have been under greater pressure to clean up their act. But this is Uefa, an organisation that initially told us what happened in Krakow with the Dutch squad was not racism and would probably still be peddling that line were it not for Mark van Bommel taking it upon himself to tell it like it really was. Now we hear reports of Russian supporters with far-right flags abusing the Czech Republic's Theodor Gebre Selassie, and it is not being alarmist to look at, say, Ukraine's games against France and England with a little trepidation. Before then, the Ukraine coach, Oleh Blokhin, will inevitably be asked to explain his comments, in the New York Times in 2006, that "the more Ukrainians that play in the national league, the more examples for the young generation – let them learn from Shevchenko or Blokhin and not some Zumba-Bumba they took off a tree, gave him two bananas and now he plays in the Ukrainian league". The football has been good so far, and there has been plenty to enjoy, but there are clearly going to be sporadic moments when Euro 2012 is difficult to love. www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jun/10/football-dark-side-euro-2012
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Post by Lonegunmen on Jun 10, 2012 10:38:25 GMT
Excellent article
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