Fan Racism....Fan Anti-Semitism

[QPR Report]

Nov 15 2008 South Wales Echo - Bothroyd talks of his racism agony

CARDIFF CITY striker Jay Bothroyd has opened his heart about the pain and hurt caused by being a target for racist taunts.

Bothroyd, a footballer who qualifies for Jamaica through his grandparents, talked frankly about the racist abuse hurled at him – both as a child and since he became a professional footballer.

“No matter how many injuries you have as a footballer, there is nothing more hurtful than being the target for racism,” said London-born Bothroyd.

While he admits he has not always handled racist taunts in the right way, he had sound advice for youngsters who find themselves a target for racists.

“The best way to deal with it is tell an adult – your teacher, a parent or anybody,” he said.

“Report what is happening as soon as possible.”

Bothroyd, 26, added: “As a kid I was called names. Coloured. Half caste. Part-time n*****.

“None of that is acceptable. I used to react aggressively and wanted to have a fight. I quickly realised that just put me in the wrong.

“The best way to deal with it is tell an adult – as soon as you can.”

Bothroyd is an experienced professional footballer who has played for Arsenal, Coventry City, Perugia in Italy, Blackburn Rovers, Charlton Athletic, Wolves and now Cardiff City.

Speaking at the launch of a Show Racism The Red Card campaign at Cardiff City’s Ninian Park ground, he talked about one of the first times he experienced racism as a footballer, five years ago.

“I went to play football in Italy and didn’t really know what to expect,” said Bothroyd.

“The manager said there could be racism, but I just shrugged my shoulders.

“I wasn’t prepared for what happened. We had a few black players in the team and every time one of us touched the ball there were monkey chants. The people chanting were adults. I could hardly believe what they were doing. I felt so hurt. It was totally unnecessary. It’s still in football and life today.

“We must all work together to ensure that changes.”

Bothroyd and Cardiff City team-mate, Hungarian international Gabor Gyepes, were at Ninian Park to highlight the anti-racism campaign Kick It Out. Former Bluebirds defender Gary Bennett plus ex-Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and West Ham footballer Leroy Rosenior were also at Ninian Park talking to schoolchildren and teachers in the packed International Lounge.

“I come from Hungary and not that many black people live there,” said Gyepes.

“Many Hungarians live and work in other countries nearby – and they can be targets for racism. That happens a lot.

“In that case it’s nothing to do with being black or white. Racism comes in many forms and is one of the most stupid things in the world.

“There is only one decision to make. Are people good or bad, whatever their background?”

Welsh footballer Ryan Giggs, 34, has also urged youngsters to speak out about racism after revealing how he kept quiet about racist bullying he suffered at school.

In a new film shot as part of the campaign, the Cardiff-born former Welsh international said: “I used to get a little bit of stick at school. It was something I had when I was younger and something that obviously isn’t very nice and that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. There was a couple of occasions when it happened but I just kept it to myself. I know that it was wrong and I know that maybe I should have told someone.”

[QPR Report]

Meanwhile in Spain:

Guardian - November 13, 2008 - Racism rare in Spain, Madrid 2016 bid officials

MADRID, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Madrid is a tolerant place that welcomes foreigners and incidents of racism are rare, officials pushing the city's bid to host the 2016 Olympics said on Thursday.
The Spanish capital is vying for the right to host the summer Games with Rio de Janeiro, Chicago and Tokyo, and the International Olympic Committee will choose the winner in October next year.

Isolated incidents of racism at Spanish sporting events have tarnished the nation's image in recent years, leading to fears Madrid's chances of winning could be hampered.

"Madrid is a tolerant city, even if it's true that there have been some incidents perpetrated by a minority that in no way represent the general attitude of Madrid residents," bid chief Mercedes Coghen said on Thursday at an event in the city.
A short film promoting the Olympic bid, including messages of support from soccer players such as Real Madrid's Portuguese defender Pepe and Atletico Madrid's Czech defender Tomas Ujfalusi was also presented.

"Sport is a weapon in the armoury of tolerance," Coghen said, noting that a series of educational initiatives had been launched and the film would be shown in the city's schools.

Madrid's decision to address the issues of integration and tolerance follows an incident this month when media reported Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o had been the victim of racist chanting at a Primera Liga match in Malaga.

In another incident earlier this season, Getafe's Ecuadorian forward Joffre Guerron was racially abused during a match at Sporting Gijon, according to the referee's report.

Separately, hate messages were posted on a Spanish website targeting British Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton, the sport's first black driver, was also subjected to racial abuse from spectators at a test in Barcelona in February, after which Formula One's governing body launched an anti-racism campaign. (Reporting by Iain Rogers; Editing by Sonia Oxley)

[QPR Report]

And this article from a few months ago in TIME OUT/LONDON

Time Out.London - Feb 8, 2008 Anti-Semitism in football

As Peter Watts considers the complexities of fans using the word ’Yid‘ at Spurs games, he worries that the Carling Cup final could resemble the bad old days of the ‘80s

Where does name-calling end and anti-Semitism begin?

I’d been calling Spurs ‘the Yids’ for a couple of years before my dad told me it was racist. ‘Don’t you realise it’s an abusive term for someone who is Jewish?’ he said. I didn’t, nor had I worked it out from one of my favourite Chelsea chants: ‘He’s only a poor little Yiddo/He stands at the back of the Shelf/He goes to the bar/To buy a lager/And only buys one for himself’. Racial stereotypes were clearly not one of my strong points as a 13-year-old.

I’d like to say that I immediately stopped using the word, but I didn’t. Chelsea fans – like those at Arsenal and West Ham – had been calling Tottenham ‘Yids’ for decades. Given that Spurs devotees called themselves the ‘Yid Army’ I didn’t see how it caused any harm. I’ve since ceased, but at the Carling Cup final on February 24 cries of ’Yiddo’ will ring round Wembley – and they’re as likely to come from the Spurs end as the Chelsea one. Is anti-Semitism, the oldest hate, prospering in football or is this just a near-the-knuckle nickname for a rival football club? Feature continues

Many supporters are convinced it’s the latter. David Baddiel, a Jewish Chelsea fan, wrote in 2002: ‘I told myself that it didn’t matter, that for most of these fans, “Yiddo” simply meant a Tottenham player or fan and that the negativity was about that and not about race.’ However, when Chelsea fans aimed the chant at non-Tottenham Israeli players, Baddiel ‘realised I was in denial: “Yiddo” may mean Tottenham fan but it also means Jew.’ Baddiel may be interested to know that my own eureka moment involved him. When he was spotted during a game in the mid-1990s and half the West Stand broke into a chorus of ‘Yiddo, yiddo!’, Baddiel smiled it off – but the penny finally dropped that this was racist abuse, pure and simple.

It used to be worse. In the 1980s chants about Auschwitz and hissing to imitate the release of gas were common, but I haven’t heard either in nearly 20 years of attending Chelsea-Spurs fixtures. Jeremy Vine, a Times journalist and another Jewish Chelsea fan, agrees: ‘I’m sure I would notice hissing as it would most likely come from the Matthew Harding Stand, where I sit.’ However, a lot of old faces will be on display at Wembley and the atmosphere could get ’80s ugly. Even if it doesn’t, the existing abuse is bad enough.

Vine, who briefly stopped attending games in the 1980s due to racism, says: ‘Without doubt some of those who chant “Yid” are anti-Semites at heart… but I don’t believe all are.’ The problem, Vine feels, is that ‘personal jibes are part of the language of the terraces. Anything goes. And so the boundaries of decency and offensiveness become blurred.’

What muddies the water further is that, since the 1970s, Spurs fans have proudly reclaimed what was originally coined as a term of abuse (nobody knows why, Tottenham being no more ‘Jewish’ than Arsenal or Chelsea) and now call themselves the ‘Yid Army’. Chelsea chairman Ken Bates, always torn between defending Chelsea supporters while confronting their excesses, argued that, ‘It is hard to criticise Chelsea fans for calling Tottenham supporters something that they call themselves.’

Spurs conducted a ‘full consultation exercise’ over the use of ‘Yid Army’ because of fears it led to ‘casual anti-Semitism’, but this was criticised by many of their own supporters who felt the chant united both Jewish and non-Jewish Tottenham fans against their abusers. ‘If you are Tottenham, you are a Yid,’ is the argument. Many agree there’s a distinction between chanting ‘Yiddo’ and singing about concentration camps, which is broadly true – unless you’re racist.

Simon Greenberg, Chelsea’s director of communications, disagrees and has denounced the Bates defence, leading to the curious situation where Chelsea – who now have a Jewish owner and manager – are promising to take a harder line on anti-Semitism than conflicted Tottenham. ‘We have a policy of zero tolerance,’ says Greenberg. ‘There is no justification in our eyes and we’re not going to get into a philosophical debate about it.’ The club strongly denounced the anti-Semitic hate mail they received after Avram Grant’s appointment as manager.

Fine words, though if zero tolerance is applied at Wembley next week both ends will be half-empty before kick-off. Nevertheless, Vine insists: ‘There is no comparison to be made between three decades ago and now. It’s not perfect. I stayed away from the ground once before because of the people it attracted. The difference now is that these people are an extremely small minority. I don’t like it but I accept it as a reality. And it is slowly improving.’ That said, as anybody who watches the Carling Cup final will discover, there is still a very long way to go.

www.timeout.com/london/features/4221/anti-semitism-in-football.html

[Markqpr]

Racism is racism. Anti-semitism is anti-semitism. They can never be justified.
Simply walking into a football ground does not remove you from real life. The 'terraces' are not lawless places where hate can be justified. At Stamford Bridge last year the two QPR 'supporters' who sat next to me spent most of the game shouting abuse at both the Jewish players and the black players, including our own! That is beyond me. When I told them to leave it out, they told me in no uncertain terms that all the black players were thick and lazy and that all the Jewish players were 'dirty' (not sure if that meant they fouled a lot or didn't take baths). This is a problem that is slowly but surely coming back, along with more violence outside the ground. Unless proper penalties are put in place, ie: proper jail sentences, not 3 months and some community service rubbish, the problem will remain.
I've always wondered though, do these people practice their beliefs outside the ground during the week, or only on the terraces where they can hide in the crowd? Cowards and idiots, the lot of them. Dump them on a Scottish island somewhere and let's be done with them.

[cpr]

You mix with the wrong people mark, wittingly or unwittingly.

Where were you sitting at scumford birdge?

Can I say that?

[londonranger]

Ive heard bad stuff behind the Ellerslie road stand.

[londonranger]

Ive heard bad stuff behind the Ellerslie road stand. then of course the Celtic or Hearts player (gay and black) cant remember brother of wimbledon winger who committed suicide over the incessant hate.

[Markqpr]

CPR - I was sitting in the away end, so it was certainly 'unwittingly'. Also you do not need anyone's permission to say 'scumford birdge', why would you think otherwise?

This is not a subject I take lightly, do you?

[QPR Report]

Good! Kettering Man arrested re Racism charges

www.redimps.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10440~1458663,00.html

[cpr]

Nov 16, 2008 10:15:52 GMT Markqpr said:

CPR - I was sitting in the away end, so it was certainly 'unwittingly'. Also you do not need anyone's permission to say 'scumford birdge', why would you think otherwise?

This is not a subject I take lightly, do you?

No, I don't take it lightly at all. Just very disappointing. I associate that kind of thing with the inhabitants of scumford bridge not hooped visitors.

Maybe they were never chelscum to begin with.

Apart form Tottingham, I have never heard anything remotely anti-semetic and with Tottingham it isn't really bacuase it is their own name fpr themselves.

I was in the west stand for that game and heard nothing of either.

As I said, unwittingly you were with the wrong people. Were they really QPR fans I wonder.