FAI Investigate Alleged Racist Abuse Of Zayed

The Shamrock Rovers player at the centre of an FAI investigation into alleged racial abuse aimed at Derry City’s Eamon Zayed during Monday night’s Airtricity League Premier Division match at Tallaght Stadium against Shamrock Rovers has denied the claim, the club have confirmed.

The club have confirmed they have spoken to the player, who has denied the claims, and have vowed to clear the name of the player and the club.

"Shamrock Rovers became aware today of a complaint made by a Derry City player against one of our players after last night’s game", the club statement read. "The club has spoken to the player in question and he completely refutes the accusation that has been made against him."

"The club will of course co-operate with the FAI investigation in a bid to clear the name of the player involved and the club."

"We also regret that our name was publicly associated with such claims on the basis of an accusation and without any investigation taking place."

http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/5897/

http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/5897/
Rovers' player denies racist insult. This could get ugly. Who does this publicity actually help?

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Originally Posted by born2bwild

http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/5897/
Rovers' player denies racist insult. This could get ugly. Who does this publicity actually help?

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Louise Zayed?

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Originally Posted by born2bwild

Who does this publicity actually help?

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You think that matters to Zayed?

It'll boil down to who you believe of 2 people.

If it isn't true then Zayed should be punished IMO.

If it wasn't true he should have the bloody book thrown at him by the FAI, and I'd hope private legal action would be taken against both Éamon and Louise Zayed. Whether that's the case or there is a case to answer I guess we'll find out in due course.

Did Cork ever get fined when their fans openly displayed banners with fascist symbols on them over the past few years? I suppose this could hardly be classified as racism? I guess every club has a few idiots it would be better to for the FAI to invest in stewards training and security then to fine cash strapped clubs there is only so much you can do with limited resources.

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Originally Posted by Jicked

If it wasn't true he should have the bloody book thrown at him by the FAI, and I'd hope private legal action would be taken against both Éamon and Louise Zayed. Whether that's the case or there is a case to answer I guess we'll find out in due course.

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If it's true who the Rovers player that the claim has been made against is, I know who I'd believe. And I don't know Zayed.

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Originally Posted by The Lilywhites

If it's true who the Rovers player that the claim has been made against is, I know who I'd believe. And I don't know Zayed.

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Thanks for clearing that up.

If you knew Zayed you might know him as being an attention seeking git off the field so probably best not to rush in to judgements based on a player's character.

If this turns out not to be true, I hope Zayed gets a severe punishment, They are big allegations to make and could tarnish someone reputation

My pride in the league and the people associated with the league lessens by the day.

I can only say i hope the guilty parties, whoever they turn out to be, get their comeuppance.

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Originally Posted by Dodge

You think that matters to Zayed?

It'll boil down to who you believe of 2 people.

If it isn't true then Zayed should be punished IMO.

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Do I think publicity matters to Zayed? Yes.

For good reasons: Eamonn has spoken out about racism before and the more than it is spoken about the better - there should be zero tolerance of racism in the league.

For 'other' reasons: Eamonn wrote about the Dublin Super Cup tournament in his most recent extratime article: "What a tournament that will be and I am sure every player (myself included!!) will be trying his best to impress Damian in this weekend’s games in the hope of getting picked for the squad."

Eammo was on the six-one news tonight.

Both causes will be advanced - clubs and fans will be reminded about racism and Eammo will be in the shop window. Win - Win?

Except that the rest of the country will get the false impression that there are a load of racists going to league matches.

We need to put on a slide show about the Chinese - 'a great bunch of lads'

Let's not forget how much Éamon seems to enjoy being in the media, like you say born2bwild the upcoming squad for the Super Cup and transfer window, and finally the fact his sister who's been quite vocal today also sees herself as a marketing and PR consultant. If people want to start talking about the character of the Rovers player involved or the Pats fan involved, then that's fair game too.

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Originally Posted by Red Army

Did Cork ever get fined when their fans openly displayed banners with fascist symbols on them over the past few years? I suppose this could hardly be classified as racism?

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What sort of symbols are we talking about here? The fasces?

I'd say the chances of a player fabricating two separate incidents of racial abuse in consecutive matches are pretty slim. They'd have to be extra thick, even for a footballer, to have the gumption. And that's regardless of how 'attention seeking' he may be.

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Originally Posted by Jicked

If you knew Zayed you might know him as being an attention seeking git off the field so probably best not to rush in to judgements based on a player's character.

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I know Pats were singing Louise Zayed gives good head and takes it up the arse. I wonder did this upset him and he then in turn comes out with allegations of racist abuse?

enough of the wild conspiracy theories there B2BW... lets also not lose sight of the fact that he could be telling the truth. Its not all that implausible that a Rovers player racially abused him and a solitary Pats fan (according to Dodge) in the stands shouted something at him.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

What sort of symbols are we talking about here? The fasces?

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Celtic crosses like I said it wouldn't be classified as racist although some might be it differently. I wouldn't be surprised if they got fined for it that's why I asked. I guess if you ban that kind of stuff then Che banner and all other political banners would have to be banned.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

enough of the wild conspiracy theories there B2BW... lets also not lose sight of the fact that he could be telling the truth. Its not all that implausible that a Rovers player racially abused him and a solitary Pats fan (according to Dodge) in the stands shouted something at him.

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Well, I actually tried to balance what I said: Eamonn is trying to stand up against racists and for that he should be backed up by any decent, right-thinking person.

Still, there is no harm in making a lot of noise right now, during the transfer window.

Conspiracy theory? No. I just think Eamonn is media savvy. He's no fool and good luck to him.

So I blame Eamonn for the blemish on the league? No I don't; racism should not be tolerated but I think that Club-Club rather than Player-Media is the correct route to resolve this.

Zayed needs to disclose what was said. I don't believe for one moment he has made such a serious allegation without it being a clearcut racist comment.

I think the big question about the debate is how do the Pats fans know Zayeds sisters takes it up the arse? Have they any evidence to back up this chant and if so post up the videos to prove it?

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Originally Posted by born2bwild

Well, I actually tried to balance what I said: Eamonn is trying to stand up against racists and for that he should be backed up by any decent, right-thinking person.

Still, there is no harm in making a lot of noise right now, during the transfer window.

Conspiracy theory? No. I just think Eamonn is media savvy. He's no fool and good luck to him.

So I blame Eamonn for the blemish on the league? No I don't; racism should not be tolerated but I think that Club-Club rather than Player-Media is the correct route to resolve this.

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What noise has he made? He did exactly as you wanted - went to his club who related the complaints to the FAI. Reporting racism has got nothing to do with media savvy.

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Originally Posted by born2bwild

Well, I actually tried to balance what I said: Eamonn is trying to stand up against racists and for that he should be backed up by any decent, right-thinking person.

Still, there is no harm in making a lot of noise right now, during the transfer window.

Conspiracy theory? No. I just think Eamonn is media savvy. He's no fool and good luck to him.

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not meaning to pick on you or anything B2BW but i cant reconcile those statements. Youre essentially saying you wouldnt put it past him to have used his ethnicity to tarnish another players reputation so that he furthers his own career during this transfer window. Thats a pretty harsh theory and I dont think it is fair to throw wild speculation out there like that just because he is an anti-racism activist. And youre not the only one to have suggested something along those lines so its not just you.

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Originally Posted by Red Army

I think the big question about the debate is how do the Pats fans know Zayeds sisters takes it up the arse? Have they any evidence to back up this chant and if so post up the videos to prove it?

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they asked her if she ever touched a BMW. ;)

I don't for one minute think racism has any place in Loi and it hopefully is only a small minority of Loi fans who make these comments but being a pats fan and at Richmond every game I know for a fact anyone who uses racism is given dogs abuse by other pats fan around them.this goes for all players in the league, racism has no place especially since there is so many other ways to get under opposing players skins, like when zayed has a stinker against us most times or twigg spits out his dummy when being subbed lol. Rant over

Well Zayed is trending on Twitter now so his name is certainly out there

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Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

What noise has he made? He did exactly as you wanted - went to his club who related the complaints to the FAI. Reporting racism has got nothing to do with media savvy.

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Hmmm...if those were the channels that were used, then, fine; I am probably not doing the fella justice.

I genuinely don't want to criticise someone for standing up against racism. But does it need to be in the media? How did this end up on the six-one news? That's a PR fyck up because it's a bad news story for the league. Someone is making noise about this and I'm wondering who it is and what they have to gain from it.

On the other hand, maybe we do need to talk about racism - I haven't heard much (1 slightly racist comment in the last 70 or so matches I've attended in the last two years - a black player for Salthill devon was called 'Joseph Ndo' by one idiot)

Media savvy has everything to do with racism, people need to know that it is not acceptable. It's just that in this day and age I think most people do actually know this.

The story should not be in the media.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

not meaning to pick on you or anything B2BW but i cant reconcile those statements. Youre essentially saying you wouldnt put it past him to have used his ethnicity to tarnish another players reputation so that he furthers his own career during this transfer window. Thats a pretty harsh theory and I dont think it is fair to throw wild speculation out there like that just because he is an anti-racism activist. And youre not the only one to have suggested something along those lines so its not just you.

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Ethnicity? Well last time I checked Eammo was from Bray.

Yes it does sound harsh when you put it like that 'using his ethnicity to tarnish another player's reputation'. I have no evidence for that and if I implied such a thing then that was not my intention.

Eamonn said he was racially abused. The Shams player denies it. I don't think EZ was 'hearing things' and neither do I think he's trying to stitch someone up to advance his career. Something was said and the matter should have been sorted behind closed doors.

But someone (who?) decided that this was a good time to bring this to the media.

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Originally Posted by born2bwild

Ethnicity? Well last time I checked Eammo was from Bray.

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Ballinteer....

I know for an indisputable fact that throughout the game last night no matter how he tried to combat it and rise above it...Zayed was sh!te.

Everything else is up for argument, I s'pose

Pretty sh!te right enough.

http://www.inpho.ie/cache/inpho/19/9...O_00519973.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6Q9wAorJq9...eacup+-+BW.jpg

This is a small issue not worthy of the of the massive publicity it will doubtless generate.

I assume there was a camera at the Pats game, aswell as stewards, gardai, etc??

Zayed, I assume has told the relevant people what was alledgedly said, when it was said and where in the ground it came from. Should be fairly open and shut after that.

On the Rovers player issue, it's a little bit more complex as it's most likely just his word against the player in question. But whatever, certainly not nice but not end of days stuff either.

The league has 1000s of problems, in my (admitedly limited to first division and the odd cup game) experience, racism aint one of them.

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Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

Pretty sh!te right enough.

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As part of the best team to play in Tallaght in a good long while, yes, very sh!te.

Maybe I'm missing something but whats this got to do with Louise? She is out of the country at the moment so dont understand how she is being dragged into this.

Apparently her twitter/tweetings or whatever the young people are calling it these days:

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Not surprised to hear about racial abuse from fans in tallaght stadium last night but from a player is an embarrassment to the league!

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That is enough reason for me

Oh ok.

Fair play to anyone who would give out to someone making racist remarks. You're better people than I am, I'd be afraid of getting my head kicked in. Anyway, the point of that little ramble was that you can't judge a club's entire support on the failure of the fans to tell a racist where he can cram his misinformed opinions. If there's a six foot something brick ****house with tattoos on his eyelids hurling abuse, I know I'm not going to have the guts to be the first person to stand up and tell him to eff off.

You'd be living in denial if you were to assume that only six foot something brick ****houses with tattoos on their eyelids were the harbourers of racist and prejudiced attitudes in Ireland. You'll be just as likely to find it a lot closer to home actually, in perfectly ordinary and amiable living rooms across the country.

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Originally Posted by Red Army

Celtic crosses like I said it wouldn't be classified as racist although some might be it differently. I wouldn't be surprised if they got fined for it that's why I asked. I guess if you ban that kind of stuff then Che banner and all other political banners would have to be banned.

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The Celtic cross isn't a fascist symbol. It has been associated with white power and misappropriated as a neo-Nazi symbol in recent decades, but in an Irish context, surely there'd be no such meaning behind its display. Nor do I really see how an Irish person would view its appearance in this light. Far-right politics don't really have a resonance in Ireland, never mind a presence in Turners Cross.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

The Celtic cross isn't a fascist symbol. It has been associated with white power and misappropriated as a neo-Nazi symbol in recent decades, but in an Irish context, surely there'd be no such meaning behind its display.

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You obviously never meet the lads who own it. I think one of them bumped into a few Shels fans a few weeks ago which made the national news.