FAI Investigate Alleged Racist Abuse Of Zayed

**hoops1** · 17/06/2011, 2:38 PM

Originally Posted by horton

So that makes it grand then? How many women do you know that would join in shouting such comments? That's a pretty weak defence if I'm honest.

Jesus can a man not tell a story without offending someone. I didnt sing the song, ask posh spice the question or give the answer. I didnt sing it in Richmond either and im sorry if Louise Zayed's feelings were hurt. I will even pretend im sorry if Eamon Zayeds feelings were hurt. All I told was a little story

**Lim till i die** · 17/06/2011, 2:38 PM

Originally Posted by sullanefc

If you can't see that a man of Libyan descent being called "Gaddafi" as being racist then, in my opinion, you are trying to justify it.

It's not racist.

In the slightest.

If I call you a "Roy Keane" (and lets face it he's at least 29 times worse than the good colonel) is it racist??

Is all this nonsense is seriusly over a Rovers player calling him "Gaddafi"?!

Rosa Parks levels of heroism on display here.

"It's hard being an easily offended Lybianish man in this white mans world!"

**Dodge** · 17/06/2011, 2:41 PM

Originally Posted by horton

So that makes it grand then? How many women do you know that would join in shouting such comments? That's a pretty weak defence if I'm honest.

I don't know many men who'd join in, so I fail to see the relevence? If the song said Eamon Zayed takes it up the arse, are all men supposed to take offence?

**Dodge** · 17/06/2011, 2:42 PM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

Is all this nonsense is seriusly over a Rovers player calling him "Gaddafi"?!

No, but thats what the sun reported

**sullanefc** · 17/06/2011, 2:48 PM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

It's not racist.
Rosa Parks levels of heroism on display here.

You're having a pop at Rosa Parks now??? Wow.

**osarusan** · 17/06/2011, 2:52 PM

Originally Posted by sullanefc

You're having a pop at Rosa Parks now??? Wow.

**Mr A** · 17/06/2011, 2:56 PM

This thread has gone out the other side of Fail and right back around into Epic.

**sullanefc** · 17/06/2011, 3:04 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

Yes????

**bluemovie** · 17/06/2011, 3:04 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Nice, well intentioned, syrup filled drivel there bluemovie

So now you're saying that ALL women would be offended by a song sung by "Neanderthal" fans about one single lady? Thats pretty patronising IMO, and far more offensive to most women than a song about Louise Zayed

No. I'm more saying that if I was Zayed, I'd have done a full-on Cantona into the crowd. I'm also saying that it's rare for a woman to develop any kind of public profile in the League of Ireland and that it was noticeable that when one became somewhat well-known in recent months (largely thanks to some junkie), she seems to immediately be fair game to have "the posh spice" sung about her in order to wind up her brother. It definitely wouldn't encourage some other player's sister to get involved in the league. So while you mightn't care about that, and the song wouldn't offend me personally, you know well it would fall foul of the FAI rules that are supposedly in place at every ground. Again, it's not in the slightest bit a cut at any particular club for doing it (I'm sure it would catch on elsewhere), but it just shows us in a really bad light. Girl steps on LoI territory, girl is accused of *words I'm not allowed say on this site*

**osarusan** · 17/06/2011, 3:07 PM

Originally Posted by sullanefc

Yes????

His comment was sarcasm. He was sarcastically unfavourably comparing what he sees as Zayed's over-sensitivity to a (alleged) comment with the genuine heroism displayed by Rosa Parks. I cannot believe I have to explain this to you.

**Charlie Darwin** · 17/06/2011, 3:08 PM

The Zayeds: a great bunch of lads.

**Dodge** · 17/06/2011, 3:15 PM

Originally Posted by bluemovie

but it just shows us in a really bad light.

Without being facetious, do you honestly believe crowd chants/songs have any real impact? have you heard some of the stuff at English grounds that are pcked solid (by men and women)? I'm not defending it, I'm not saying its clever. I'm saying it doesn't have anywhere near the effect you think it does

Girl steps on LoI territory, girl is accused of *words I'm not allowed say on this site*

She's wasn't the subject of abuse for coming into LOI circles. The abuse was solely to annoy her brother. You know, the way fans of EVERY club in world football abuse opposition players?

Not all fans, but some fans of all clubs. And boo-bleeding-hoo to those who get annoyed by this

**Dodge** · 17/06/2011, 3:18 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

His comment was sarcasm. He was sarcastically unfavourably comparing what he sees as Zayed's over-sensitivity to a (alleged) comment with the genuine heroism displayed by Rosa Parks. I cannot believe I have to explain this to you.

I can't believe you explained it to him. And without swearing too. Very dignified. As dignified as Nelson mandela while in a South African prison IMO

**SkStu** · 17/06/2011, 3:19 PM

thick Paddies the lot of ye, Zayed and all.

**sullanefc** · 17/06/2011, 3:23 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

His comment was sarcasm. He was sarcastically unfavourably comparing what he sees as Zayed's over-sensitivity to a (alleged) comment with the genuine heroism displayed by Rosa Parks. I cannot believe I have to explain this to you.

And this is the whole problem with this thread. A player is subjected to a racist comment but he is over sensitive because it was only a small bit racist. And anyone who slams racism, no matter how small, is a Rosa Parks wannabe??? Pathetic.

**bluewhitearmy** · 17/06/2011, 3:23 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

She's wasn't the subject of abuse for coming into LOI circles. The abuse was solely to annoy her brother. You know, the way fans of EVERY club in world football abuse opposition players?

If recent games between us and Shels are anything to go by then Pat Scullys misssus will be brought into a lot of songs like Zayeds sister tonight.

Cant see it as a big deal really they are trying to wind him up.

**SkStu** · 17/06/2011, 3:25 PM

Dessie Baker - bastion of knowledge and wisdom. Amusing/Scary bits in bold.

Dessie Baker: Abuse endemic in football culture
yesterday at 5:50 pm

The racism scandal surrounding Eamon Zayed is regrettable, but abuse is part and parcel of football and sometimes you just have to take it on the chin, writes Dessie Baker

Obviously, all the talk in recent days has surrounded what happened to Eamon Zayed and I can�t really say too much about it because I don�t know all the facts.

I�ve obviously read about it myself and I find it hard to believe because I know when I was at Rovers, incidents like that never happened. To be honest, throughout my entire playing career, I�ve rarely if ever heard anything like the things that are supposed to have been said to Eamon Zayed.

I don�t know the full story, but from my point of view, knowing what sort of a club Rovers are and the players that are there at the moment, I wouldn�t think that anything was said and if it was, it could well have been taken completely out of context.

I don�t know Eamon personally; I played against him a few times throughout my career. He�s a good player and it�s unfortunate that he�s been caught up in this because he�s been having a really good season so far.

Not only is it unfortunate for Eamon, but it�s unfortunate for whoever is alleged to have abused him because you don�t want to get caught up in something like that. I know if someone accused me of saying something like that and I hadn�t, I wouldn�t be too pleased.

Abuse

I know it�s a big issue, but I think Eamon is better off leaving it all behind him and concentrating on doing what he does best, which is scoring goals. Over the course of my career, I got plenty of abuse from opposition players and supporters and although none of it was racist, it was still pretty bad.

It was probably at its worst when I was playing for Shelbourne a few years back, but it happened at the other clubs I played for as well. To be honest, there�s loads of stuff that goes on on the pitch that nobody knows about and if you heard some of the stories, you�d be shocked, but you just have to block it out and get on with it.

It would be nice if you could stamp out abuse, especially racist abuse, in football but at the same time, it would be nice to stamp out two-footed tackles, elbows and diving.
Players would be calling you names, pinching your arm or your leg or standing on your toes to try and get you riled up and it�s not just players either. Earlier on this year, Michael O�Neill got into trouble for some comments he made, but as he said at the time, it was in the heat of the moment.

Things happen on the pitch during a game, but once the final whistle goes, certainly in my case anyway, you�d shake your man�s hand, have a little chat and forget about it.

Obviously, racism is stronger than some of the run of the mill abuse you�d get on the pitch, but as I said, I rarely encountered it during my career even though I played with a few black players.

Saying that, I know Mark Rutherford used to get a bad time of it up in Derry sometimes. It was funny with Mark, in the days before games when we�d be playing certain teams or in certain places where he used to get a hard time, he�d often turn up to training with an injury just beforehand.

Whenever it did happen, though, you might say to Mark �Jaysus Mark, you�re getting an awful time of it� and he�d just say it was part and parcel of football. I might get slaughtered as much if not more than Mark during some games and personally I used to take it with a pinch of salt which is what a lot of people do.

In fairness to the authorities, they do try and stamp it out but there�s only so much they can do. When I was playing we were often asked to wear anti-racism t-shirts during our warm up and there would be press conferences and stuff like that and to be fair, what happened with Eamon Zayed would have been an isolated incident, certainly in my experience anyway.

That�s not to say that there are not other forms of abuse. I�ve been called all sorts of things and have had my family insulted while I�m on the pitch, but you don�t say anything because at the end of the day the majority of things are said in the heat of the moment and even if you do say something, it�s not as if you mean it; it�s simply to try and rise your opponent and get the better of him.

Take it on the chin

Things like that happen in every sport; if you�re going to be in the public domain, you have to be able to take things on the chin.

Finally, having come back from two weeks holidays, it�s nice to see the way the league is shaping up and to see five teams in the hunt for the title. Also, it�s good to see Bray doing so well at the top half of the table for a change. Pat Devlin has them really well organised, they�re getting the points they deserve and a few lads have been getting their chances in Ireland under-age squads which is good to see.

People have been saying to me that they�re going to more games now because everything is so tight at the top and it makes it that bit more enjoyable. As it stands, there�s only five points separating the top five teams and I�m looking forward to seeing how it goes from here on in.