Racism In Football

[geysir]

I do, do I?

Surely Godwin's Law was put into action at some point?

In that discussion about different methods to give up the fags? I think most of them just crawled away without conceding the issue and a mod threw out a malingering die hard.
You assume that people, who take exception to and counter the inappropriate and ignorant intervention of some pc fascists with intelligent, rational and witty retorts in a discussion, are just the other side of the same nazi coin?

[NeverFeltBetter]

Interesting case here: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...gJHXj9.twitter

The cynic in me cannot help but note the circumstances. The manager even admitted he was seeking a replay (according to the piece, not a direct quote).

[Stuttgart88]

If the FA don't take firmer action than this then I'm simply staggered.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...ism-chief.html

David Elleray, respected ex-referee and FA employee, asks a black colleague, with intent to offend, if he has been down a coal mine.

Prehistoric stuff.

[DannyInvincible]

Yaya Toure's agent (in what sounds to me like a cynical attempt to create some headlines and in spite of his alleged disinterest in discussing politics and racism in the world of football) claims that Yaya's failure to win any top individual awards in the non-African game is primarily down to the fact he is black: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/engli...s-more-praise/

The agent of Yaya Toure has claimed the reason the Manchester City midfielder has failed to win any of football's top individual awards is because he is black.

Dmitri Seluk said the Ivory Coast international would have finished higher than third place in the PFA and FWA Footballer of the Year awards, and higher than 12th in the Ballon d'Or voting, if he was white.

Toure was beaten to both English awards by Luis Suarez, while Eden Hazard and Steven Gerrard came second in the PFA and FWA voting respectively.

Seluk told The Times: "If he was white, 100 percent he would have won one of those top awards.

"I don't want to talk too much about racism or the politics of football, but he does not get the praise he should get. Yaya has three times in a row won the African Player of the Year, but it is different with the other awards.

"I agree with Jose Mourinho when he said that the Player of the Year should come from the team that wins the title. I have very much respect for Suarez and Gerrard, but what Yaya did from midfield, not often a player can do this.

"Who was the best team this year? Manchester City? Who was their best player? Toure. Gerrard is really good but Liverpool finished second in the league and Yaya is third (in the FWA vote)."

Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or ahead of Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery.

Seluk added: "He is a bit upset about the situation. Messi is the top player in the history of football and I respect Ronaldo and Ribery a lot. Yaya respects all these players. But for an African in these awards it is hard. FIFA needs to change something."

Seluk also refused to guarantee his client would remain at City this summer, saying: "If an important club like PSG (Paris St Germain) or Real Madrid made a big offer it would be for Manchester City to decide what happens."

Even if personal prejudice based on race does influence the votes of some voters - and I'm not denying this might be an unpalatable reality in some cases - what can FIFA (or an association) really do about it anyway other than depriving certain parties of their voting rights based upon suspicion or embarking on a programme of thought-control?...

Haven't black players won these awards before? PFA Player of the Year 1993, Paul McGrath, springs to mind.

[Stuttgart88]

Yaya Toure is not one of the very best players in the world, hence no FIFA award. Suarez was better than him in England. Lots of guys from all nationalities, religions and races have won or been short listed for the major international and domestic awards.

Racism is terrible. Alleging racism on spurious grounds is probably as bad. Blatter should have been hauled over the coals for alleging that anti-corruption sentiment was racially motivated. If the head of such a major body trivialises racism then he's as good as condoning racism.

[Charlie Darwin]

Being African didn't seem to harm George Weah's chances of winning World Player of the Year. Touré is quite openly in love with himself, to the point where he genuinely seems to think he's on the same level as the greatest players in the world.

[NeverFeltBetter]

http://rokerreport.sbnation.com/2014...ons-roker-park

Interesting response to Sol Campbell's racism chant claims from a Sunderland fan.

[BonnieShels]

That's a superb article. Well done NFB for highlighting it.

[DeLorean]

Danny Rose isn't holding back in his pre-World Cup interviews. Here he discusses his racism fears with the Evening Standard and how he won't allow his family to travel to Russia - https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...-a3856701.html

[NeverFeltBetter]

And FIFA are saying refs will have the power to "stop, suspend or even abandon" matches in the event of racist behavior from players or spectators.

I'm not sure exactly how this would work in practise?

[mattman]

Abandonment of a match or match(s) would wreak havoc with the World Cup Schedule, especially in the group stages as fans will have booked flights/hotels etc in strict accordance with the group schedules. Abandoned matches would potentially throw out the whole schedule especially as the last groups stage matches have to be played in sync.

[pineapple stu]

It'd also in a way encourage the problem - it wouldn't be a new thing to try get a game abandoned when you're losing.

OK, you say the game is awarded by default if the fans of the losing team got the game abandoned, and so they gain nothing - but similarly, what have they to lose? A slight chance of a replay is better than no chance of a draw.