Quoteboooooo
FAI CEO, Fran Rooney, has called for supporter power to come into play to eradicate racist-based treatment of players at football matches - starting against Australia next Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Rooney revealed that the FAI have been effectively given a yellow card by UEFA, following the continued booing of certain opposition players because of their association with Glasgow Rangers - over the last number of years.
"The bottom line is that the reputation of the Irish fans is tarnished. We've got the best fans in the world but if this continues, it will disappear," he said. "It seems to start with a small group of people and then build from there. From correspondence I have received, I can see that some people didn't know why they are booing and think it was just fun because the player had a few bad touches and the booing was just putting him off.
"But I have also received letters from people in the North of Ireland who are Protestant who were personally abused for asking people to stop booing. We've got a situation that is racist but also bigoted and sectarian."
A complaint by a member of the public about the booing of Georgia and Glasgow Rangers' striker Shota Arveladze was made to UEFA following Ireland's 2-0 victory over Georgia in June, and Rooney stated that UEFA had taken a very dim view of the situation.
"I personally rang Shota Arveladze after the incident to apologise," he said. "The Georgian FA wrote a letter to UEFA saying that they were happy with what we did and UEFA have said they will take no further action. But they have taken the matter very seriously."
Before the Georgia game, manager Brian Kerr used his programme notes to criticise the booing of players while there was a notice below the team sheets in the programme. After the game, Rooney went on television to speak out against the booing as well as apologising to Arveladze.
Rooney also revealed that UEFA have the power to fine the FAI or even force Ireland to play behind closed doors should the problem persist.
For next week's Australia game, several messages have been placed in the programme while stewards have also been trained to deal with racist booing. "If people boo they will be asked to stop and if it continues, appropriate action will be taken," Rooney said, before adding: "If it continues, we would like to stop these people going to games."
Rooney also added that the Association is still committed to turning Lansdowne Road into an intimidating venue for visiting teams to play in, but that racist and sectartian abuse is not welcome.
A statement released by the FAI read:
Fran Rooney, FAI CEO, has called for supporter power to come into play to eradicate racist-based treatement of players at football matches. "With the fantastic support given by the vast majority of our fans, I would call on everyone who attends out games to exercise their influence on the small minority of so called fans who engage in racist based booing," he said.
The call comes in the wake of UEFA's decision to investigate the booing of Shota Arveladze by a minority of the spectators at Lansdowne Road during the recent game against Georgia. As part of the investigation UEFA asked the FAI to respond to the complaint.
In its response, the FAI told UEFA that the Association unequivocally condemns all forms of racist behaviour and that these sentiments had been expressed in the match programme, that the CEO condemned the behaviour of the section of the fans in the media and the Manager's programme comments also condemned such behaviour.
The response also pointed out that Mr Rooney personally made contact with Mr Arveladze on the day following the game, to apologise for the behaviour of the minority of fans who had engaged in the booing.
The FAI subsequently received correspondence from the Georgian FA expressing their deep appreciation of the FAI's handling of their visit.
The UEFA delegate at Lansdowne Road was also satisfied overall with what was an excellent atmosphere at the game.
In view of the above UEFA decided not to take disciplinary action against the FAI following an investigation by the Control and Disciplinary Body (of UEFA) into the booing.
Speaking today, Mr Rooney said: "The booing on a racist basis must stop before we find ourselves sanctioned by UEFA which can ultimately only have a negative impact on our own team. The tremendous reputation of the Irish supporters is in danger of being tarnished by the behaviour of some people at our recent games. We need to generate a wider awareness of this as an issue in football and clearly indicate that it is unacceptable, unwarranted and unhelpful," he added.
"We need to create a greater peer pressure and the fans need to understand the consequences of this type of behaviour in order to eradicate it completely," Mr Rooney said.
www.fai.ie
Last edited by Ref; 14/08/2003 at 12:57 PM.
boooooo
That's the most pathetic "boo" I've ever seen.Originally posted by wws
boooooo
You need borrow the boo machine off this guy, arpa_y_trebol, here.
Have Boot Disk, will travel
fed up of these idiots. kick them out of landsdowne and be done with it
drag them out and ban them.
send them to the camps!
Inform on ure neighbour.
(mmm McCarthyism-hes not gone away u know.)
"tight? he's the kinda guy that eats baked beans on tuesday so's he can have a bubble bath on wednesday"!
I know the majority on here have a fairly strong anti boo stance, for those willing to listen to the other side of the argument might find the new website below of interest which I picked up from a celtic forum.
http://www.ok2boo.com/
incredible the lengths that some people will go to.
it's probably all run by that Silvio Dante.
what a load of rubbish.ok2boo is a non-sectarian, non-racist organisation that has been formed to counterbalance the falsehoods being perpetuated in the media that the booing of Rangers footballers at international football matches involving Ireland is a racist and sectarian act.
get a life and grow up.
just to remind ok2boo:
For next week's Australia game, several messages have been placed in the programme while stewards have also been trained to deal with racist booing. "If people boo they will be asked to stop and if it continues, appropriate action will be taken," Rooney said, before adding: "If it continues, we would like to stop these people going to games."
Rooney also added that the Association is still committed to turning Lansdowne Road into an intimidating venue for visiting teams to play in, but that racist and sectartian abuse is not welcome.
it doesnt say anything new....they are of the mind set that celtic and ireland go as one.....
We believe that it is the basic right of any Ireland or Celtic supporter to boo a Rangers player on the basis that he plays for Celtic’s nearest and deadliest rivals.
What about all the non-celtic supporting irish supporters who couldnt give a fuc about the scottish league. Why is it our right to boo a rangers player because he playes for celtics rivals??....i couldnt give two fucs about celtic and their rivalries, so why should I have right to boo.....
Keep the celtic rivalry booing for the scottish league and leave it out of lansdowne rd. If celtic fans want to boo rangers players then go to Parkhead or Ibrox for an old firm and boo yourself to death there.
Scottish league football rivalries have no place at an Irish International Foootball Game
hence it is not 'ok2boo'.Fran Rooney
"If people boo they will be asked to stop and if it continues, appropriate action will be taken,"
Club politics should be left out of international games. You didn't hear Rovers fans booing Glen Crowe when he played for Ireland or Liverpool supporters booing John O'Shea etc. Irish Celtic supporters should bear that in mind and keep Scottish politics and all the trappings that go with it out of the international game. Come to think of it, you never see supporters of national teams wearing foreign club shirts to matches, only here!
Originally posted by Silvio Dante
Let me stress that the oktoboo has nothing to do with me but I support its policies 100% and shall be giving them any support they need in their common sence campaign....
I find the people with the least common sense are those who spell sense with a "c"
[yes I know my spelling is all over the place but thats down to speedy typing, using "c" to spell sense points to a deeper problem, maybe its a thing with celtic fans and their "C' s, like why do they pronounce the first C in Celtic as an S and not the last one?
Double Standards>? Think about it Seltis fans, think about it!
Methinks your slightly obsessed with Celtic!Originally posted by wws
I find the people with the least common sense are those who spell sense with a "c"
[yes I know my spelling is all over the place but thats down to speedy typing, using "c" to spell sense points to a deeper problem, maybe its a thing with celtic fans and their "C' s, like why do they pronounce the first C in Celtic as an S and not the last one?
Double Standards>? Think about it Seltis fans, think about it!
"Can I have a Kit-Kat, chunky?"
"you mean a big one"
"No a normal kit-kat you fat bitch"
fantastic. sums it all up really doesn't it.your views are shared by a few lads in shell suits with wispy moustaches drinking flagons of cider who will boo for a laugh.
I think you're attitude to people with wispy moustaches and shell suits smacks of racism!Originally posted by Ref
fantastic. sums it all up really doesn't it.
"Can I have a Kit-Kat, chunky?"
"you mean a big one"
"No a normal kit-kat you fat bitch"
Folks,
I am most confused by all this palaver.
1. Why are we using the term "racist booing"?
"racist" (according to merriam-webster) is defined as "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race".
These opposition players are being booed because they play for a particular football team. Its nothing to do with the player's race, nationality or creed.
2. Do people equate our shenanigans with the truely racist behaviour that you see at, say a Lazio home game, or in certain mittle-europa venues?
3. Is it only Rangers players that we're not allowed to boo? For a variety of longstanding reasions, I have a particular dislike for Bayern Munich. Do I run the risk of being chucked out by the stewards when Oliver Kahn comes to play in D4?
4. What type of "booing" is now deemed acceptable? May we boo the referee after a dodgy decision? May we boo an opposition player after a bad foul? Are there any other suggested ways that a dedicated fan may help to create the "intimidating athmosphere" that the FAI claim to desire?
5. At the recent Bohs-Roseborg game, there was a considerable section of the home fans who booed every time Harald Brattback got the ball. This booing was, I am informed, bacause the said player used to play for Celtic. I hear that this booing was clearly audible on TV. Did I miss the outcry in the media the next day?
6. Its been widely reported (including page 1 of our national "paper of record") that we have been "warned" by UEFA. However, nowhere in the acres of text on this issue can I see any reference to a letter, memo, email, phone call or even a txt msg from Uefa containing this "warning". Has anyone seen this elusive warning?
If anyone of youse can enlighten me , I'd be most grateful.
Yours, etc
Confused
see the first post in this thread.
explains it all really.
So you don't really care if they're fined yet you're concerned that they've been fleecing football for years? How exactly??If they're fined so be it. They've been fleecing Irish football for decades anyway, allegedly
Seltis Abú!!!
And sure John Delaney has been on the FAI board for years fleecing all round. Anyone can post any auld ****e they want on the net....so what proof have ya gor and how does this justify the booing???? What about the fine???
BTW Alan Maybury is a Rangers fan, so if he wins a cap how will you treat him??
Alan Maybury has 2 full caps, 1 B cap and 8 U21 caps.Originally posted by Silvio Dante
BTW if Alan Maybury ever gets in the Irish first 11 in the future it'll be Kerr I'll be booing for putting such a bog standard player on the pitch in the firstplace....
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