33 Comments

Racism Is Alive And Kicking

A guest post from Yido6061

When the footage of Chelsea fans boasting of their racist entitlement whilst jostling a black man on the Paris Metro emerged a couple of weeks ago, I admittedly fell into the trap set by my own deeply entrenched prejudices. After all, this is the club that continues to be captained by a self-styled ‘leader’ and ‘legend’ who was undeniably caught on camera spitting out equally abhorrent racial slurs towards a fellow professional.

This is the fanbase of a club who have evoked the horrors of the Nazi gas chambers by insidiously hissing at my own club’s supporters over the years. This is the club who cannot observe the poignancy required by a minute’s quiet reflection on the anniversary of ninety-six deaths during a cup semi-final. that’s the problem with prejudice. It is an emotion bereft of reason and when one realises it has taken hold, one must immediately banish it to some dark recess of the brain, sub-categorised ‘The Seventies’. Of course not all Chelsea fans are knuckle-dragging, unevolved goons, posturing and chest-beating themselves into xenophobic frenzy on French public transport.

To resort to the standard defence made by the casual racist, I know a lot of Chelsea fans and have counted many of them as my best friends. Kind of. After all, if it’s good enough for the backtracking squirming of the likes of Dave Whelan and Ron Atkinson, it’s good enough for me.

Those Chelsea supporters are not inherently evil as some have been quick to point out. They are morons. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that the attitudes they foster within themselves are bubbling away beneath the surface of many people throughout this country and however much we like to congratulate ourselves on the work we’ve done to kick these things out in our workplaces, football stadiums, etc, we can’t be so delusional to believe that racism’s insidiousness has been eradicated from all aspects of public life.

33 comments on “Racism Is Alive And Kicking

  1. I am a racist, I especially hate white skinheads with tattoos.

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  2. PUAHAHA ……. jellybear:

    ‘We didn’t have a great European pedigree before Wenger and the brutal truth is that we still don’t. We qualify, it’s held up as justification of consistency in the top four finishes – it is – but the reality is the only people happy with his record in these competitions are the bankers.

    The lack of trophies is a gaping hole not just in his CV but Arsenal’s also. It’s been twenty-one years since Copenhagen and three finals in that time is a poor record for a club of this stature. We only had two in the previous thirty so it’s something of an improvement, I suppose. ‘

    do we all remember what that poor fella hunter13 had to put up with when reminding them uberfans of such truths…..

    WHICH MANAGERIAL REGIME HAS WORKED THE MOST TO CREATE ARSENAL’S EUROPEAN PEDIGREE. ?

    the one that had a stadium to repay or the one that didnt?

    and i say …. fuck you uuu … woohooo

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  3. what? racism? why are we giving value to scumbags?

    if absolute freedom is freedom of choice and preferences and one person does not prefer/want to talk to koreans then ….who gives a shit? if though you deny the korean the right to education work health etc then ill complain all i want… but if some idiot tells me in the pub ‘piss of you korean/greek’ ..i will laugh…

    so..uneduated people and lowlifes are likely to exhibit racial behaviours..anything else new?

    and thanks for the assist george…for i knew your underlying passion to revert to the suarez saga. i cant praise you enough.

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  4. You are right. We as a country should start a nationwide fundraising campaign in order to raise enough to buy out the chavs and close it down. they are a national disgrace. the whole stinking place is rotten to the core. the chavs are racist. their captain is a proven racist.

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  5. Sliding down the bannister of life. the chavs are but a splinter up my ar*e

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  6. People seem to be missing the here, or the point as I saw it. Chelsea are not really worse that any other set of fans.

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  7. When I say “people” I mean posts that you cant read, because they have not been approved.

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  8. im confused..what is going on…who are you talking to?

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  9. Plenty of racism about Yido though very little of it in your face, white sheets and blazing crosses variety these days. More subtle, more nasty.

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  10. AFCPressWatch™ @AFCPressWatch · 2h 2 hours ago
    The FA Cup semi-final between #Readingfc and Arsenal will be shown live on BBC One on Saturday, 18 April, at 17:20 GMT/ BST

    Arsenal’s Premier League match against Sunderland moved to final week of the season. Details here => http://bit.ly/1MRcK1u

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  11. Sam @samuelJayC · 6h 6 hours ago
    Wenger on if Arsenal need new players: “The transfer window is closed. 95% of the squad will still be here next year.”

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  12. That is Abou Diaby and a fringe player!

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  13. PPPPS am I a racist?

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  14. FIFA confirm the World Cup Final will be a week before Christmas in 2022

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  15. Indeed Yido – racism lurks within each one of us, waiting for the event which gives it its moment on the stage.

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  16. My cricketing “claim to fame” is that I once scored 48no, admittedly at a very modest level. Came off to a standing ovation from my team mates and mixed feelings of pride and frustration – my final partner got himself run out going for a second run which wasn’t there when we were just a few runs from victory – as well as me being 2 runs short of what would have been the only cricketing half-century of my playing career. A moment’s lack of concentration can bring terrible consequences (a la Monaco at the Emirates).
    Still, I have since achieved a half-century in the game of life and, who knows, maybe I can make a ton.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. Going back to the Giroud discussion in the last comments, I just want to say we have 11 games left and it is incumbent on all of us to get behind the squad and each individual member of it 100%. I must admit, I can’t be bothered to take up the cudgels in the Twatosphere – heads and brick walls spring to mind.

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  18. The BBC and Sky are set for a ratings face-off after BBC chose to broadcast the FA Cup semi-final between Reading and Arsenal at the same time as Manchester United’s Premier League clash at Chelsea.

    The Wembley fixture will kick off at 5.20pm on Saturday April 18, with Louis van Gaal’s first trip to Stamford Bridge starting just ten minutes later.

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  19. Cor that’s a bit up Dk – racism lurks within all of us

    I examine my conscience, rigorously !, as to whether I treat people, ie listen to, speak to, look at, believe I am observed by, write about, am written about, physically interact with etc on grounds of their ethnicity, skin colour, race and/or religion.

    Smug bastard that I am I say I don’t think so.

    The proposition that every man has a vein of racism running through him, or her should the point be raised, I have to object to.

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  20. Interesting article.

    I saw a piece on RT (Russia Today, a very commendable news channel) on the Keiser report, an interview with one Tariq Nasheed, an American filmmaker who discusses rascism as an institution:

    http://www.maxkeiser.com/2015/03/kr733-keiser-report-let-the-rage-out/

    (video hosted by Youtube)

    I think what the the above interview highlights is quite relevant to this discussion.

    Although, I daresay I do not agree with every said in the interview. To me ‘rascism’ is an illusion created to divide peoples. I think the debate focuses far too little on culture. It is much easier to destroy a culture, or at least the highest level/most educated part of that culture – just as the central Americans with their forgotten written script, religion, abandoned cities, etc.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Arsenal Fixture News @AFCFixtureNews · 5h 5 hours ago
    Draft Pre Season Schedule

    11/7 Local match
    15/7 Asia Trophy
    18/7 Asia Trophy
    20/7 Thailand
    25/7 Em Cup
    26/7 Em Cup
    2/8 Comm Sh or Euro Fr

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  22. wow !!! what an eclipse..ive gone blind!!!

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  23. Ed
    3 weeks in the Austrian Alps summer camp is what the boys really need.
    Which will bring us back to doe…..

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  24. I am a equal opportunities bigot:

    I fucking hate everyone equally.

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  25. I am obviously a racist because none of my best friends are Chelsea fans.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. So, if you have distant family that work for the Gazprom Fulham franchise that means…
    …that although it is not the early nineties I am still glad that I boarded the good ship Arsenal.

    Sav is correct. bigotry and prejudice (usually mixed in with inflated pride) exists everywhere but the concept of Racism derived from the bogus mumbo-jumbo “science” of Phrenology that was widely accepted was or is a nineteenth centuary construct/illusion designed to trick people into accepting colonial politics/structures by the powers of the day, same as it ever was, an illusion that evolved into mass insanity during the following period (Facism etc…).

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  27. ive had my diversity training, but ive never met anyone who didnt pre-judge, have certain bias’s and use them against others. racism is all about ignorance, the problem is how many times do we have to get our mind to actually think about things before we stop showing that ignorance. Most of us know whats right but doing it is the difficult thing.
    cannon its not just the bankers who have enjoyed the non-trophy european years I have seen my club play the best teams in the world with the best players in the world and experienced some fantasic nights.ln years to come people wont remember the utd side that won on penalties or the chelski side thatb repeated the feat however they will talk about that great Barca side that passed the world to death just like the total football dutch side. My son and I were at the emirates when ARSENAL beat them on merit and although we were knocked out in the return leg that night was wonderful annd one the fans of most clubs will never experience. Add in all the other fantastic nights beating europe’s elite and I just dont understand how anyone can say the journey hasnt been fantastic

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  28. hey aob, i agree that football is about momments and memmories and not just trophies. i would lie though if i told you i dont expect wenger to bring us the big one. if arsenal dont/cant win the cl with wenger and his work…who will? but then i realise that we didnt win it with out best ever squad (they lost to wayne bridge ffs.. horrible) and that a little bit later his greatest student ( thus far) couldnt finish it…. so then i come to the point where i wonder if any of these players has the fucking balls and audacity to write history. who will that be? it could be someone totally unexpected that shows the stamina of character to perform and win when it matters the most. last time i saw it from monreal. all we needed versus monaco was one of them to have the kind of game monreal had at united on monday night. scholes is an arsehole but i cant totally dismiss him because he was a top pro and he did win stuff in the modern era and handled himself pretty well on the big stage. that cunt. but truth be told…i agree with his conotation that ozil was bought to make the difference on such nights.

    there was an arguement that passing it to ronaldo benzema etc will inevitably show good stats on you… and the words of a peasant translator were used to beat arsenal fans who could see the difference between a cesc style player and an ozil style player. first of all both are wonderkids and both exceptional footballers. cesc though was at a younger age and given a responsibility which i would categorise as the ‘computer software’ of the team. he had adebayor and some other lower quality players to play with and he was vital to his team. without him the team just couldnt play. thats not the case with ozil. arsenal can still play football and win without ozil. at madrid ozil was surrounded by much superior quality and also at german squad. the match winners at real and germany are other players..not mesut…mesut compliments them with his phantom style. even at arsenal he does not have the role of orchestrator like cesc used to or like santi currently enjoys and tomas rosicky when he plays. these are the differences i see, my observations…not criticisms.

    all these words are to convince myself that i will see the switch from very talented but soft …to very talented and killer/winner. to see him do what kaka/schneider have done, flexible tens/playmakers who sttod up and took care of things when the opportunity arised. time is on his side and i suspect wenger has a few tricks up his sleeve in the summer transfers to fully utilise ozil’s attributes. in my mind the triplet ramsey ozil cazorl should not be touched…the energy/ability/intelligence/technique levels in those three can carry arsenal a long way ….. but who defends? you need two kosncielnys..on of them to play bit-part role of coqlin …just enough till either ramseyu or cazorla get back to help. but that means that whoever is in front muct finish first time asked…..its not that simple….these are too difficult considerations for any manager but only one knows best, arsene. avanti maestro….

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  29. the other thing just popping in my mind is a consideration to strict 442 if theo can play right midfield …but he does not want that. sanchez left mid, santi ramsey two cms and theo on the right and leave ozil to ghost as ten and giroud to finish? but no…giroud is to link up wingers and attacking midfielders..therefore for 442 you probably need a killer in the suarez mould….. see how easy it is with words and fm…lol… not so much in real life…

    4231? mmm yes why not..perhaps the most suitable with current roster. but of the three behind the striker…do the side ones become wingers? or do you play three tens and all hell breaks loose…the two: ram-coq / the three santi/ozil/amadeus……are santi and amadeus as good as ramsey and sanchez to get in the box though and link with giroud ? ….enough …its friday…i can think about this again at breakfast…

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  30. Tbh we are so flexible a 442 or 4321 changes throughout the game anyway, most fans believe the invincibles played 442 but it was more often a 433 or 42211 which is one of the reasons many people don’t understand that Arsene can change things without making 17 subs. The CL is essentially a cup competition and so the best manager or team very rarely wins it so if someone rocks up after Arsene and takes us all the way it will not be because he’s our all time manager just right place right time

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  31. europa league

    First qualifying round: €120,000
    Second qualifying round: €130,000
    Third qualifying round: €140,000
    Play-off round elimination: €150,000
    Base fee for group stage: €1,300,000
    Group match victory: €200,000
    Group match draw: €100,000
    Group winners: €400,000
    Group runners-up: €200,000
    Round of 32: €200,000
    Round of 16: €350,000
    Quarter-finals: €450,000
    Semi-finals: €1,000,000
    Losing finalist: €2,500,000
    Winners: €5,000,000

    champions league

    Playoffs: €2,100,000
    Base fee for group stage: €8,600,000
    Group match victory: €1,000,000
    Group match draw: €500,000
    Round of 16: €3,500,000
    Quarter-finals: €3,900,000
    Semi-finals: €4,900,000
    Losing finalist: €6,500,000
    Winning the Final: €10,500,000

    what the finalist of europa league gets is what we get when we beat the udinese and fenerbahce in the summers……

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  32. Özil is Miles Davis just free styling.

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