Friday, January 20, 2006
Kerr slam Republic’s racist supporters
Brian Kerr talks about the racialist abuse he’s had from ‘supporters’ berating him for including black Irish players in his team. Paul at Northern Irish Magyar has the report.
Mick Fealty @ 11:35 AM
Of course this has absolutely nothing to do with Kerr being in line for the South Africa job.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 11:54 AMPaul has a short memory I’m afraid! On the fantastic night in 1993 when Alan McLoughlin’s late goal secured the Republic a World Cup place at Windsor Park, there was a torrent of racist abuse directed towards one Republic player in particular. There was also a cacophony of sectarian abuse, but we’ll take that as expected! Racism is not acceptable in any environment but I dont think that a few numbskulls from the south have a monopoly on racism in this island.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 12:04 PM“I had to put up with a series of fairly vile abusive letters,” said the former Irish boss.
So he’s not talking about actual fans. I think he should clarify how many letters he got and from how many sources becaused he has damaged the good name of Irish fans and they are entitled to know the basis for it.
KiethM
Your cynicism is a credit to you.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 12:09 PMMick
Where did the line that letters came from supporters, as in your headline above, come from? As opposed from deranged members of the general public? I’ve seen absolutely nothing in Kerr’s comments anywhere that would remotely suggest that the letters came from match-goers or even armchair football supporters.
Or are we to believe that your average match-going racist is now writing letters and handing them in at the turnstiles instead of racist chants and songs?
NI Maygar’s attempt to tie place responsibility on the FAI to weed out this scumbag element amongst its support is utterly baseless.
Keith, I don’t think it does. I think it has to do with an annual inter-cultural football competition involving teams from ethnic communities across Dublin
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 12:17 PMmacswiney
Thanks for placing the Windsor night in 1993 on par with a half-baked story that lacks any reference to people who attend ROI games.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 12:22 PMVery vague but unrepresentative of Irish ppl in general.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 12:50 PMHa! Ha! Ha! If only it was funny. I for one welcome these comments by Mr. Kerr.
As I have posted on previous threads, the anti semite sentiments expressed by a sizeable amount of supporters at the ROI v Israel match was sickening.
Ringo what makes you think that “your average match going racist” (you admit they exist) dosn´t know how to write an abusive and racist letter.
As someone from a Jewish background I have endured many years of bigotry from many walks of life including anti semite literature from fellow under graduates at Queen´s University.
The fact that you are all in denial will only deepen this problem or perhaps you think it is acceptable.
The FAI should consult with the IFA on how to best weed out this element as their Northern Ireland counterparts have been highly successful in their anti sectarianism initiatives at Windsor Park.Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 01:37 PMDr Who.
Please provide some evidence that Brian Kerr or the Guards believe, or have stated anywhere that they have any grounds to suspect that any of these letters came from people who attend ROI games to back up your over-eager claims.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 01:51 PMYou think that racists don’t like football as much as anyone else, and support football teams? What planet are you from?
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:04 PMGlyn
You think that racists don’t like football as much as anyone else, and support football teams?
You think those letters were supportive of the team?
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:05 PMFor the life of me, I can’t recall a single objection when the cretin that phoned a death threat to Neil lennon was categorised as a loyalist and Northern Ireland supporter, despite a similar lack of evidence.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:14 PMDoctor Who
Please give some examples of “the anti semite sentiments expressed by a sizeable amount of supporters at the ROI v Israel match was sickening.”
There been some talk about this before, but not enough info to let anyone form an opinion.
What was the nature of the abuse? Roughly how many people were involved?
What was the source of the accusations?
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:16 PMBiffo,
Doctor Who wont be able to give an answer to that because he doesnt know! Following that game a thread appeared here after which Mick posted a note saying that many people involved had been using multiple aliases to pretend that they also heard abouts such abuse!! I am a block booking holder at Landsdowne Road for the past 18 years. Unlike Dr who I was actually AT the game in question. There was no anti-semitism at all but there were a few political chants from a (very) small number of fans on the south bank expressing support for the palestinian people. (im talking about 8-10 people approx).
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:22 PMa serious charge there, doctor who. can you please tell us what qualifies as ‘anti-semitic’ in reference to literature you’ve received at queen’s? i ask because these days many defenders of israel characterize anything critical of their brutal campagin against the palestinians as anti-semitic, and i’mn wondering if you mean something else. can you quote from any of it? did you file a complaint with the sutdent uniojn, administration? also, can you tell us any specifics about the anti-semitic behavior you witnessed in the ireland-israel match?
also please read the following piece, ‘abusing anti-semitism,’ and tell me if it qualifies as anti-semitic:
http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h092903.html
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:23 PMTAFKABO
“I can’t recall a single objection when the cretin that phoned a death threat to Neil lennon was categorised as a loyalist and Northern Ireland supporter, despite a similar lack of evidence.”
You’ll certainly recall the hostile reaction Lennon got from many NI fans after joining Celtic. The fact that he received a death threat from an extremist individual was no surprise.
The difference here is that this is a new phenomonen for the ROI team. There is no history of widespread racism among fans whereas football in NI has always been dogged by sectarianism.
Though I don’t know why people are surprised or annoyed about these revelations.
Ireland has a lunatic racist fringe just like everywhere else.
Racism is part of human nature, the question is how do you deal with it.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:29 PMmacswiney
Thanks for clearing that up.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:30 PMMacSwiney/Biffo
There was a thread after the game on one of the Irish football sites(starting “I’m ashamed to be Irish")
http://foot.ie/forums/showthread.php?t=25941&page=1&pp=20
It was other Republic fans initially alleging the anti-semitism which existed separate from the pro-palestinian demo at the game.
Haaertz, an Israeli leftish paper, also carried a report of the Israel coach and players being attcaked although it wasn’t clear if they were alleging it was football fans/political activists or a mixture of both
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:42 PMA Pat Jennings fan,
I think you’re maybe missing the point here. The inference of Mick’s post at that time was that many of the people using multiple aliases were falsely claiming to be who were. ie people claiming to be disgusted Republic fans were probably exactly the opposite!! I would also point out that there was a sizeable left wing protest outside the ground by a variety of political activists (including manyfrom Belfast). These people did give the Israeli coach abuse but they have nothing to do at all with Ireland supporters who attended the game.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:50 PMI firmly believe that to purport racism where it doesnt exist, is equally as sinister and ugly as racism itself.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:55 PMmacswiney
“The inference of Mick’s post at that time was that many of the people using multiple aliases were falsely claiming to be who were. ie people claiming to be disgusted Republic fans were probably exactly the opposite!!”
That may well be, but check the link I gave, it’s not from Slugger.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 02:57 PMIreland, 2006.
“Your football supporters are more racist than ours”!
“Oh No, they’re not”!
“Oh yes they are”!
“Oh no they’re not”!
“Oh yes they are”!
“Oh no they’re not! Anyway youse are all a bunch oh sectarian bigots, so ye are”!
“Oh no, we’re not! Youse are”!
“No we’re not! Youse are”!
Oh No we’re not! Youse are”!
Repeat ad nauseaum, ad infinitum, in sprito sancti, ....etc. etc. etc.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 03:15 PMCome on now people, let’s not make a political football out of...er, football
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 03:23 PMGrassy Noel
Apart from “in spirito sancto”, nearly 100%!
Maybe the only difference is differing levels of honesty admitting a problem exists.
But then I would say that, wouldn’t I ;)
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 03:24 PMMaybe the only difference is differing levels of honesty admitting a problem exists
er..no. the scale of the problem is the biggest difference. And comforting yourself by telling yourself that it is just as bad everywhere else as in your own backyard doesn’t make it true.
But I’m not really interested in going down the route of pointing out the well documented major problems the IFA have had to contend with over the past few decades versus the absence of anything comparable south of the border - I’d much rather recognise that objective reports all indicate that the IFA have made massive strides in the recent past and that hopefully it is only a matter of time before NI fans have sufficient well earned pride in their collective behaviour to do away with the need to find fault (real, contrived, or exaggerated) with us.
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 04:06 PMHow does Brian Kerr or anyone else for that matter know they were supporters? Did they send ticket stubs or supporters club membership no.’s along with the other crap?
Posted by on Jan 20, 2006 @ 04:37 PM
