ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Racism at friendly matches

There really isn't any point in discussing a ground move whilst Everton attracts the ignorant supporters who chanted racial abuse during the Preston game. Likewise, their behaviour outside the ground was disgusting. Are these peole so lacking in self-awareness that they feel that their conduct is invisible?

Can I remind them that last season at Everton there was a clear anti-racist stance taken by Yobo, Lescott and Howard concerning the alleged racism of Emre. Can I suggest that the racists in the crowd follow Newcastle as it is hypocritical to support the values of the aforementioned Everton players. It is clearly obvious that the players have no respect for these mindless individuals with their outdated views. Maybe they should watch 'Life on Mars' rather than attend matches.

The fan-sites have to make a stand-the club cannot work in isolation.
Martin Campion, Manchester Posted 20/07/2007 at 10:52:40

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Comments

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Nick Harrison
1 Posted 20/07/2007 at 14:19:07

What happened at Preston? In detail...

Connor Rohrer
2 Posted 20/07/2007 at 14:27:26

It was very bad. Fans where saying racist things to the Asian people that live in Preston. Its disgraceful and something I dont want to see. I was suprised because the racism has died down dramatically at goodison. Being a mixed race fan myself I have come across racism in the past but not for a while.

Peter Laing
3 Posted 20/07/2007 at 14:32:48

Thankfully the days of overt racism inside Goodison Park have been banished, I recall a time when the atmosphere was shamedly akin to a gathering of the hitler youth or KKK. It seems though that a section of mindless neanderthals that follow our Club away continue to bring the good name of Everton into disrepute. The same idiots boast of being Everton’s ’top boys’, silly fools childish games.

Shez Khan
4 Posted 20/07/2007 at 14:56:01

Unbelievable. I have supported Everton since I was 10, and this is one aspect of our Club that has never left us. I still remember the first time I visited Goodison and and the fear that hoardes of thugs would turn against me as I was an Asian Everton fan. Thankfully, the day went great and I didnt come across any of these bastards. Unfortunately, I have now stopped going to away games due to coach loads of ’fans’ shouting racist abuse at Asians at both Filbert Street, The Hawthorns and more recently at Villa Park. The one thing that makes me ashamed to be an Evertonian. And guess what? No one really cares - certainly not the Club or these wankers would be banned home and away.

Gavin Ramejkis
5 Posted 20/07/2007 at 15:00:34

This thing is way out of order in this day and age, I’ve got a number of asian friends who I have brought to GP and never had any trouble but can agree that the away fan mix now has a lot of for better want of term "young knobheads looking for a kickoff" we are better without being labelled gobshites and worst fans like those across the park.

Brian Waring
6 Posted 20/07/2007 at 15:05:47

I took my little 8yr old lad to fulham away last season.I couldn’t believe it.The hatred against the coloured players in the Fulham side was a disgrace.I actually ended up walking out with my little lad.Don’t these tits know when they are being racist,they are being disrepectful to the coloured players in the Everton side too?

Chris Cook
7 Posted 20/07/2007 at 15:12:38

unfortunatly, the said song is sung at Preston every single home game so it’s not something new

Tony English
8 Posted 20/07/2007 at 14:49:38

I stumbled upon this page after writing ’NEWCASTLE’ into google news, I am after all a Newcastle fan.

I’m sure you’ll agree that racism can occur when an individual decides to take a wide brush to a community and paint them all the same due to ignorance.

In effect that is exactly what the writer of this piece is doing by suggesting that Racist Fans should follow Newcastle.

You can mention the anti-racist stand made by some of your players and the alleged comments by Emre, but to suggest that because one of our players was accused of racism then Newcastle fans must also support racist values is both ignorant and discraceful.

I applaude you for acknowledging your own problem, maybe you should leave it at that and not make such offensive sweeping statements.

Brian Waring
9 Posted 20/07/2007 at 15:15:07

Agree with you Tony,it was out of order for Martin to use your clubs name like that.

Dave Reiner
10 Posted 20/07/2007 at 15:30:01

Do these dolts cheer when Tim Cahill (half Samoan if I’m not mistaken) pulls on the blue shirt? Forget it, no point trying to find logic/consistency in something as worthless as bigotry....
Let’s see the club take some action to ban these morons from all home & away matches BEFORE something tragic happens. The vast majority of Everton supporters are true football purists the likes of which Man U, Chelsea, etc. WISH they had. I’m not sure what I think of ’The Everton Way’ so far as being secretive about transfers, etc. but I would certainly like ’The Everton Way’ to entail identifying & banning these bigots & their ilk before they contaminate our beloved club any further.

David Barks
11 Posted 20/07/2007 at 15:36:10

It really is a disgrace and shows just how ignorant and stupid many people remain. I know it would be hard to do, but I wish the FA would lead the rest of Europe by really stepping up their fight against these racist fans who appear at all stadiums. As much as it would be uncomfortable for us other fans, there should be a higher police presence who eject any group of supporters taking part in any racist chants or songs and ban them all for good. Actually, that wouldn’t really work as having extra police can sometimes just cause more problems. In the end it is really up to us, the other supporters, to not just walk out, although I don’t blame you at all for doing so with your child Brian, but to demand they stop or get security to get rid of them. we must lead this effort or else it will come back to haunt us.

Tom
12 Posted 20/07/2007 at 15:43:38

It’s sad that people do this. I don’t understand it and why people do it. In all the times I’ve been to Goodison I can’t remember hearing racist abuse much. The only vivid memory I have was aimed at the ref, Rennie.

However, I sit in the Bullens and sometimes the Main Stand so are some areas of the ground worse than others?

Also, should we stop waiting for the club and PL to act and do so ourselves and tell these idiots to shut up? Surely if people did have a go at them they’d shut up!

David Barks
13 Posted 20/07/2007 at 15:55:59

Tom, that is exactly what we should do. We need to take action ourselves and tell these idiots just how stupid and ignorant they are being. Sometimes you just can’t wait for someone else to do it. Sometimes if you want the job done right, ya gotta do it yourself.

Brian Waring
14 Posted 20/07/2007 at 15:56:54

Thing is David?I did mention it to a steward on the way out.His reply"were used to it mate".

David Barks
15 Posted 20/07/2007 at 16:01:12

That is a problem then isn’t Brian. Then I guess we should all just write to the club that they need to put a stop to it. I know they are not the most receptive in other cases, but in this case it would be terrific PR for the club to take a firm stand against racism. They just might listen to us on this one. But on the bright side, you’ve got an 8 year old who will know how disgraceful it is, so we’re bringing up the next generation in the right way. We outnumber them, but their ignorant hatred just speaks so loudly.

Rob Sawyer
16 Posted 20/07/2007 at 16:12:02

Sadly racism remains in our fraternity - though nothing like on the scale I recall in the 1980’s.I was saddended and embarassed when we played Spurs at Goodison (2004 or 2005)and a significant number of the crowd found it hilarious to make hissing "gas chamber" noises for prolonged parts of the match. Did it not occur to the morons that some Everton fans might be Jewish?

Paul Clays
17 Posted 20/07/2007 at 16:11:24

I was at the Preston game and the racist chanting was absolutely disgusting. I would love to stand up to it but how can you do that with the fear of getting your head kicked in? It is ok telling people to stand up to it but how do you do that when there were literally hundreds singing their utter bile.
I also went to the Bury game and in the pub beforehand there was about 30 or 40 knobheads singing "We are a racist club, we are a racist club!" and then cheering with joy after it! This to me was alot worse because there was at least 3 or 4 people from ethnic backgrounds in the pub and they all left in disgust immediatly as did me and all my mates.

David Barks
18 Posted 20/07/2007 at 16:23:02

You’re right Paul, it’s not an easy thing to do. That’s why I originally said there needs to be a higher police presence to stamp it out immediately. Unfortunately, I don’t see any other way of doing it.

Chris Cook
19 Posted 20/07/2007 at 16:27:08

I agree paul, almost the entire section in the middle of the stand behind me were singing it, they were also generally the ones giving abuse to Mellor aswell

Shez Khan
20 Posted 20/07/2007 at 16:39:02

Bugger! No more away matches for me again this season then! The saddest story I have heard is of a black male who is a die hard Evertonian - regular Goodison goer however refuses to take his two sons because of the racism he endures. The People’s Club indeed...

Dave Reiner
21 Posted 20/07/2007 at 16:28:23

A large part of what makes this difficult seems to be the numbers that the racists congregate in. They spew their offensive nonsense & since they outnumber any group of levelheaded fans in the vicinity they are allowed to dominate while the rest of us shake our heads & skulk off. No one expects Brian with his 8-year-old in tow to re-enact ’Conan the Barbarian’ on them, leaving the area is really the only move to make in his situation, he will bring his child up to be far wiser than they, that is the best thing one man can do. But a level of institutional control has to be enacted (if not by the FA then by the club, send ’spies’ to away games who report/photograph/video record bigots in & around the stadium, then correlate them with seat #), otherwise it seems that they would rather take the racists’ money & cross their fingers that nothing happens down the road. Unfortunately, it seems something always does, I hope I’m wrong. Thank God we didn’t go for Barton (not to pick on Newcastle), he would have been a folk hero to these idiots.

Brian Waring
22 Posted 20/07/2007 at 16:54:05

David Reiner.I,m not certain, but I am sure some of the german clubs(I know racism is a lot worse over there)send undercover police into the crowds home and away.They video the trouble makers and the police then move in and arrest them.

Andy
23 Posted 20/07/2007 at 17:08:11

You would hope that players like Campbell, Yobo, Lescott, Vaughan & Fernandes would have helped eradicate the problems of 80s & 90s.
What would our latest signing think if he knew the ’Everton are a racist club’ mantra?

Miles Sadler
24 Posted 20/07/2007 at 16:53:26

I fully agree with the above comments, in particular Dave’s re: Tim Cahill, the simple fact is with racism and blokes who aim racism towards footballers from the oposition, they dont understand the fact they are abusing there own at the same time... you can’t educate pork (no offense to pigs)!!

Andy
25 Posted 20/07/2007 at 17:29:05

These people would have no concept of Samoa, they probably think Cahill either has a cracking tan or his of latin origin

Tom Dooley
26 Posted 20/07/2007 at 17:31:41

I want to firstly appologise for only being called "Tom" before, I put my surname in the email box!

I didn’t realise that the chanting was that large scale and I now see that standing up and saying something wasn’t an option. But in general, these things are just 1 or 2 people, at least to start with and that’s when we should say something. Anyway people who chant these things are generally not people to be scared of, they’re just ignorant.

Wouldn’t it be brilliant if the club could take a firm stance and this could be backed up by supporters trying to stop any chants. Imagine the venue that Kirby could provide, great services, no smoking, and most importantly a great atmosphere, but with no nastiness. This could be the way for the club not only to ensure we keep our current fans, but also get new fans for generations to come, by providing a family friendly environment!

J
27 Posted 20/07/2007 at 17:40:01

We’ve had these tossers ’supporting’ us since I can remember. It even extended to the Bluekipper forum last year. Sadly only a handful of the forum members bothered to have a go at the morons spouting their childish bile. Sad.

Connor Rohrer
28 Posted 20/07/2007 at 18:24:44

To be honest it happens everywhere Liverpool included. It is not about being The Peoples’s Club. I have been called the N word by both fellow Evertonians and Liverpudlians. These words where mostly in the 80s and early 90s.

I think the racism shows the big gap between north and south Liverpool. White, Black, Asian and Arab people have learned to mix in the south because of how multi cultural it is. Where as North Liverpool is still very predominantly white so they are not used to being around people of other cultures.

I say this to everyone carry on visiting Goodison park and away games. Dont let bigots win. It does not matter if you are Asian, Black or White because we are all the same.

Steve Williams
29 Posted 20/07/2007 at 18:38:38

Well J there are threads on bluekipper from Wednesday adn Saturday these louts boasting how good they were with their chants etc. Some posters did stand up to them but some of the bile which comes out of their mouths.....leave us alone etc. Its time to rid our club of this evil for good. Time for Ian Ross to get something right for a change me thinks

Joe McMahon
30 Posted 20/07/2007 at 19:22:01

well I happend to be Indian, and have been an Everton fan for 30 years, what strikes me the most is that we are all supposed to be one colour anyway...BLUE. Racists/Biggots have no place in football and we certainly don’t want them at our club. I cannot understand how people can have such narroiw minded views in 2007. Alf Garnet is probrably their hero - and they would never even get the point that he was Jewish.

Brian Waring
31 Posted 20/07/2007 at 19:29:44

I would just like to say well done lads.It just shows when needs be,as Evertonians ,we can be united.

Matthew Walker
32 Posted 20/07/2007 at 21:56:58

As an Everton fan living in London the majority of games i attended were away games in and around the capital, and i have to admit that because of the racist comments i heard at virtually every game, i had a very low opinion of my fellow Evertonians. I even wrote to the club to complain after sitting directly in front of two racist idiots at Stamford Bridge 2 seasons ago. I have been out of the country for the past 2 seasons and was hopeful that this was a thing of the past, but it seems to be far from the case. If there are so many sensible fans in these away crowds, surely we can come together and throw these kids (most of them are the shaven headed under 20 crowd)out of the ground ourselves.

Roy Coyne
33 Posted 20/07/2007 at 22:11:11

This is not a new thing I admit that I cringe when these morons start I am white there was a lad that went to my school as kid years ago and he signed for Everton nice enough lad but he made the mistake of being black and he was slaughtered with vile abuse at every mistake his name was Cliff Marshal so it seems it just goes on and on these guys will never learn the answer I wish I new