Bad Taste Police
Comments (64)
It's about time the authorities clamped down on those dimwits who sing abuse at football matches. I mean those guys on loadsa money must be pretty hurt by those brickbats and find themselves spending thousands on councellors and the like as they seek help to overcome the trauma.
So, Mr Policeman, ensure that you arrest them all and our streets will be far safer.
I am of course being flipant and I do not condone any chants songs that demean a person because of their race or lifestyle; however, where do you draw the line? If the majority in an arena are offended by the very sight of 'others' what chance free speech and choice?
Will it be deemed illegal to wear different colours to the majority in a stadium? What offends one may not be deemed offensive by someone else, how do you police something which is so subjective? The Merseyside Police say they are concerned about one chant in particular but if it is not racist and it is not homophobic then what chant is it and what law does it break?
If it is only one chant does it not imply that one group rather than the other are responsible for the chant?
Too many questions for my liking and far too subjective. All I would ask for from any right-minded Evertonians is to police themselves and avoid any unnecessary embarrassment for the club and its followers.
Anthony Dyer,
North West Posted 15/01/2009 at 13:10:04
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I think we all know to which chant they refer. It alludes to the ambiguity of paternity of a certain Liverpool midfielder?s child. Now, I agree it breaks no law and I?m all for freedom of speech, but this is soooo boring. When it was first sung it I didn?t find it particularly funny but now I think it makes us look childish and bitter.
Slagging players is good fun. However, abuse of their family, especially their parents and kids, is poor taste. What if your parents were abused by some idiot? Would that be fun? Call them names, laugh at there errors or haircut, but we want humour ?not insult of inocents.
I support both of you when you say family members and especially children shouldn?t come into the banter. Given that the chant you refer to is the same one the police intend to clamp down on, it means that the even more moronic and in my opinion the more insulting "Murderer" chant is ok even though it refers to all LFC fans of all ages. That is the point I was alluding to how or where do you draw the line? More importantly how do you defend yourself if you didn?t utter the words that you find yourself accused of?
Oooh I can see it coming now; despite his arrest he?s gonna get off scot free, and anyone who sings at him (which has been standard practice at football matches forever) is in the wrong and needs punished.
Funny how they weren?t too bothered about the songs about Lee Carsley?s child, how The Yak was racially abused, yet no doubt any song about Phil Neville will be totally acceptable come Monday night.
But any songs about Steven Gerrard and they?re now getting concerned about that. Says it all. If this is true I?m really starting to wonder if the whole world is against us!!!
The most offensive thing about football is the way supporters are treated. Just try ringing an away ground to try and get a ticket for an Everton match. If you sound even slightly scouse you get treated like scum. God forbid you might even want to attend with a friend who supports the opposition. If it was based on race, disability or sexuality, what football clubs do to supporters would be illegal but, because you are an away fan, it's perfectly legitimate to treat you like an animal.
Hey Micky, being with a neutral accent, I can pop into any London ground and watch Everton with the home support. Not that it's ever fun, be it a win lose or draw. Fulham though have a neutral stand and you can shout, cheer and hurl insults as much as you like. Very mature of Fulham I say. Have to wait till last game of the season though!
I do think the police are just provoking the singing of this chant. Nonsense, arrests on what grounds? Oh Anfield, right, gotcha...
Some of the songs go way too far, I hope the police do throw out the idiots singing about Gerrard?s kid, murderers, Michael Shields etc. At the same time, I hope they do the same to the Liverpool fans who let themselves down. I don?t want to watch a football match in the kind of atmosphere generated by the morons spouting that type of bile. Give stick by all means, but there is a line which has been crossed too often recently. Having said that, hope we stuff them twice!
Where was the FA and plod back in the 80s when the RS used to sing the famous Munich songs to Utd?
If I was on £60k grand a week, I wouldn?t give a fuck what people would call me!!!
The police don't seem to bothered when fans slaughter Joey Barton around the country. The "bummed in the showers" song is just one of them but dare to upset a Sky 4 legend and you get knicked. I agree the baby song is pathetic aimed at Gerrard but shouldn't the police be out chasing Crackheads mugging old women?
It's always Everton fans who get the shitty end of the stick in this city. It's never the fault of the Gobshites when things go bad. Just for good measure, Everton fans are the only away supporters refused a pint when they play at Anfield. More police interference by the way. If it goes off at their place next week, blame the plod.
It?ll only take a few to start singing then the whole lot. What they gonna do, try and nick over 1,000 people? I can see it kickin off tbh....
Just think of all our tax money spent on the police and CPS investigating the songs about Gerrard?s child... complete waste, which should be criminal.
I agree whole-heartedly with Jay. If I was on £60k a week, they could call me whatever they wanted. They could even do the same to my girlfriend/mother/cat. However, racial and homophobic chants should not be tolerated. They are dealt with in law.
To be honest - shouldn?t they be more concerned with the home crowd assaulting opposing players, particularly Captains!!!! There is also the risk of excremental projectiles for away fans to contend with. Heaven help if any opposing players need to get an ambulance away from that place. These officers of the law should have more pressing priorities.
Some strange views. Jay & Jeremy, on the contrary I doubt you, your girlfriend or your mother would be thinking about your salary if you received a certain level of abuse ? unless you are completely driven by money. Similar topics have come up on this site before and I?m always amazed how people see it.
I agree it?s impossible to police and the drawing of lines is equally difficult but I can?t quite fathom the mentality of some modern day soccer fans. By all means boo, instantly react or laugh at an error but for someone to sit in a stand and shout personal abuse at someone, someone who couldn?t as much as turn and give you the finger for fear of being fined, bemuses me.
I?m not a rugby fan and I am a Gaelic Football fan and there?s no reason for any difference in fans behaviour across the different codes, but there is. It seems to be part of soccer culture to act differently once you enter a stadium.
Shane, agree with you wholeheartedly. I dislike Liverpool as much as most Evertonians but I have no desire whatsoever to hurl abuse at individuals. I?d rather save my energy for positive support of the team that I follow.
I?ve debated in the past whether to go to the Anfield derby again because of the vile atmospere but now find myself going to two in 6 days! Just can?t stay away in case we win!
I know what to expect but is it too much to expect that both sets of fans tolerate each other for 90 minutes? Banter is fine but both fans overstep the boundaries of decency. And there?s too many for the police to do anything about it!
Just call me old fashioned!
With the greatest respect, Shane, you know nothing about me, my girlfriend, my mother, or my desire (or lack of) for money. So perhaps you shoudn?t make personal, public, accusations? Just as bad as the chanters, IMHO. Have a think about that.
Although some of these chants are cringeworthy in their tastelessness, the response is OTT & will only provoke a reaction. Will we then see Gerrard in court furnishing DNA test results to prove the chant is untrue? It?s all a bit silly!
I happen to think their fans are mostly gobshites and I?d say almost anything to get at them. However, I would?nt say anything racist/homophobic etc because I?m not a racist. In my opinion, anything else is fair game and their fans will feel exactly the same including singing "Murderers" etc.
Well said, Ray Robinson. Jeremy Benson WTF? I think you might want to run your idea past your girlfriend and your mother first, they would be well within their rights to question why the amount you earn should give anybody the right to call them whatever they wanted.
I have never chanted the SG song and never will ? but I?m not going to criticise those who do ? after all its a football match and it what?s happened for decades.
However, if the Police now deem it criminal (and how can they justify that with all else that goes on at the match?), surely the Lescott, Carsley, Howard and Neville chants are also criminal??
If not, and it seems they are not as the police are cracking down on this chant alone, then surely this is just to get at us.
If so, then let?s use it as motivation and go there and work it up them! I?d love it, just love it! Oh, hold on, did someone once say that already?
Quite right Steve Williams, the only chant I want to hear reverberating around Anfield (twice) is 1-0 to the Everton, 1-0 to the Everton. That would keep them quiet for a little while and I don?t think you can be arrested for that either.
Fascism, that's all it is with the police. They want the easy collar because they can?t be arsed going after the big boys. Motorists and football fans easy targets...
Well, I sing all the songs in the ground (vile though some are), but when I meet my red mates after the game I keep my own counsel. You see, like most people/fans, we hate each other's clubs/stadiums. Players and supporters in the ground for the game, but outside... they?re your mates or just another football supporter/player. I?ll tell you this... if they try to arrest me, they better come mob handed both in the ground and in court. City solicitors are rubbing their hands with glee with all the extra work they?re going a get and the thoughts of winning all the cases!
"Oh we don't like Bill Shankly very much and we?re not very fond of big Ron....."
"And we?ll tell the Liverpool supporters off one by one on the banks of the neutral coloured Mersey"
or
"It?s enough to make your heart go......
"We are not particulary bothered what the team from Anfield care to say, why should we jolly well care."
Is this PC enough for the Anfield (sorry Merseyside police)? At least we sing in English and not some Nordic twang!!!!!!! Bin the SG songs boys and let?s show them what proper away fans are like!!!
If the tit is bothered about it, put him on Jeremy Kyle and make him do the DNA test. While he is there, his Mrs can admit to her affairs and they can sort that out too. If he rings in tomorrow, he can do a before and after prison show, and does anyone think they will stop chanting abuse about Lescott or Neville? Bollocks to them give it back twice as loud.
The chant I?d like to hear all night is "Disturbed & Ridiculous" a la Big Dunc?s theme. Or maybe the Spanish translation!!!
If we all sing ?In The Air Tonight? by Phil Collins, will Stevie and his cop chums deem it ?inappropriate??
Jeremy, I said "I doubt" that your mother or girlfriend would think the same as yourself. It was a figure of speech and certainly not a personal accusation.
Doesn?t the club encourage fans to sing along to ?We don?t care what the Redshite say? at the beginning of each game?
What about the song "We hate Bill Shankley and we hate Big Ron". Is this criminal?
Gerrard Gerrard GBH,
GBH, GBH
Would such a chant be a criminal matter ? involving the police ? or common abuse, and therefore a civil matter? I suspect many an uncivil comment will be made in the coming weeks. I believe the local constabulary refer to such a period as "overtime".
Shaun Wright-Phillips didn?t seem to care when we sang "your daddy?s not yours" at him last season, in fact he found it quite funny.
All this because the inbreds at Pompey couldn?t accept the chants aimed at Campbell ? booo hooo. Some of it was actually funny "You?re only here for the sailors" was a classic.
If the long arm of the law can now nick & then prosecute fans for football chants ? then the PL is now officially DEAD!
I?d agree that the Gerrard baby chant is now more than a tad sad & we should move on ? move on that is to his latest escapade & give him pelters! It?s football FFS ? we?ll give him stick & the twat will almost certainly lamp one in from 25 yards ? that always seems to the way of it......
"Gerrard's the daddy!" ? chanted in an ironic manner (can you be arrested for irony?).
When they start singing "You'll never walk alone", we better rip in to some decent chant cos usually we just stand there like lemons getting angry. I'm going to sing whatever songs the other Everton fans sing... in rhythm with: "Fook all, you've never won fook all, you've never won fook all, you've never won fook all.
I'm going to sing "Gerrard, you're gettin raped, Gerrard, you're getting raped, Gerrard you're getting raped, Gerrard... is that allowed???
You know what ? I DON'T CARE!
I think we should all sing Phil Collins ? In the air tonight!!
How about singing ??We all agree, GBH might be a Daddy!?? Sounds fair cop to me.
Fuck ?em I say, what are they going to do? The press hate us already. Stevie Gee laa is a horribly snidey bastard. The best way for him to shut us up is to score. Let him deal with it.
Also, if that shower win on Monday, will the police clamp down on Carragher?s fan baiting celebrations? Providing there?s no scrapping, let people shout what they want.
After all that crap about the Tottenham fans at Portsmouth, the police have charged a total of 13 people!
David, they only sing YNWA when they’re sure of victory, with about 2 minutes to go!, so hopefully they’ll be too depressed to give that dirge an airing!
All the scumbags in the city must be absolute made up with this. With all the police force at Anfield making sure no-one sings any naughty songs, the robbers, muggers, dealers and knife carrying wannabe gangsters are going to have a field day on Monday night! Message to Chief Constable Hogan-Howe ? stop wasting the already stretched police force resources just so you can make a few headlines in the Echo.
"It?s enough to make your heart go...... We are not particulary bothered what the team from Anfield care to say, why should we jolly well care."
That's brilliant! We shoud definetly sing that just to take the piss!!
Steve Taylor, I?ve not heard that sailor thing before, that?s a classic, had me pissing myself!
I just can?t wait for the games now, desperate for them to get under way.
I fully agree about the Gerrard chant, it?s sick. I don?t do chants about people?s families. SG is a complete prick, so let?s just make up some chants taking the piss out of him. Surely someone has come up with a decent one about him getting charged??!!
Also, anyone got one about Carra? The atmosphere at the FA Cup game will be better I think, as 6,000 of us will be in there, look forward to it. COYB!!
Does anyone know if the Merseyside Police Dossier of Chants (Index: Litania Inconcessa) is available for public viewing?
My concern here is lack of awareness re the prohibition of chants reflecting the bias of officials.
To be on the safe side, I?ll try ?the referee practices sexual self-abuse? >Any further PC suggestions would be welcomed ? could you help EJ Ruane et al?
Everton Fans:- Never Knowingly Offensive
God, here we go with the people "support the team" and "don't outrage individuals" etc etc. All I'm going to say on this matter is I wonder what was going through their minds when the Goodison crowd wound Wayne Rooney up so much this year he had to be subbed. But singing positive songs about the team always works more eh...? Steven Gerrard has been decidedly average recently against us and I honestly think it gets to him. And he?s such a horrible person, I love winding him up.
This country has gone way over the top on political correctness, you can?t say anything these days without causing offense and everyone knows it. Just been travelling around Australia and New Zealand and both countries have a Barmy Britain section in some of their newspapers and they laugh at some of the PC stories coming out of here. They think it's made up but the sad reality is that it's not at all.
If ever a country needed a bill of rights and a written constitution enshrining free speech, it?s the UK. Even the most offensive speech should be protected, no matter how hideous.
That the uniformed arm of the state can wade in and arrest individuals in a football crowd or arrest them at their ease after viewing cc tapes is fascism in miniature. That government is more worried about the public image and the feelings of celebrities (footballers) than the most basic right of citizens clearly shows that the world (and years of political progress) is turned upside down. There is no public order issue here just a quasi-fascist state flexing it?s muscles.
Then again people aren?t "citizens" in the UK are they, they are "subjects of the crown". Where is Oliver Cromwell when you need him???
Arresting people for homophobic & racist chanting I can understand, but unsavory songs is just a war on personal freedom. In my opinion, only clowns sing them anyway.
Do you think bluekipper will have to remove them off their website? Police jurisdiction surely doesn?t reach there.
To those saying arrest people who shout homophobic or racist chants....
Homosexuality is against my religion and most other major religions so why should anyone be arrested for airing their religious beliefs?
Racist chants!!! Does that include shouting Scottish/Welsh/Irish twats etc? Scouse cunts, Manc twats, Cockney/Geordie etc etc... Can we sing "He?s just a fat Spanish waiter"...???
Get off your fascist high horses and support freedom of speech! You cannot be selective as what might upset you, will not necessarily upset others.
I agree with Shaun, we should sing as many songs as we like and try and get as close as possible to the line without crossing it. I hate LFC and the whole "friendly derby" crap, we want blood and guts on the pitch with the players showing the same desire, lots of yellows and reds is what the game is all about.
We don't like them and what they stand for so why should we take away the passion we have for EFC? We don't have as many gifted players as they do but what we have is common desire to be proud of being a blue. The Derby game can only be won by us sticking together and laying down the battlelines as a team!!
We give as much as we can, if that includes playing dirty on and off the pitch then so be it as winning is what matters in these games ? nothing else will do! NIL SATIS NISI OPTIMUM. Fuck the RS and its fans!!!
Police warn against ??criminal chants?? at derby; Everton fans warn of a ??criminal?? playing professional football while awaiting a court appearance as infuriating? There?s only one real criminal at Anfield on Monday
What?s worse.... singing about a criminal OR breaking somone?s nose and/or teeth and causing what is called Assault and Affray....???
Hey lads, be careful singing a song as Stevie G may just try and assault one of us at his peril!!!
So I have to ask......who are the real criminals? Fans or a person with concrete evidence against him? These players get paid £100k a week to deal with taunts and abuse, even players get up to it and it?s called ?winding a player (or criminal) up. :)
Come on lads....don?t let the police scare us into silence. Let?s use this as the ammunition we need!!
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum!!!
Wonder if Prince Harry could come up with a good inoffensive song for us?
I'm off to London later ? I'll ask him.
I have a feeling this warning will have just made things worse. Not to mention they freely admit in an article that it would be impossible and dangerous to arrest everyone. So as long as everyone does offensive chants everyone will be fine.
I hate the redshite, what a joke? Here we are getting warned about our fans' behaviour... well Phil Neville, Everton captain, is spat on and punched by one of their many mutant fans, but we will be made to look by them murders for singing about Stevey howhards, that baby's not yours. Imagine the fuss if I done that to Steven Gerrard? It makes me sick.
Crackin? thread, Gromit
Hows about "supporters of a team whose fans, some time ago, were perhaps a wee bit culpable in inflicting a measure of extreme bodily harm on opposition fans, allegedly"?
Whatever your religion (that?s a classic ? I should be able to shout insulting chants because of my religion...) or politics, there?s no need for offensive chanting aimed at people because of their race or sexuality
Utterly pathetic when the day arrives that football banter is an arrestable offence and it in no way contravenes a section 5 public order offence and the whiter than white RS that spit on players and chant at them over their disabled children or Lescott?s head injury?
Black Bill will no doubt join his beloved RS brothers whilst he yet again swells with pride at their anthem and wish the fans join together like the cover of the Watchtower.
FFS they should be out looking for the toerags that tan cars whilst you are at the match and later told by the copper on the desk when you report it "oh yeah, this happens every week on those streets" but it?s too difficult to crowbar their lazy arses from cars or desks to do pro-active basic policing.
Working in Scotland I was amazed that Celtic fans complained to the authorities about Rangers singing the Hokey Cokey - what a fucking joke, the Rangers fans actually debated whether or not to complain about the Celtic fans singing YNWA as their disabled fans found that song insulting. A stupid sad PC ran country this is fast becoming.
How about
Steve Gerrard, Gerrard
He knocks over kids in cars
He bottles DJ?s in bars*
Steve Gerrard, Gerrard
[* allegedly]
All joking apart its just been on Radio City that the RS are making a move for Joey Barton!!!!!!!! Apparently, if Gerrard gets banged, up they want a like-for-like replacement.
Ho ho ho, I'm here all week.
Maybe they will go back in for Bowyer?
Do you think they?d find the alternative lyric to the Torres song offensive?
His father said he wasn?t gay, Torres, Torres,
He?s always worn his hair that way, Torres, Torres,
And when he scores & jumps for joy,
He looks just like a Ladyboy,
Fernando Torres, takes it up the arse.
Great song for Steven Gerrard in the derby, to the tune of Karma Chameleon:
You're going, going, going, going, going down with Boy George.
The baby's not yours, the baby's not yours.
He's got you in chains while you're taking it up the arse.
You knock over kids in cars and glass DJ's in bars.
How about good manners, and a sense of decorum at all times.
I recently lost a great friend of mine. His name was Bobby Wilcox. He was probably the most well-known Liverpool fan in the city. He was also a great human being and unbiased red. The reason I am contacting you is I understand that Liverpool F.C. might be planning some sort of tribute at the next Derby game.
And through this column I would like to appeal to the decent Evertonians to make sure any tribute to Bobby is not ruined by the actions of the moronic minority.
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1 Posted 15/01/2009 at 16:42:46
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