They had proper anti discrimination notices up at grounds, we didn't. They had proper anti discrimination announcements at the game (not reacting to chants but just in general) we only had one before games and our safety officer (or stadium officer, I forget) had no idea what it said. They made use of their electronic advertising boards to display anti discrimination messages, we didn't. They utilised CCTV when chanting was heard, we pretended we hadn't heard it. To be honest it's lots of little things that were ignored because previously we didn't care. That's why they're having to double down on it even harder now because the previous lot didn't even try to make an effort. But at the end of the day the point still remains, is it that hard to stop singing that one song? Or even just to change the lyrics slightly so the Leeds scum part remains but the rest changes to be relevant in 2023?
If it's heard and reported they have to say it. If someone at the club hears it they have to read it out. It isn't just random
Who were the clubs that displayed the notices, is there a list of those that did & those that didn"t ? Not being argumentative just curious to know who these clubs are.
Alf Garnet’s still on & it’s hilarious.They even forgot to bleep **** & ***, one night. Michaelangelo is pornography, though..
I'm 48, so I was around in the 80's but not as an adult. IMO it's just a case of things change, and hopefully for the better. There's no place for bigotry in society full stop. So when I see it happening around me, at the football club I love, I have a problem with it. Saying something was acceptable in the 80s, isn't good enough for me. The 80s was over 40 years ago. The same kind of span between the England team doing a Nazi salute in 1935, and the 70s.
It's a song I've never understood - It doesn't really offend me , maybe as a Catholic with Irish descendants it probably should, but I've never been able to link the lyrics together. What's the connection?
I'm also wondering what other clubs do or did in previous years compared to barnsley. (Maybe acted quicker to identify the main instigators) The anti racism announcements were being done before games many moons/years ago.. adding homophobic and discriminatory language later. Signs have been around for years eg the Racism kick it out campaigns. Having been to most away games in the past umpteen years I've not noticed much difference at those grounds. I just think we have fans that are taking longer to adjust. Wasn't that many years ago our fans were still singing such things as "I'd rather be a p--i than a scab." " yer dads a ctun and so are you" Or "Harry Robert's is our friend" I couldn't believe that reared up it's ugly head a few years back. Which were far more offensive than the Pope/IRA one imo. Although can be viewed as offensive also. I have no liking of the pope or the IRA. So I don't cringe as much if that makes sense. I was told the other day by a credible source. That 40+ banning orders have been issued this season. It'll sink in eventually when the ringleaders are identified and banned and hopefully it'll stop the rest in persisting. The announcements are definitely an arse covering exercise. But if folk persist they will be identified I have no doubt about that.
I think that basically we were just woefully underprepared when we got the fa charge for the McLean thing. The clubs rep didn't know anything at all which was embarrassing and so the conclusion was that we didn't have signs, announcements etc mainly because when asked about them we didn't know. At the second charge we went in with an almost arrogant disregard for the rules.
With respect ST. No announcements at any ground in the country imo would have stopped the comments thrown at McClean. Wrong time wrong place. For him to make his stance. Whether we agree with it or not. And was apparently widely known he got the same treatment at other grounds. Sometimes a persons actions attract such a response which are unavoidable. Like it or not.
You're right but I'm just saying why we were fined because at the hearing we were incompetent and showed a shocking level of neglect which made it easy for the fa to find us guilty. After the physio incident all we did was showed that we had ignored the action plan given to us after the McLean incident. Now we've taken it seriously and can't be seen to ignore it again.
