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Thursday, November 18, 2004

England played an international football (soccer) 'friendly' against Spain yesterday night.

It was shit. I sat here aghast at the TV, the sound stoking anger I didn't even know existed outside of my own retribution fantasies (you know... what if someone killed your family?). In the second half, any time a black player touched the ball a wall of monkey-noises came up and invaded the pitch.

And what did the England players do? Keep playing. Yeah, sure, 'stiff upper lip' and everything. But does it really insult your pride that much to leave the pitch? Why is it so hard to take a stand?

I wanted them to be a team (even though they weren't capable of playing as one that night). I wanted them to huddle for a minute, then run straight to the exit. All heads held high. Then at least something would have to be done.

But no. Instead, they played a dire match, culminating in a 1 - 0 loss. And instead of making a point they shook hands with their opponents and left. No difference: just viewers sickened; and their own teammates subject to a world that shouldn't be there. No people were thrown out of the ground, so call it police-sanctioned racism. And of course, then it reflects on a whole people to a nation of Sun-readers.

I know it isn't Spain. It's a lot of fucking... ... despicable people who share a language and a stadium and an ignorance or hatred.

Every time I heard the noise I stared at the TV again, wondering if it was even humans capable of this. Louder than the ball being hit, louder than the cheers for the goal. The sport should be on the pitch, not in goading people like medieval miscreants come to watch a hanging.

Gut-clenching, brow-furrowing, disturbing, palpably sociopathic disgust fills me.

Fuck racists. And until it's fixed, fuck football.

Comments:
Ironic moment in the pub. TV had been on for the match. I'm not a footie fan so came in afterwards for a swift one and the fans were morosely drinking watching the news. The report turned to the crowd noises and racist chanting. One of the England-shirted drinkers turned to his friend and said "They should ban the racist lot of them. Stinking fucking greasy Dagoes...".

Says it all really.
 
It really does...

It's most of the world that's wrong. People who have the power are too often in that group.
Shame.
 
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