Most liked posts in thread: John Dewhirst article in the T&A

The above thread was brought to my attention and I thought it appropriate to contribute my own feedback to the exchange. I shall respond to an arguably provocative suggestion about racism with an equally provocative response. As someone with a particular interest in the history of BCAFC it is amusing that the club should now capture the attention of aspiring sociologists.

I guess my immediate observation is one of disappointment that accusations of racism could potentially paralyse free thought and the willingness to state the bleeding obvious with regards a matter that is close to all our hearts. The term 'racism' is so commonly applied as to be virtually rendered meaningless and in the opinion of this cynic, applied to win an argument without the inconvenience of debate.

I unashamedly voted Brexit. Eight months working in Saudi Arabia convinced me of my islamophobia. I apply racial profiling of drivers as a form of life preservation and incident avoidance when riding my motorbike through Bradford. I criticise the leadership of Bradford City by someone who happens to be a Serbian. Heavens, the self-professed progressive luvvies will already have me categorised as a member of the KKK.

What I don't mind is being labelled as an aboriginal Bradfordian and I take great pride in the fact that I can trace my family history back 200 years. My children are the eighth generation with Bradford roots but sadly they will probably be the last which reflects the history of Bradford from an agricultural wasteland to a post-industrial one. Notwithstanding, I am proud of my Bradford heritage and was pretty chuffed to discover that a founder member of Manningham FC in 1880 was none less than a certain John William Dewhirst.

As many of you know I have invested considerable effort researching the history of football in Bradford and a motivation to write my books was to ensure that the history could be told, shared and recorded for posterity. (I might add that I discovered that a lot of what has been written previously about the history of Manningham / Bradford City by those who profess to be experts has been wide of the mark.) What I do know is that thus far, in the historical record of BCAFC chairmen, the current incumbent seems highly unlikely to be remembered kindly.

To get to the point, I consider BCAFC to be a vitally important Bradford institution and too valuable to be complacent about. In my opinion it is a glue for a common identity and civic patriotism in Bradford - just the same as sport came to be in the nineteenth century (refer my book Room at the Top for details or look at what is published on VINCIT). In my opinion there is a massive risk of the club going backwards and becoming irrelevant and that was sufficient to prompt my comments in the T&A at the weekend. I genuinely believed that it was appropriate to put my head above the parapet and say what I think without hiding behind a pseudonym on social media. As co-founder of The City Gent in 1984 and editor between 1986-88 I have previously been critical of club chairmen but my preference is to be constructive rather than hurl insults.

When it was announced that Rupp and Rahic were buying the club I was genuinely encouraged. The fear was that a sensible buyer could not be found and a personal concern has always been that the club might find itself the target of those individuals in the city seeking the means to launder their ill-gotten gains. (A soccer club would be a suitable business front for certain Bradford entrepreneurs and indeed, that remains my biggest worry about future ownership of Bradford City AFC.)

I have worked in Germany and visit just about every other year. As a student I spent considerable time in Berlin and can boast having been both detained by the East German border police as well as targeted for recruitment as a paid East German sympathiser. Without wishing to digress, the term 'Bantam Progressivism' was coined by myself and the iconography was presumably sufficient to convince the Stasi that I was a fellow traveller. In short, I rather like the Germans. As a Bradfordian, I recognise the debt that our city owes to earlier generations of Germans including those who were involved at Valley Parade in the decades preceding World War One.

Of course we can't mention authoritarian leaders without sensitivity of being beastly to the Germans although it should be noted that in 1907, the megalomanic behaviour of the then Park Avenue chairman led to him being described as a Little Napoleon. The fact that Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp are German (Rahic is Serbian by birth) has got bugger all to do with it. For those bedazzled by German car adverts, the state of affairs at Valley Parade should be sufficient to demonstrate that incompetence is not the sole preserve of the English. Quite possibly it is the fact that they are German that has deferred criticism because everyone, myself included expected more of them and gave them the benefit of the doubt. I'd argue that had it been Messrs Rhodes and Lawn who presided over the current shambles they would have been vilified long ago. Of course Germany got defeated in the early rounds of the World Cup and we were all gobsmacked. Racial stereotypes eh?

 

I am so sick of your excuses for fans who are genuinely concerned for our club. Please go and paddle your racist claims somewhere else.

 

Sums up pretty well what most of us are thinking

 

No place left to hide Edin.....

Rahic Out!

 

Another well penned piece from Dewhirst.

Initially I felt he was only echoing the thoughts and beliefs of most balanced supporters, which made it 'old news'. However, on reflection, I applaud the piece, too. For this is not a view expressed in a hit or miss fashion on this Forum, Twitter or any other social media rostrum .............. His, or rather OUR views have been aired openly in the T&A !! And I dare say the Yorkshire Post will pick upon this, too.
We've all wanted people to hear us - But that's not enough ........ I want the greater populous to listen, not just hear.

I admire Edin for trying something new, but I'm perplexed that such a business man saw far too late the errors he kept pumping out to an unwelcoming audience ....... US ....... The fans.
Unless Edin has a total rethink, I suspect many errors will still remain, sadly.

I sincerely hope Dewhirsts article lies at ease with Edin Rahic, but also that Edin begins to see just why he wished to adopt OUR City, and all that goes with it.

Because Edin, you can spend half a lifetime in a strange place, and always remain a stranger.

 

Knows how to construct a great article does John

 

They've turned the club around and it is accelerating towards league 2. That is why they are getting flack.

Under their stewardship, the last nine months have been a complete farce. I can't be bothered listing all the issues, they've been eloquently expressed numerous times on this board.

Yes, some muppets have used objectionable language relating to our owner's nationality. There is absolutely no need for that, and I don't want to be associated with that. However, implying that prejudice is the major factor is simply wrong.

 

Can't understand why anybody would get upset because our German owners are referred to as being German. What a mad world we live in.

 

If that's the road you were going down then there's nothing wrong with it as such, but it's all rather pointless. Who'd have thought we have some racist fans amongst our fanbase before you told us?

You're clearly bullshitting here anyway. According to your post, the amount of flack Rahic/Rupp have recieved is down to racism, and as the majority of City fans over the past year or so have given them flack to some degree, the implications of your post are very clear.

 

Brilliant John, well said and so clear.

 

For those who haven't seen it, also have a look at the link Faithful Bantam poster on page 15 of the Owners Support Poll pinned thread. Maybe a less balanced view from the Banter boys but again echoing what a lot are feeling. They might have burned their bridges with ER
https://twitter.com/bantamsbanter/status/1038146950204416005?s=20
Apologies for pinching your link FB

 

Good piece, on an important and influential platform.

Doubt Edin will change, personally, the guy is immensely unlikeable and largely incompetent based on the evidence of the Summer.

A lot hinges on how well Hopkin can appease fans as to whether or how soon protests come about.

One thing is for sure... Edin cannot afford to mess this up or be seen to treat DH badly or he's going to be under the cosh like never before. I just doubt he can rein his arrogance in. A Grade A Ding Dong will struggle to become a master leader overnight.

 

So why do you keep referring to it on here? It’s no good trying to back track here. I most certainly had enough of your racism taunts. I would never support racism on here or anywhere else, yet I come on here and you are here with your postings, nearly always trying to divert and suppress open discussion.

 

Yep decisions resulting in our club becoming a laughing stock might have something to do with it, run out of patience; yet you latch onto racism.

 

You do understand a handful of comments that could possibly be construed as 'racist' to suit an individuals agenda does not constitute a problem for the thousands of other fans who have grave concerns with our German owners?

 

Really? There were literally hundreds of threads and thousands and thousands of posts on the old C&B forum on the GR years and the aftermath. And add to that the T&A and you could write a book on peoples thoughts about the demise of the club.

 

Not everyone. However, there has been a theme. I am worried that posters might fear posting because they may not be politically correct. It is important to keep this board open to as many fans as possible whether they have had a University Education or not. The membership of this board will be a cross section of society, black, Asian, Eastern European, white etc etc., they must laughing their socks off at what some describe as racists and xenophobic. Don’t get me started on the widespread sexism on here

 

It's time for people, in particular just looking, park bantam and kevin1954 to stop throwing the race card at people at every opportunity because you are trying to defend someone who you are unable to defend by decent debate and discussion, wonder why that is?

It is offensive for a starter and imo the mods should be clamping down on these sort of posters and you see with this thread, it has more or less descended into 4 pages of crap because of one comment. If you see a genuine racist/xenophobic comment report it, in fact tag me and I will too because I'm struggling to see them all.

As for Richmond not getting the stick Rahic has, one thing worth mentioning is social media which is like wild fire to this sort of thing. And of course the fact we spent most of the time under him on an upward trajectory, we were a small league 1 club when he took over and went on the ride of our lives to the Premier League. Even when he left although we were in a bad state we were still in the championship and a far bigger club than the one he found, a rich owner could have turned it around without the fall into league 2 like with Crystal Palace in 2013. Who can forget Lawn's car been keyed, racism as well?

I didn't think all this would need explaining.

 

If there's three things I can't stand it's xenophobia, racism and bloody germans!..

 

I believe he/she/it is just looking for a responce to the ridiculous claims. I don't believe it believes it for a moment.

Remember when silly bastard Mellor claimed BFG's sacking of Kammy smacked of Racism.
Loved listening to BFG set about him live on radio. Up until it went pear-shaped I loved supporting this club under his stewardship.